When a tiny, defenseless, furry creature appears in a family, it seems that there is no difference - a cat or a female cat. It is better to decide in advance who to choose. In order to avoid troubles in the future, it is necessary to analyze the main characteristics that are not the same in individuals of different sexes.
What to pay attention to
Cute meowing lumps behave exactly the same, it doesn’t matter if it’s a cat or a female cat. Who to choose depends on a number of factors. After all, the period of growing up will pass very quickly, and then the behavior of the animal will change. Kids respond to affection, play, explore the world and do not cause any particular inconvenience to their owners. But time passes and the differences become obvious. A cat is better suited for living in an apartment than a cat:
- Males mark “their” territory, which female cats never do.
- By nature, females are more affectionate towards their owners.
- Neatness is also more characteristic of ladies - they quickly get used to doing their business in the tray, and do not mess in the apartment.
But if the owners have a spacious country house, then it is better to get a four-legged male. He will have enough space to move around. You won't have to wait for surprises in the form of unplanned offspring. There will be no screams that usually accompany estrus in females. And to avoid damage to furniture and marks throughout the house, you can carry out a castration procedure. It is done in any veterinary clinic and will cost half as much as sterilization of an individual of the opposite sex. In addition, castration is much safer for the animal itself; there are fewer chances that complications will arise.
What age should a kitten be?
It is best to choose a kitten that is at least 9-12 weeks old before it can be removed from its mother and siblings. At this age, they no longer need breastfeeding and their immunity is formed. In addition, by three months the kittens have already been trained in normal behavior and are quite independent, it will be easier for them to get used to the new environment. Animals at this age also become relatively conscientious, so it will be easier to train them to the litter box and “explain” that scratching furniture and playing with curtains is not a good idea.
If you are choosing a kitten for an apartment, or it will mainly live in the house, it is better to take an animal that has also lived in an apartment before . In this case, the kitten will most likely quickly get used to the sounds of a vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, washing machine and other household appliances.
Loyalty to owners and affection
For many, it is important to understand what is better - a cat or a male cat - in terms of attachment to the hearth and home. After all, furry tails are known for their independence. But they are quite capable of experiencing love for their owners and becoming attached to a specific place of residence. This is especially true for cats - they are guardians of their territory. Furry ladies can spend hours watching what is happening on their territory and strive to take part in all events.
Cats are less fixated on where they live; it doesn’t cost them anything to sneak out for a walk when the opportunity arises. Cats are more reasonable and will not leave their home unless necessary, in which they carefully explore every corner. On pet lovers forums you can read different stories about the difference in the behavior of tailed animals depending on gender.
Any cat subtly senses the attitude of bipeds towards them. If someone doesn't like them, they will avoid that person. You won't be able to lie in front of four-legged creatures. If an animal is treated roughly, it may become offended, become capricious, and even become aggressive.
As for the manifestations of reciprocal feelings to affection from the owner, cats are more prone to this than cats. Ladies become more attached, they are ready to adjust their needs to the schedule of their owners. They never wake them up in the morning with impatient cries, even if they want to eat. They follow people around the house, delving into all their affairs. At the same time, they maintain their distance and do not impose themselves. Cats are more independent, rarely show affection and do not strive to sit on a person’s lap. They are more interested in climbing the curtains or starting another fun game.
Physiological differences
Before deciding who is better to adopt - a cat or a female cat - you should know how individuals of different sexes differ physically. This may be the deciding factor for many:
- Males emit a stronger odor. They clean their fur less thoroughly than cats. However, if you carefully care for your pet, the specific aroma will be almost invisible.
- Cats that are allowed outside may disappear for days or even weeks. When they return home, they usually don't look their best.
- Males are capable of creating a real mess in the house: tearing upholstery, tearing off wallpaper, turning over the contents of cabinets. They mark the territory, which leaves a persistent unpleasant odor.
- During estrus, females also do not behave very well. They scream, make puddles in various places, and are obsessive. They also roll around on the floor and leave clumps of fur everywhere in the house.
- Cats are often susceptible to diseases of the genitourinary system.
It is not at all necessary to tolerate the peculiarities of sexual reflexes if you do not plan to send your pet to exhibitions and then earn income by selling purebred kittens. There are two options for solving the problem: surgical (castration, sterilization) or taking medications (tablets or drops). Sterilized animals have a more balanced character, they are docile and calm.
But if it’s a pity to subject your pet to surgery, hormonal drugs remain. However, it is worth keeping in mind that side effects in the form of various ailments are possible.
Other factors
The behavior of pets will also directly depend on their upbringing - the sooner it starts, the better. Cats position themselves differently depending on their breed. For example, the Canadian Sphynx does not pretend to be the king of the house, while the Maine Coon immediately considers itself the head of the family.
What you need to know about choosing a breed? Conventionally, they can be divided into independent ones, highly dependent on communication with the owner, and those that are the golden mean. Representatives of the first group are completely self-sufficient, capable of living without the company of bipeds for a long time. Affection is shown rarely, but generously. These animals will be good friends for those who have to be at work all day; you can choose from the following breeds:
- Scottish lop-eared.
- Russian blue.
- Burmilla.
- British cat.
Representatives of the second group are the complete opposite. They are very sociable, love to attract attention and start noisy games. The owner is accompanied everywhere and does not leave a single step.
When left alone, they get very bored:
- Sphinxes.
- Oriental cat.
- Devon Rex.
- Kurilian Bobtail.
Representatives of the third group are somewhere between the previous ones. They are moderately expressive and emotional. They are bored, but not too much, and can be alone for quite a long time:
- Bombay.
- Siberian.
- Maine Coon.
- Angora.
- Persian.
