How to Tell Kittens Gender and Know if Kittens Are Male or Female

Many challenges come with a kitten's litter or when you decide to adopt a kitten. Amongst the most difficult tasks is how to tell the kitten's gender. This is because, as kittens, there's very little difference between male cats and female cats.

There are 2 main ways to figure out if a kitten is a male or a female:

EASY (less accurate) - Differences in cat colors and patterns
DIFFICULT (more accurate) - Kittens' reproductive organs

Easy Way to Tell a Cat's Gender

While we are used to seeing cats of every possible color and pattern, it may surprise you to know that the genetics behind the color of a cat is quite complicated.

The easiest way to know if a cat is male or female is not the most reliable, but it's very close, and when kittens are very young, almost the only way to tell their gender is by looking at their coat patterns and colors! Some coats are unique to males or females.

The colors that are mostly exclusive to a certain gender are:

99.9% Chances a Cat is a Female

Tortoiseshells, Calicos, or tri-colored cats are almost always female. Only 1 of every 3,000 calicos or tri-colored cats is a male. Unfortunately, they are male because of a chromosome abnormality, which causes them to not live as long as female calicos. T

To have this coloration, you need X and Y chromosomes, which are characteristic of Female cats. Male cats are generally XX and don't have a Y chromosome. However, there are some rare cases of male cats displaying XXY chromosomes, and in those cases, they can get tri-colored fur patterns.

80% Chances a Cat is a Male

Ginger or orange/golden-colored cats, on the other hand, are mostly male. This coloring trait is not as reliable as the calico or tri-colored trait for female cats, but it can give you a good guess. More than three-quarters of ginger-colored cats are male. Female ginger cats are very rare. This is because, to get a female ginger cat, both parents have to be either Ginger or Red, while ginger males can come from red, calico, and tortoiseshell mothers.

Telling Ca at Gender by their Reproductive Organs

A cat's genitalia is the most reliable way to tell the gender of a cat, as they hold the biggest difference between the two genders. The problem is genitalia of male cats is not visible, as testicles don't show up on male kittens until they reach 6 to 10 weeks of age.

You don't need to wait all this time to know if a kitten is a male or a female cat!

There are mainly two ways to identify kittens' gender:

Observing Kitten Genitalia to Tell Their Gender

At two weeks of age, the genitalia starts to be visible. By observing the kitten's genitalia and appearance, we can find some nuances between male and female kittens. Let's use punctuation marks to compare both genders:

A female kitten's genitals will resemble an upside-down exclamation point (!), the dot being the anus and the vertical bar being the vagina, sitting just below the anus
A male kitten's organ looks more like a colon (;), with the penis residing slightly further from the anus, giving space to accommodate the testicles.

Source: PetCoach

Also, in male cats, excess fur and tissue between the anus and the penis can be observed, where the testes will form.

Touching Kitten Genitalia to Tell Their Gender

An easier way to tell if a kitten is male or female is by palpating between the anus and the genitalia.

When gently pressing with your fingertips between the anus and the genitalia, try to identify two hard and very small, oval-shaped objects underneath the skin.
If you can feel them, those are the testicles, and they indicate that the kitten is male.