Conference misery::feline_v1

    I have a boy and a girl. The boy is the sweetest puss ever.  The girl
    is a demon.
                                                    

    Hope I don't offend anyone, but talking from personal
    experience, boy cats don't seem to be as bright or sharp
    as female cats. My little Pounce is the sweetest angel
    to ever hit this planet. He wouldn't harm a thing except
    his catnip bootie. On the other hand, my girl Nutmeg is
    always looking at him with the expression, "How can I
    break his little neck this time hummm???"  She is devious
    I have to admit, but VERY SMART...  I can see those wheels
    turning in that rotten little mind of hers. But she's a
    sweetie too, when the time is right.
    
    My other cats, Bubbles RIP, was a lot smarter than her husband
    Sammy RIP. Anybody else notice this in their cats?
    
    lp

    Nippa has the permant "b*tch" look on her furry face (and the additude
    to match - right Sherry)....since she is the only cat I've ever owned, 
    I can't speak for the males....howeve I might stick w/ the female cats 
    for the future.
    
    Now if we were takling horses.....
    
    Michele (who loves them geldings!) 

    I confess to a preference for female cats and male dogs [generally
    speaking, that is].  I haven't any idea why and I've thought about
    it a lot. 
        
    This being said, while Maggie is my golden darling girl and
    Cardigan is my furry princess, Milo is just about the most wonderful
    cat I have ever known.  I went to the shelter to pick up a specific
    female kitten, and the animal officer handed me this little grey
    tiger boy.
    
    Milo is smart, a witty conversationalist with a wide range of
    interests, extremely fastidious, affectionate but not mushy,...
    
    Cardigan has three working brain cells.  One is reserved for allowing
    needy persons to stroke her excessively so they don't die of congestive
    heart failure.  One is reserved for never allowing me upstairs alone.
    And the last tries to keep up with her rigourous daily schedule...new
    thoughts send old ones right straight into the bit bucket.  She
    also has no bones.
    
    Maggie was a grouchy kitten.  The only one I've ever known.  She's
    still a grouch at almost 14.  Oh sure, she's incredibly affectionate
    to _either_ Rick or me, but only when there's no chance that she's
    observed. She's no dummy, either.  Now that Milo understands that
    she loathes him utterly, she has taken to writhing sinously in front
    of him inviting him to play.  It freaks him out!! and she walks
    away smirking...
   
      Ann

    
    Well as the owner of two male pusses, I sure wouldn't say they're
    stupid.  Both of mine are almost too smart for their own good.
    I think males tend to be more affectionate and less destructive
    than the females, but then I probably can find somebody who
    disagrees.  One of my guys, Rocco, even does stupid pet tricks.
    He offers his paw for a shake if you ask him (85% of the time) and
    he also purrs on the 'speak' command.  If you ask him 'where's
    your Rocco balls (sponge balls), he'll search one out and carry
    it to me in his mouth.  
    
    His brother T.C. is even smarter ... he doesn't do stupid pet
    tricks! 8^)
    
    Donna, T.C. and Rocco the wonder kitty

    I have two cats at the moment, one male, one female, and soon to
    add another male.  I don't have a preference as I have had stupid
    males, stupid females, boneless males and boneless females.
    
    However, there are a couple of reasonably legitimate rules concerning
    sexes (that I know of), but they are not permanently set in stone,
    so I am sure exceptions exist.
    
    As a basic, unneutered or late-neutered Toms stray more than queens
    (spayed or otherwise).  Queens have a smaller territory (naturally,
    we are talking outdoors here), which they protect quite vigourously,
    but don't cruise as much as your basic tomcat.
    
    So many people like females because they "stay close to home" (my
    suggestion--keep all cats IN your home, then no one strays anywhere).
    
    Also, male cats seem to deal with "manhandling" better than females.
    Often, your basic boneless male will make a good kid-cat--they seem
    to like being held, etc, or tolerate being kid-held (there's a
    diference!), while females are more stand-offish (don't pick me
    up till I WANNA be picked up or I'll wiggle). This I have observed
    in my two cats, tho I have had stand offish males and very tolerant
    females in the past. However, my male, Bones, is boneless and loves
    to be held, which Ashley is finally learning that when I wanna hold,
    dernit--I'M GONNA HOLD HER!!!!  ;D  actually, she is pretty tolerant
    altho when she pushes off to jump down, I usualy end up wishing
    I wasn't a girl.  ;>
    
    With males, many people worry about spraying.  Well, after a long
    standing battle (which I have not totally won), my male pees in
    the box, while my female pees on the rug....Go figure.
    
    My female sheds more than the male, however, I don't think this
    is scientific fact (they both have short hair), just the law of
    which hair shows up on black more.  ;)  (white as opposed to grey).
    
                                                          
    Anyway, that's the ballgame as I know it.  
    
                                                        ---kim

    After years of cats, dogs, and farm animals I think that it depends
    on  the individual animal.
    
