# How to tell if a fixed cat is Male or Female



## KatKy (Mar 24, 2010)

My family just recently took in a stray cat who was abandoned from a foreclosed home. We know it is a fixed cat due to the scar on the bottom of it. We assumede it was a female, but we would like to know if it really is. Please help! I need to find a way to see if it really is female or male. 

Thanks
-KatKy


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

Male cats look like this *:* I.e., anus at top, penis at bottom.
They will have small 'former balls' (i.e., their scrotum) between the dots. There will be no scar.

Female cats look like an upside-down *!* I.e., anus at top, slit-shaped vulva at bottom. There will be a scar on the abdomen, but it's not always easy to find, esp. if it's been a while. 

The kitty should go to the vet for a checkup anyway -- why not make sure by asking the vet?


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

It's not difficult, because the scrotum is still there on a neutered male.


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## KatKy (Mar 24, 2010)

Thank you. We are taking "it" to the vet soon. =)


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## sweetyanna (Apr 13, 2008)

Jeanie said:


> It's not difficult, because the scrotum is still there on a neutered male.


Yea, there is usually still a scrotal sac just under the anus. Also, there should be a penis too, just anterior to the scrotom. I think cats have retractable ones? Either way, you will see another small protruding appendage anterior to the scrotum, it may be very subtle, but Snowy still has his!


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## Jenyfyr (Dec 29, 2009)

I had to LOL at this (not laughing at you, but with you!) because my family was in the same situation when we took in a stray many years ago. Male cats do have retractable penises (which of course, we didn't know at the time), and since we couldn't see anything between it's legs, we assumed the cat was a girl...and promptly named her Daisy. When we took her to the vet for a checkup, he commented on the odd name we'd chosen, since Daisy was actually a boy. :yikes Oopsy! Daisy was renamed Spock, because his fur was very patchy around his ears and they looked rather odd on his head at the time...of course, once he was healthy again all that fur grew back in so people just assumed we were Trekkies, lol. Moral of the story - definitely go to the vet to confirm, lol. (and good for you for taking this precious furball in! Our Spock/Daisy lived a long and happy life and was 18 when he passed away...a lot of love and a good home go a long way toward keeping our fur friends happy and healthy!)


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