Key Takeaways
- How to Know the Gender of a Kitten
- How To Tell the Sex of a Female Kitten
- How To Tell the Sex of a Male Kitten
- Cats & Kittens
- Cat Health Care
- Kitten Health & Care
Trying to tell the sex of a young kitten takes a little practice, but there are a few subtle signs to look for as you try to determine if they're boys or girls.
Doug has been owned by a long line of cats and dogs in a variety of shapes and sizes. Today he lives with two crazy Jack Russell terriers (Pez and Dash) and a loyal and lovable Labrador Retriever (Pilot). Doug is a veteran garden and pet writer/editor who also is on the Board of Directors of the Franklin County, Florida, Humane Society.
If you're caring for a new litter of kittens, one of the first things many people want to do is to figure out if the tiny cats are boy or girl kitties. But with kittens, the answer isn't always obvious. Young males and females look very similar, so here are some tips for how to tell the sex of a cat when they're a kitten.
How to Know the Gender of a Kitten
The most obvious first step to find out the gender of a new cat is to look under their tail. This is easier to do with short-haired kittens, so you may have to comb away any extra fur if you are examining a long-haired kitten. Make sure the kitten is lying flat on a towel and lift the tail gently to avoid injuring the animal. Never lift a kitten up by the tail!
How To Tell the Sex of a Female Kitten
For a female kitten, you'll find a small hole (the anus) near the base of the tail with a small slash or line directly underneath it (the vulva). The combination should look a bit like a lowercase "i." There is little fur between the anus and vulva because they are so close together.
How To Tell the Sex of a Male Kitten
For a male kitten, you'll find a small hole (the anus) near the base of the tail, but there will be a second rounded shape (the scrotum) a bit further down than with female kittens. Because the anus and scrotum have a bit of space between them, there will be some fur between them. As a male kitten gets a bit older, their testes will grow larger and be easier to distinguish.
The Connection Between Kitten Coat Color and Gender
According to Carlene Strandell, Director and Founder of Smitten with Kittens, a non-profit, foster-based kitten rescue that operates in Tallahassee, Fla., coat color may help you indicate the sex of the kitten. "Three-colored cats such as calicos and tortoiseshells are usually female."
Fun fact: calico and tortoiseshell cats are almost always females because those color patterns are caused by sex-linked genes. Similarly, about 3 in 4 orange tabby cats are always male.