The character traits of any group will be somewhat smoothed out in cats, while in males they will appear more clearly. Another important issue is the cost of the kitten. It is impossible to say for sure who is more expensive - a cat or a female cat. This will depend primarily on the breed , on the exhibition potential of each individual individual. If the owners do not intend to make money from the offspring, they can choose a cheaper breed. If there are fewer males in the litter, then they will cost slightly more.
If a boy is deprived of his “dignity,” he becomes prone to gaining excess weight. Another side effect is a tendency to form kidney stones. Even castrated cats' urine retains a strong odor. Therefore, people with a heightened sense of smell will still feel it.
What's good about cats
It seemed to me that cats are good because they are easy to care for and do not need to devote too much time to them. I want a dog, but I understand that I won’t be able to walk it two or three times a day for an hour and a half, play at home, train it and work with a dog handler and animal psychologist. And you can pet cats, play with them, record silly GIFs with them, and type hearts on Instagram.
If there is a small child in the house, then he learns to take care of living beings, understands when he can squeeze them and when he can scratch them. Well, the plus is that it’s fun and interesting for the child to play.
Of course, if the child is small, then you should not expect him to clean up after the animals. Probably, this can be assigned from the age of five or six, we will try later.
I think that in order for cats to be a joy and not become a cause of disputes in the family, you need to follow these rules:
- The decision to get a cat should be unanimous, and not by majority vote. After all, everyone will live together, and it is important that each family member is comfortable;
- Agree on how the responsibilities for caring for the animal are divided. In our family, we divided the responsibilities like this: I do daily care, clean the tray, feed, and my husband buys food and cleans the tray completely every few days. If someone can't do something, someone else will take over. And without reproach: “But you should have, but didn’t.” If you should, but didn’t, it’s okay, someone else will do it. If someone is not consistently doing their part, then this is a reason to talk and redistribute responsibilities.
- Decide what to do while traveling. We have relatives who are ready to look after the cats if we are away, so there were no problems with this.
- Be prepared that the cat will not want to be petted. Our cats do not sit on hands and run away when petted. They can come and sit side by side, follow on your heels, but they scratch if you sit them on your lap. Well, it’s okay, but they have fun fighting among themselves.
In general, the hassle with cats can be greatly reduced. There are cat litter boxes that connect to the sewer system, and owners don't even have to clean the litter box. There are water fountains that run on electricity, and there are automatic feeding systems. And in the end, you can just enjoy the fact that sweet pies live in the house.
Happinnes exists
Happiness comes in different forms, and sometimes it’s your own apartment, where you feel good.
If you want one, come to the Airplane. Look at this happiness
The best breeds for an apartment
When choosing a pet, you should think not only about the external beauty of the animal. After all, this natural gift can fade without careful care. And the owner will have to wash, clean and put down the pet. For example, the luxurious fur of the Persian breed will require daily grooming for 15 minutes. Any long-haired cats need other procedures:
- Once a month, washing is mandatory, which not all animals like. During meals, the “collar” gets dirty, which becomes more and more difficult to clean with a napkin each time.
- Discharge from the eyes must be removed daily, otherwise it accumulates in the corners and stains the coat, giving it a very untidy appearance.
- Nail trimming is necessary for any pet four-legged dog. To do this, you will either have to learn how to do it yourself, or set aside time every month to visit the veterinarian.
Grooming semi-longhaired breeds is not as labor-intensive, but still takes some time every day.
It would seem that all these problems can be solved in one fell swoop - after all, there are sphinxes that are completely devoid of hair. But lazy people will be disappointed. Although there is no cover, skin care will be required. It must be wiped regularly with special wipes. If this is not done, secretions collect in the folds and pathogenic bacteria begin to multiply. Sphinxes must be protected from sunlight, as they can get burned. The cold is also dangerous for them, because there is no warming coat. Therefore, you should think three times before buying a cat. Short-haired cat breeds are the easiest to care for:
- British Shorthair.
- Russian blue.
- Sacred Burmese.
- Scottish fold.
They groom themselves, so they need to be bathed much less often. And the wool does not require so much attention - it is enough to comb it occasionally with a short comb.
The pet does not necessarily have to have a pedigree with famous ancestors. After all, an ordinary kitten picked up on the street is capable of love and affection—these animals can be grateful for their salvation. Perhaps this is the kind of pet that will become your best friend for life.
Why take trash cats at all?
I don't know the motivation of people who adopt cats from the street. In fact, it has its own dangers like cat diseases, worms and everything else. I love animals very much, I regularly donate money to shelters and the Wildlife Fund, but I’m also very squeamish. One day I was in a cafe in Budapest and someone else’s dog came up to our table and stuck its nose on the table, and I couldn’t eat. I don’t like wool, I don’t like it when animals climb on the dinner table, and I wash my hands every time I pet a cat or dog. At the same time, it’s completely normal for me to clean up poop and scattered food after them. I just like to maintain hygiene.
I didn’t plan to have kittens, but a cat settled in our yard and recently gave birth to four. I also have a daughter, and she is three years old. And I thought that one day she will bring the kitten home anyway, we better be ready for this. In addition, the kittens were very cute, and one of them had some kind of eye injury, I felt sorry for leaving him to live on the street, I thought that he might not survive:
This is Dymka, her right eye cannot see, so it is better for her to live at home, where they will look after her. And it looks like her mother sinned with a Siamese cat
I didn’t want to just drag the kittens home when nothing was ready for this, so the procedure was as follows:
- consultations with cat owners,
- purchase of accessories,
- trip to the vet,
- kitty's housewarming,
- adaptation of the family and kittens to the home.
- I’ll tell you everything I learned at these stages.
