Do male and female cats have different characters?

They do have slightly different personalities in general in my opinion but I've asked the question because the American Animal Hospital Association Encyclopaedia of Cat Health and Care states that "There are no sex-linked character differences between male and female cats". They add that "both male and female cats are loving and companionable [and] altered cats may become an even more attentive and affectionate pet".

Difference between male and female cats in terms of distance travelled from home. Image: Admiral Insurance.

Home range

I think that they're slightly wrong to be fair. Even after being neutered, male cats are likely to want a bigger home range than female cats. They want a larger area that they call their own. This means that if they are allowed outside unsupervised - and many domestic cats still are nowadays - they will roam wider and further than female cats.

Risk

This exposes them to more risks than female cats. Another behavioural trait of male cats compared to female cats is that they can be more aggressive which means they are likely to get into more fights in defending their territory against invading cats. This will also expose them to more health risks.

Stand-offish?

And it is said that female cats can be little more standoffish and even less friendly than male cats. I can't find any hard scientific facts about that so will call it anecdotal. That means that cat owners report it.

RELATED: Are male cats more affectionate with humans and other cats than females?

Ginger tabby

Interestingly, it is said that the ginger tabby domestic cat is a friendly cat. It is said that their character is linked to their appearance which is unusual but there is evidence to suggest that this is true.

And 80% of ginger tabby cats are male. This would support what I have just stated above. But, then again, female cats are more gentle than male cats. 

Tortoiseshell

There is another interesting coat type which is sex-linked namely the tortoiseshell and tortoiseshell-and-white coat. These cats are nearly always female because of the way the genetics work. You can read about that if you like by clicking on this link.

1 in 3000 rare male calico cat in the hands of an Asian vet. Image: Twitter.

But the point is this: it is said, anecdotally again, that tortoiseshell cats have what cat lovers call "catitude". This, as you might expect, means a cat with attitude. A little bit feisty perhaps. Perhaps a little more independent and minded to do their own thing and be less obedient. So, this perhaps adds to the notion that female cats are slightly less friendly than male cats if you bring into the equation all of the tortoiseshell and tortoiseshell-and-white cats.

Confidence and timidity

Because they're less likely to roam far and wide I think we can say that female cats are more timid in general but one must observe the simple fact that each cat has their own personality. It is very difficult to generalise about the differences between male and female cats in terms of character or personality.

The more timid cat is not going to get into so much trouble. They're going to be more pliable and gentler with their owner; perhaps desiring more to be on their owner's lap. But once again, whether a domestic cat is a lap cat or not cuts across the gender of the cat. It is not sex-linked as they say.

90% the same

I think it's fair to say that male and female cat characters are 90% or more the same. There will be some slight differences, in general, in terms of aggression, self-confidence, outgoing behaviour perhaps, lack of timidity and so on.

Prefer females

Personally, although I currently live with a male former-feral cat, I prefer female cats because they are more gentle and less likely to get lost. There is another point worth mentioning. If I am correct in saying that male cats like to roam further than female cats then they are more likely to get lost I would argue. The female cat will stay nearer home and be less adventurous which, for me, is a great asset in terms of peace of mind if, as I do, you have a cat flap and let your cat go outside unsupervised.

Females/mothers

Image:MikeB

I hope this helps. I would love you to share your views on the difference between male and female character.