It really does depend on the cat and both male and female cats can be this way so there is not any real gendered difference like this myth suggests.
If so, it is way less of an intense and dramatic difference than the myth makes it out to be.
Both male and female cats can love being around their particular humans and spend time with them. Social cats such as Maine Coon or Siamese are notorious for being clingy at times and wanting to be around us almost always.
Our top pics here at My Cat Spraying
How to get your cat to stop spraying
Siamese cats can even get sad or depressed when their “owners” leave them for too long by themselves as they get very attached and are sensitive beings.
But, the vast majority of cats are natural loners and if they want a company they tend to only seek out their owners for that. Except for when they go out looking for mates of course.
The upbringing of the animal is a huge part of how social and affectionate they will end up being. Wild cats for example are not socialized to be around humans and they will be way more cautious, aggressive, and skeptical of people than a domesticated house cat would be.
A wild cat would not need to be pet as much as it would be more independent. But when cats are socialized to be around people from the time they are tiny kittens then they will be way friendlier and affectionate.
It makes perfect sense for a cat to show more affection and love if it grew up in a loving environment.
Male Maine Coon Cats
It is widely believed and accepted that male Maine Coon cats are often more affectionate than their female counterpart.
These large fluffy cats are majestic “beasts” almost, considering how large they can get and they are one of the most stunning cat breeds you can get.
They are still considered to be one of the most social and friendlier breeds, but the male ones in particular. The female Maine Coons are said to be more relaxed, independent, and laid back while the male ones love your attention and being the center of it.
The British Shorthair
A lot of cat lovers and cat fans say that male British Shorthair cats are more affectionate towards their humans than female ones are.
Still, it depends on the cat and it is not an unbreakable rule, but very worth mentioning.
Is There a Personality Difference?
When it comes to observing any notable difference in the behavior of male or female cats, it is the most dramatic when they have not been spayed or neutered.
Male cats who are in their sexually mature stage tend to be more aggressive than their female counterparts, spray around the house, and can even want to try to escape into the outside world to cause trouble.
Non-neutered male cats like to leave the house to roam the world freely and look for a mate and explore, but once they get neutered this desire to leave far and explore becomes much weaker.
Female cats do this as well, but the real difference in this behavior can be seen after neutering and spraying.
Female cats on the other hand are more loving during those stages, being more vocal and wanting to rub against practically everything in their path while they may normally act more independent.
This depends greatly on the cat though as you can not put them all into some defining boxes. (even if cats love those…)
But many female cats also spray while in heat as many male cats can be very loving and affectionate as well.
It is recommended to neuter and spray your cat since it often fixes behavioral problems and makes them more manageable as a whole. Also, it is not exactly easy to suddenly have to deal with a whole litter of little kittens unexpectedly, even if they are incredibly cute.
But basically, it is only when they have not been spayed or neutered when you can really tell a difference between them. It is just not visible otherwise and they are very similar and act alike, once that has been done.
If you are hoping to be able to foresee a cat’s personality by gender alone you are gonna have a bad time.
Things such as the cat’s genetics, how it was raised and treated in the past, its breed, among many other things like that will matter much more than the gender itself, personality-wise.
The personality of the cat’s mother or parents also influences how it will turn up and its personality.
Interesting to think about, because we humans tend to often resemble our parents a bit and they do influence how many of our core personality traits will be.
Male and female cats are on average, just as affectionate and there are other factors that determine how affectionate a cat is:
Your cat’s environment
Another factor to affects how affectionate a cat becomes is its environment. If you adopted your cats, it would be good to know if they came from an abusive home or if they were left or found on the streets before you got them from a local pet shelter.
Being exposed to a harsh environment or an abusive home may result in an aggressive and aloof cat, regardless of gender. However, if you treat your cat with love and affection, he or she may likely have a more relaxed and amiable personality.
Just like humans, a cat’s affection is determined to a large degree by its personality and upbringing. The four first months of a cat’s life are crucial and cats raised with people during such time are likely to become more affectionate and attentive compared to feral kittens due to the latter’s lack of human interaction.
Aside from breed and environment, how much or how little your cat socializes with humans may also play a part in the development of the cat. Cats that usually stay outdoors may grow aggressive while indoor cats that are properly socialized to their humans are more likely to exhibit affectionate behavior.
Similarly, cats have unique personalities and some of them are more open and interactive for no apparent reason.
Whether your cat was spayed or not
Another factor to check the level of affection among male and female cats is whether they have been spayed or neutered. Most cat experts agree that non-spayed male cats turn out to be more affectionate compared to female cats.
However, during the mating season, male cats become more aggressive and territorial while female cats tend to become more affectionate, vocal and tend to rub against people and almost anything.
Unspayed female cats are often seen as less affectionate. Inversely, female cats tend to become more affectionate and loving when they are neutered since they tend to transfer their maternal feelings to humans.
It is interesting to note that behavioral differences among male and female cats are more obvious when they are not spayed or neutered since it is closely related to their sex drive. Although just like with the factors discussed above, it does not seem to apply to every cat as each one has a unique temperament and personality.
Most pet adoption centers and cat experts agree that cats should be spayed and neutered. This may result in less aggressive felines and is an effective way to curb population and negative behavior.
The breed of your cat
One factor that affects how affectionate a cat is a breed. Some breeds are more affectionate than other domestic cat breeds.
Some of the most affectionate cat breeds include the Ragdoll, Scottish Fold, Sphynx, Maine Coon, Persian, Siamese, Bombay, Tonkinese, American Shorthair, and Birman. You can also check our earlier article on the most affectionate cat breeds for more information on this topic.
