How to Determine the Sex of a Kitten: Easier Than You Might Think

If you’ve welcomed a litter of kittens or rescued a little one, or even a pregnant mom, it might be helpful to know how to determine the sex of the kittens.

Determining the sex of the cat isn’t particularly complicated, but you need to be observant, as the differences aren’t very distinct in the early stages.

It’s easier to determine gender in older kittens

If the kitten is 8 weeks old or older, the process is less challenging. To avoid stressing the kitten too much, it’s best to choose a time for examination when they’re calm and not interrupting play or feeding. After feeding might be an ideal time. Hold the kitten in your lap and gently lift its tail. Focus on two things: the distance between the anus and the opening of the penis is greater in males than the distance between the anus and the vulva in females. The penis opening appears round, while the vulva opening appears as a shorter line.

The penis itself is generally not visible in males, especially in such young ones. Although the testicles should theoretically be palpable (between the anus and the penis opening), they might be too small to identify, so it’s best not to rely on this alone.

If you’re more of a visual learner, this video might be helpful:

Determining the Sex of Kittens Younger Than 8 Weeks

Determining the gender of kittens younger than 8 weeks can be even harder because their organs are underdeveloped and therefore very small. If the kitten is fortunate enough to still be with its littermates, comparing kittens of the same age can help. All the previously mentioned guidelines apply here too, but be careful not to stress the little one by removing it from its mother and siblings for more than 5 minutes.

An Alternative Method

Certain coat colors are more common in specific genders, which genetics explains in detail. To keep it simple, I won’t go into too much depth here.

• Tortoiseshell and calico cats are almost always female, as their coloring requires two X chromosomes.
• Red tabby cats are more likely to be male, although this pattern isn’t as dominant as in the previous case.
• Completely black cats are also usually male, although not as likely as tortoiseshell and calico cats are female. The genetic factor behind this remains unknown.

Accurately determining a kitten’s gender is important not only to avoid naming mishaps. It also helps you prepare for certain behavioral issues or typical health concerns. For instance, urinary diseases can affect all cats but are more common and often more severe in males.