Q: I’ve sometimes heard that male cats are friendlier than females. Is that true?
Amos Butterfield
Weaver, Alabama
Dear Mr. Butterfield,
A: The notion that male cats are more affectionate and easygoing than females may go back to misogynistic notions about women having stereotypically negative catlike behaviors: cattiness, given to “cat fights,” and so on. But whatever generalizations we ascribe to cats’ personalities come from our own preconceived notions. It’s true that intact cats of either sex may display certain behaviors that can be seen as aggressive or “out there” when they are trying to find — or being receptive toward — a potential mate. But generally speaking, male cats cannot be said to be friendlier than females. As with people, there’s lot of individual variation from cat to cat.
