{"id":686150,"date":"2025-01-17T10:00:52","date_gmt":"2025-01-17T10:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/?p=686150"},"modified":"2025-01-27T16:44:57","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T16:44:57","slug":"the-battle-of-the-sexes-which-one-makes-a-better-pet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/felines-weekly\/the-battle-of-the-sexes-which-one-makes-a-better-pet\/","title":{"rendered":"The Battle of the Sexes – Which One Makes A Better Pet?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction<\/a> to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I may be opening a can of worms here, but I\u2019m never one to shy away from a controversial topic. I will also preface this by saying that there is no scientific data that can prove or deny my view, but it does come from my experience with many, many<\/em>, cats over the years. In fact, I can\u2019t remember a time in my life when we didn\u2019t have at least one cat.<\/p>\n

So before we get into it, I\u2019m going to give you my verdict, and it is one that my feminist soul hates to admit, but I have found that for me, males seem to make the best pets. Of course, that very much depends on the type of companion you are looking for!<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s get into it.<\/p>\n

The Cats I Have Lived With<\/h2>\n

Including Quincy, my parents\u2019 Siamese, who was there before I was born, I have shared my home with eleven cats in total. And with the exception of Quincy, they have all been moggies<\/a>, and interestingly, quite an even spread of both male and female. I can\u2019t tell you how many I have known and worked with, but it would be in the thousands.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Name<\/strong><\/td>\nSex<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1. Quincy<\/td>\n\u2642\ufe0f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2. Bindi<\/td>\n\u2640\ufe0f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3. Tiger<\/td>\n\u2642\ufe0f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4. Muffin<\/td>\n\u2642\ufe0f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5. Gilbert<\/td>\n\u2640\ufe0f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6. Sullivan (Sully)<\/td>\n\u2640\ufe0f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7. Clutch<\/td>\n\u2642\ufe0f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8. Zazzles<\/td>\n\u2640\ufe0f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9. Zelda<\/td>\n\u2640\ufe0f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10. Cyril<\/td>\n\u2642\ufe0f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11. Alex<\/td>\n\u2642\ufe0f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Quincy and I weren\u2019t the best of friends. When I was 4 years old, I tried to \u2018help\u2019 him when he was fighting the neighbor\u2019s cat. As a result, he turned on me, leaving me rather bloody and scarred! Interestingly, this traumatic event did not put me off cats, but my relationship with Quincy never recovered!<\/p>\n

Sadly, Bindi was not with us long enough to make a huge impression on 5-year-old me, as she met her end at a very young age after trying to cross the road towards the alluring smell of KFC. Fortunately, my parents decided that allowing cats outside was no longer the way to go after this.<\/p>\n

I won\u2019t go into a detailed history of every cat, but over the years, I have definitely seen some patterns.<\/p>\n

Behavior Trends<\/h2>\n
\"Zelda
Zelda is hopelessly devoted to Husband<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Speaking only in generalities, I have personally found that male cats tend to be more outgoing, friendly to all, and generally more confident. By comparison, female cats seem to be more reserved, taking more time to assess the situation, and tend to latch onto one individual as \u2018their person.\u2019<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean that male cats are never skittish, or female cats are always selective with their affection, but these are characteristics that I have seen in my pets, my patients, and other cats I have known or heard about.<\/p>\n

When you think about feline social structure, it does make sense.<\/p>\n

It is the prerogative of the male to get out and sow his oats; the further he can range, the better his chances of fathering many kittens. As cats became domesticated over the last few thousand years, it would have served the Tom cats well to stay on the good side of humans to avoid being chased off with a broom. Courage and daring would be favored traits, allowing these lads to venture further.<\/p>\n

For females, on the other hand, caution and wariness are the skills needed to keep yourself and your kittens safe. Befriending one or two humans may be useful, but you don\u2019t want the whole village turning up when you\u2019re trying to raise a family.<\/p>\n

So Which Is the Better Pet?<\/h2>\n
\"The
The lads always like to be in the thick of things<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are no guarantees when it comes to the temperament or personality of a cat, and the more you try to shape them in one way, the more likely you are to get the opposite result. But, if there are particular traits that you would prefer in a feline companion, choosing the sex that suits your personality may get you one step closer to a perfect match.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s lay it out with a pros and cons list:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\u2642\ufe0f<\/td>\n\u2640\ufe0f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pros<\/strong><\/td>\nFriendly towards groups
\nMore playful and confident
\nMore tolerant of other pets<\/td>\n		Snuggly and attached to their \u2018person\u2019
\nLess chaotic once adults
\nObservant and emotionally intelligent<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cons<\/strong><\/td>\nNot as loyal
\nLess respectful of sleep
\nCan be demanding of affection<\/td>\n		Often more flighty
\nWary of strangers
\nMore prone to stress<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

I like a bomb-proof cat with boatloads of personality who doesn\u2019t mind having a houseful of animals and people. Sure, the boys will quickly abandon you for the comfiest-looking lap<\/a>, but I also love seeing people enjoying my cats\u2019 company, particularly one as convincingly friendly as Clutch<\/a>!<\/p>\n

But if you want a quiet and loyal cat who will shadow you and shower you \u2013 and only you \u2013 with affection, a female cat may be just what you need. She may not be so tolerant of noisy dogs or children, and a busy house might send her into hiding, but when everything has quietened down, you may get to experience the joy of being chosen by a cat.<\/p>\n

Decide For Yourself<\/h2>\n
\"I
I have been chosen…whether I like it or not!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Your experience may be completely different to mine, and I\u2019d love to hear about it! I certainly wouldn\u2019t recommend choosing a cat based purely on my point of view. One of the best ways to ensure feline compatibility is to visit an animal shelter<\/a> and meet an older kitten or adult cat. That way, you get a much better idea of their fully-formed personalities<\/a>, with the added bonus that many shelter cats are so grateful for being given a loving home!<\/p>\n

Want to weigh in? Drop me a line in the comments section below!<\/p>\n

\"Dr<\/p>\n

This article is a part of Dr. Karyn's series with her five hilarious cats.<\/div>
\n