I’m addressing two topics in this blog:
1. What is better, a male cat or female cat?
2. How neutering and spaying early can have positive effects on a cat’s behaviors.
First off, let me put to rest the presumption that all male cats spray. Spraying is a territorial behavior that Tom cats can possess when they’re marking either their home or their mates. It’s their way of saying, “This is my home. Any other male cats entering this area may get a serving of whoop-ass.” A Tom cat is a whole, intact male, one whom hasn’t had their testicles removed. “Spray” is a concentrated form of urine that can peel the paint off of walls, melt glass, and make nuns cry. If you ever want me to do a blog discussing how we handle this issue as a breeder, let me know. It is truly one of the most unflattering parts of breeding and requires daily, disgusting cleaning rituals.
The goal of fixing a kitten, spay or neutering them, is to avoid reproduction, to tailor behaviors that are unsavory, and to reduce chances of deadly cancers. The goal is to spay or neuter them before they reach sexual maturity. I’ve had kittens that I’ve raised as potential breeders whom have gone into heat at the age of four months. I won’t breed one of my ladies until they’re well over a year old. The more times a female goes into estrus without breeding increases their chances of getting pyometra, a deadly uterine infection.
Are there medical benefits for spaying cats before they reach 6 months of age?
Epidemiologic studies conducted in 1981 and 2005 document a significantly lower incidence of mammary neoplasia among cats spayed before their first heat cycle. This finding is significant given that mammary neoplasia is the third most common cancer in cats, that up to 96% of mammary tumors in cats are malignant, and that median survival time of cats with mammary neoplasia is generally less than 1 year. Spaying or neutering eliminates diseases of the uterus, ovaries, and testes.
We have our kittens neutered and spayed when they are around three months old. It removes the hormone producing components that would cause a cat mark its territory. The kittens avoid sexual maturity that makes them desire territory or ownership of a location or a mate.
I’ve conferred with two of my clients that are also veterinarians about the appropriate age to spay and neuter. After discussion and research, neither vet saw a negative effect to fixing a kitten at or around three months of age. However, once sexual maturity occurs, there is a chance the spayed or neutered cat may have lingering hormones or behaviors that could result in spraying.
This is a question I get asked at least once a week. The majority of people want a cuddly kitty that has a playful spirit. So which gender is most likely to possess those personality traits?
With the spraying issue out of the way, we’re down to assessing the personality. These opinions are about general personalities, as each cat is unique and has their own behaviors.
My opinion on female Sphynx: In every home with a female cat, especially with more than one pet, there will always be a queen bee. She will be the “leader”, the animal to which the other animals look to for signals. If she is startled, they’ll startle. If she’s quiet and content, they’ll follow suit. However, if she’s bothered, confronted, or just wants to be where someone else is sitting or lying, she will let everyone know. In Sphynx, I tend to see these disagreements turn into slap-fests, meat on meat sounds but no nails involved. There can be some hissing, but that’s typically the worse interactions between the pets. The female will continue with her demands until she gets what she wants. With this strong personality, she will bond intensely with her human family. Females can tend to be more elegant, more poised. They also tend to talk more than their male counterparts.
My opinion on male Sphynx: Male Sphynx tend to be a bit more easygoing. They keep a sense of youthful goofiness, and can be very expressive. Our most senior Sphynx, Streaker, became more playful as his dementia set in at the age of 18 years. They love to be loved equally by everyone, whether family, friends, or the FedEx driver. If not given enough attention by their humans, they’ll take it by rubbing against legs, arms or head. They don’t tend to need to lead, or control the home. Whole Tom males tend to spray as a way to mark their territories, yet once neutered, they typically stop marking. Males can be extremely cuddly, trusting and affectionate. They can be striking examples of beauty, but will flip upside down and get silly with simple eye contact.
This blog may not answer these questions for you. Just like I couldn’t answer whether you like white, wheat or sourdough, crispy or Original recipe, Coke or Pepsi. What I can say is that in all my years of loving and breeding Sphynx, I’ve never had anyone express dissatisfaction with one of my kittens, regardless of the gender. People are drawn to Sphynx because of their unique look, but it’s their affectionate, loyal, intelligent, funny personalities that they’re known and loved for.
This blog is not AI generated, assisted or influenced. Like AI could reflect or weigh in on these kitties. When I think about AI, I always think of Joshua from War Games (1983 film starring Matthew Broderick). Do you want to play a game?
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