    I do like tom cats, and I used to think they were the best all around
    cats. Then one cold night I took in an abandoned tom cat. He was
    the stupidest animal that ever walked the face of the earth! He
    was a real 'nice guy', a good house pet, well behaved, etc, but
    DUMB. I don't know how that cat ever lived as long as he did
    without a kepper to help him stay out of trouble.
    
    Kirk
    

    
    
    I think I must side with the females, we have ad two, still have
    one. She, Bandit, runs rings round my brother-in-laws spanial to
    the point of him haveing to take him home to save futher embaresment
    to the spanial. At every turn she seems to outsmart him.
    
    She does have her bad moments though, she tried to walk across
    a pond once, maybe she has ideas above her station.
    
    Anyway all the tom cats I know seem to be lazy.
    
    
    
    Andrew H & Bandit.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    
    I have 7 cats, well really 6 and a new stray I took in about 3 weeks
    ago.  4 of my cats are neutered males.. good hunters, extremely
    affectionate and very lovable.  The spayed females, including the new
    stray are all bitchy, aloof and only cuddle when they want something,
    i.e. a feeding!  One of our females has made the living room, specifically
    in front of the gas heater, her turf.  God help any of the other
    cats that walk over her rug in front of said heater, she gives them
    a cuffing and hisses at them every time.  All of the males groom
    and play with one another, the females NEVER do this with the males
    or each other.  Of my three females the one owns the living room,
    one is mostly an outside cat that comes in for a soft bed and dinner
    but stays out in the day time by her own choice and the new female
    stray stays mostly in our bedroom.  She is still finding her feet
    and is a little unsure of a house full of feline competition.  She
    does hiss wildly and cuff if ANY of the cats attempt to come near
    her... she is taking her meals separately from the other cats and
    any attempt on my part to get her to eat with them has resulted
    in hunger strikes!
    
    I thinks if I were to express an overall preference it would be
    for big soppy male cats that love attention and laze about all day
    just making themselves available for cuddles and attention... that
    describes all my males to a T!  The only times the males exert
    themselves too much is when they decided to hunt or climb the odd
    tree on nice sunny inviting days.  One of my males is a champion
    mouser and came home with a mouse daily for a week running not too long
    ago.. after that he just slept in a full stretch on the dining room
    chair all day as if to say he'd brought home the bacon now it was
    time to rest.
    
    gailann, mother to Guinness, Murphy, Ginger, Tigger, Puss_Puss,
    Pepper and the new addition Easter_Kitty (we found her on Easter
    weekend!)

    I think the expressed preference might just come down to cost.
    
    Females cost twice as much as males to spay, and the operation is
    a more involved one.
    
    This isn't a consideration if you're a real cat fanatic, but to
    first time cat owners (often new owners of their first house) it
    is sometimes taken into account.
    
    As far as male/female loving/aloof - I think it comes down to the
    individual cat.  They all have their own personality!

                                                   
    I have all male cats because male cats are more friendly than female
    cats.  I also have noticed that male cats are generally not as shy
    around strangers as female cats.  
    
    Some other differences : Male cats are larger; Male cats cost less
    to neuter.
    
    Regarding the intelligence of male cats - don't think your cat is
    stupid just because he acts stupid!  I happen to think that T.K.
    is one smart cat (he even knows how to quack), while my boyfriend
    thinks T.K. is stupid.  He thinks that only a stupid cat would 
    quack like a duck (you have to hear this to believe it) and fetch 
    beer caps.  He thinks Bandit is smart because he is so laid back
    and calm, while I think Bandit is a fluff brain!  So, different
    people have different definitions of smart.  And the stupidest
    seeming cat could just be fooling you, and laughing because you
    act like and idiot when talking to him.... ie, when I talk to T.K.
    I use a normal voice, but when I talk to Bandit, I use baby talk
    so he'll understand ;-)
    
    Karen
    	
    

    After 11 years of cats the only true differences I can see are:
    
    1. Males tend to grow larger than females - tho Dundee is the
    smallest of the group (Scottish folds are a small breed, in general)
    
    2. Males cost less to neuter.
    
    Other than that, I think it depends on the individual cat.  (Assuming
    that we're talking about neutered animals - neutered BEFORE the
    hormones started affecting personality)
    
    I will admit, tho that Dundee is my first male.  I am EXTREEMLY
    fond of him.  However, contrary to other descriptions - he doesn't
    like to be picked up, and is most scared of strangers - or anyone
    not Jack or myself.  Now ISIS rolls over on command 90% of the
    time.  Bumpy is a major lap cat and frequently competes with Dundee
    for my lap.  Isis and Mao talk constantly.  Mao and Isis seem to
    be the smartest, but Dundee isn't necessarily stupid, just more
    naive.  He's very inquisitive and bold as brass with the other
    three girls.  (he ignores their pairing rules - Bumpy with Mao
    and Isis with Dundee - and plays with and rubs anyone he feels like).
    
