Are Male Or Female Cats More Affectionate?

Are Male Or Female Cats More Affectionate
Image: istockphoto.com / maximkabb

Many cats are cuddly companions and having an affectionate one is a definite bonus. But does the gender of the cat affect how affectionate it is? There seem to be varying opinions on this among pet parents. Some argue that male cats are more affectionate and sociable compared to female cats while some argue the opposite.

Are male or female cats more affectionate?

Male and female cats are on average, just as affectionate and there are other factors that determine how affectionate a cat is: 

1. The breed of your cat 

One factor that affects how affectionate a cat is, is its breed. Some breeds are more affectionate than other domestic cat breeds. Some of the most affectionate cat breeds include the Ragdoll, Scottish Fold, Sphynx, Maine Coon, Persian, Siamese, Bombay, Tonkinese, American Shorthair, and Birman. You can also check our earlier article on the most affectionate cat breeds for more information on this topic. 

However, the breed is not a foolproof determinant of how affectionate a cat becomes.

2. Your cat’s environment 

Another factor to affects how affectionate a cat becomes is its environment. If you adopted your cats,  it would be good to know if they came from an abusive home or if they were left or found on the streets before you got them from a local pet shelter.  

Being exposed to a harsh environment or an abusive home may result in an aggressive and aloof cat, regardless of gender. However, if you treat your cat with love and affection, he or she may likely have a more relaxed and amiable personality. Just like humans, a cat’s affection is determined to a large degree by its personality and upbringing. The four first months of a cat’s life are crucial and cats raised with people during such time are likely to become more affectionate and attentive compared to feral kittens due to the latter’s lack of human interaction.  

3. Degree of socialization 

Aside from breed and environment, how much or how little your cat socializes with humans may also play a part in the development of the cat. Cats that usually stay outdoors may grow aggressive while indoor cats that are properly socialized with their humans are more likely to exhibit affectionate behavior.

Similarly, cats have unique personalities and some of them are more open and interactive for no apparent reason.

Degree of socialization 
Image: istockphoto.com / nemchinowa

4. Whether your cat was spayed or not 

Another factor to check the level of affection among male and female cats is whether they have been spayed or neutered. Most cat experts agree that non-spayed male cats turn out to be more affectionate compared to female cats. However, during the mating season, male cats become more aggressive and territorial while female cats tend to become more affectionate, and vocal and tend to rub against people and almost anything.

Unspayed female cats are often seen as less affectionate. Inversely, female cats tend to become more affectionate and loving when they are neutered since they tend to transfer their maternal feelings to humans. 

It is interesting to note that behavioral differences among male and female cats are more obvious when they are not spayed or neutered since it is closely related to their sex drive. Although just like with the factors discussed above, it does not seem to apply to every cat as each one has a unique temperament and personality.

Most pet adoption centers and cat experts agree that cats should be spayed and neutered. This may result in less aggressive felines and is an effective way to curb the population and negative behavior. 

Conclusion

Cat experts agree that there is no real personality differences between male and female cats when it comes to affection.  Each cat is unique and when it comes to affection the factors discussed above are more important than the gender of the cat.