In fact, it very likely is painful for the female cat. ![]() If you have ever heard the screaming (also known as caterwauling) that arises when cats are mating, the process might sound painful. If it seems strange, remember that most male mammals have vestigial nipples-including humans! 7. A male cat’s small, undeveloped nipples are vestigial-they don’t produce milk or serve any other purpose. Like female cats, male cats have four to 10 nipples arranged in pairs along their bellies. Male cats don’t have to nurse kittens, so you might be surprised to discover that all male cats have nipples. In the book, the main character is named Tom the Cat, and it’s likely that over the years, people simply began referring to any male cat as a “Tom” or “tomcat,” and it stuck. Although no one knows for certain, it’s possible that the term came about because of a popular children’s book called The Life and Adventures of a Cat, which was published in 1760. If the word sounds old-fashioned, it’s probably because it comes from a pretty old book. Intact male cats are often called tomcats. Neutering male cats increases their life expectancy-neutered male cats live about 62% longer than unneutered male cats. Want more years with your male cat? Consider neutering him. This shorter life expectancy is likely due to the fact that intact males are more inclined to have wanderlust in search of fertile females, which can put them into dangerous situations with cars, dogs, and wildlife.Ĭats that roam outside are also more exposed to deadly diseases like feline leukemia, feline infectious peritonitis, and rabies. One study found that the average life span of male cats was 13 years, which was two years less than female cats (15 years). Male Cats Have Shorter Life Spans Than Female Cats Cats with Klinefelter’s syndrome might suffer additional health issues, including cognitive and development issues, increased risk of broken bones, and reduced life span. Male calico and tortoiseshell cats have three chromosomes (XXY) and are always sterile. This means the cat has an extra chromosome that causes a condition called Klinefelter’s syndrome. However, rarely, a male cat is born calico or tortoiseshell. A cat with one X and one Y chromosome (XY) is male, so they theoretically can never display these colors. To be calico or tortoiseshell, a cat must have two X chromosomes (XX) that each carry the different alleles that create the calico or tortoiseshell color pattern. Almost all calico or tortoiseshell cats are female. The same color genetics come into play for the calico and tortoiseshell color patterns. Male Cats Are Almost Never Calico or Tortoiseshell For this reason, about 80% of all orange tabby cats are male. But male cats only need one orange X gene to be orange. However, the gene for black is more common in cats than the gene for orange, so it’s rare for females to inherit the two orange genes that they need to be orange. Female cats always have two X chromosomes (XX) and males always have one X and one Y (XY).įor a female cat to be orange, she must have the genes for orange in both her X chromosomes. Black is also contained within the X chromosome. The gene responsible for the color orange is carried by the X chromosome. (99% of humans have a strong preference for being right-handed or left-handed.)īecause the genes responsible for color are sex-linked, orange cats are more likely to be male than female. Overall, fewer cats show a preference for a dominant paw compared to humans. According to one study, about 75% of cats show a preference for using one paw more than the other.Īnd as it turns out, 52.3% of male cats preferred using their left paw, while 52% of female cats preferred using their right paw. Like humans are right-handed or left-handed, cats can be right-pawed or left-pawed. ![]() Male Cats Are More Likely to Be Left-Pawed Read on for 14 fascinating facts about male cats. If you are a cat lover who has both male cats and female cats as pets, you might have noticed some unique characteristics about your male cat’s temperament, behavior, physical appearance, and more. Male cats are quite similar to female cats in many ways, but boys do have some interesting personality traits and physical differences.
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