    I'd always wanted females until we got Dundee.  now I think I just
    like cats!
      Nancy DC

    Males are cheaper to neuter unless his is an monorchid! :-)

    I have five cats, all males, and they get along famously.  Three
    are neutered and the other two are scheduled the be neutered next
    week.
    
    When T.K. was a Tomcat, he was mean, aggressive, and aloof.  He
    would frequently back Nikki into a corner and bully him right up
    until three weeks after the neutering.  Now that he's lost all his
    hormones (and male pride!), he is sweet and mellow and loveable.
    And he and Nikki are the best of buddies.
    
    All of my male cats groom each other, play together, and sleep together
    although they tend to stay in pairs (Kelsey and Shelby; T.K. and
    Nikki; and Chauncey with whomever he feels like being with at the
    time).
    
    If I get another cat, it will definitely be a male.
    
    
    /Roberta
    

    
    
    Just from my experiences...
    
    I don't think there is a difference in smartness.. while I've never
    owned a stupid female, and I have owned one or two (very few) stupid
    males, I still think it probably depends on the cat itself.  I used
    to think one of my male cats was slow, but what he rally was was
    more laid back, not less intelligent.
    
    I've usually had male cats, but now I have two females.  They are
    both pretty smart, and the baby one is very affectionate, but not
    necessarily a lap cat..
    
    I've found from my expeirences that male cats can be more
    affectionate.. 
    
    I guess I would say that the bottom line is it depends on the cat
    itself, how its raised, and under what conditions.
    
    Some people may prefer females for the same reason as I am scared
    a male cat will spray once or twice before I realize its time to
    get him nuetered!!
    
    F.

    I think it just depends on the cat.
    
    I have 2 females.  Bailey is standoffish, only wants to have attention
    when it's her idea, although with a few properly placed scratches
    and rubs and me telling her what a georgeous cat she is she can
    sometimes be convinced to stick around and be loved when it's my idea.  
    
    Amelia is my shadow, needs loads of attention, needs to be in my lap
    or sitting next to me with her paws touching me, or is constantly 
    following me around.
    
    Bailey is more of a cat's cat and Amelia is a people cat.  They
    both love each other and get along very well together.
    
    Jan
    
    

The only reason I would not adopt an ADULT male is that every indoor/outdoor
male cat (neutered or unneutered) I've ever known has generated an incredible
amount of damage due to spraying....lovable yes, but I cannot take that
spraying.  I now live with two indoor-only males who have never been outside
and who were neutered as soon as possible - and who have never been around
an adult female who is not spayed - and they do not spray.  Both boys are
fun, loving, shy of strangers, and totally wonderful...I would not recommend
a male to anyone looking to have an indoor/outdoor cat, however.
    

    Re: .17
    
    My Pussycat was an indoor outdoor cat the first year or so I had him, and
    he didn't spray.  He wasn't neutered until a few months after I got him
    (I didn't know much about cats then.)  He was a few years old at that time.
       

    Niky was feral for a couple of years before I adopted him. He has never
    once sprayed. Spiro, who was probably feral for at least 4 years, and
    was the neighborhood's dominant tom cat sprayed in undesirable places for
    about the first 2 weeks, but now confines his spraying to the upstairs
    litterbox (which is covered). They can be trained, it just takes a lot of
    patience, love and understanding. And NEUTERING.
    
    Deb

    
    
    Or...
    
    somtimes you can be lucky!!  I had a beautiful cat once when I was
    little, a really personable cat.  It would come up on our neighbors
    balcony and play with the dog up there and everything.. he never
    once spray in the house, or on the windows of the bottom floor
    apartment, which many a cat did back then.. (with them having two
    females in there) or even around the bushes, etc. etc.  
    
    We lost him to a cat fight though, so neutering is an important
    thing for outdoors cats!!  He was a real loss to everyone..
    
    F.

    I also think it depends on the cat.
    
    Growing up we had 2 males--one extremely affectionate and the other
    was very independent until he reached his 13th or 14th year.  The
    one female we had was a wildcat, terrorized us as kids and attacked
    any other animal that came into our yard.
    
    Now I have 3 females.  They are all affectionate--follow me all
    over the house, sleep as close to me as possible, talk to me all
    the time.  They are independent to varying degrees.  Melody doesn't
    like to be picked up but is the most "lap" cat.  Missy doesn't mind
    being picked up but rarely gets into anyone's lap.  Brittany only
    likes me and sometimes Bruce to pick her up.
    
    What I find with these girls is that, because I spend more time,
    give more love, and take most care of them, they are more affectionate
    with me than with anyone else.  There are exceptions.  Bruce scratches
    Melody's neck more the way she likes it so she goes to him for her
    morning "fix".
    
    These kitties are smart to varying degrees too.  Missy is the least
    smart and Brittany borders on brilliant (my very prejudiced opinion).
    
    I can't resist any cat--male or female--so, if I was looking for
    a kitty, it would be whoever came along first.  
    
    Barbara