If you’re a cat lover, you’ve probably seen those adorable viral videos of cats snuggling up to their owners, giving head bunts, and showering them with affection. But what if your cat isn’t the cuddly type? Does it have something to do with their gender? Are male cats naturally more affectionate than female cats? Or is there something deeper behind this behavior?
Are Male Cats More Affectionate or Female Cats?
Male cats have always been regarded as the ones that desire affection or rather demand for it. Male cats are known to be chilling out and more sociable. However, there is no scientific backing for this claim. But, as the experience of most of the cat owners go, if you love a lap cat, you should go with a male cat.
There are several factors that can affect the social nature of the cat. Cats can ideally change their behaviour at any time during their lifetime. Well, being a cat person, I would say – cats always want to prove us humans wrong.
Why is Your Male Cat More Affectionate?
There can be several reasons that would make male cats more sociable and loving.
They are more bonded to you
Your cat may be more bonded to you and it may have nothing to do with the gender of the cat. Pets or for that matter any animal can have a special bonding with another animal (after all, we are another animal for our cats). It is possible that your cat might have developed that special bonding with you, just because your nature appeals to your cat. My vet asked me to develop a bonding with my cat based on what he or she likes.
This is called imprinting and male cats are known to be more prone to imprinting. Male cats thus are more cuddly.
They face no hormonal changes
Male cats do not face frequent hormonal changes as in the case of female cats. Female cats tend to be more aggressive and irritable because of the hormonal changes that they face. A recent pilot study has indicated that hormonal factors can affect the social behavior of cats towards humans.
Male cats do not have the responsibility of taking care of their offsprings and thus, they tend to be more friendly to their humans. Female cats may continue to have their aloof behaviour even if you neuter them beacuse of the imprinting that they have had in their mind.
They miss motherly care
Male cats can get more affectionate than female cats because they miss their mother. He receives the care of his mother during the first week of his mother. Once he is separated and needs to fend for himself, the male cat can get anxious. They may exhibit the need for closeness and this is manifested through purring, cuddling and grooming.
There are possibilities that a cat may miss his or her mother, and that could be the reason your male cat gets attached to you.
Female cats, on the other hand, become mothers themselves, and they are typically on the other side of the sphere. Since they get to care for their kitten, she may have the same feelings towards her human friends.
The major difference between male and female cats lies in their socialisation behavior. Male cats tend to be with other cats and thus learn how to interact with other cats quite early in their lives. That makes them more sociable when it comes to the outside world. My vet gave me the example of boys being more social than girls. Of course, there may be exemptions, but the overall tendency is that boys are more extroverted.
Female cats do not get much chance of socialising and that makes them more territorial. That would make them show not much of a affectionate or cuddly behaviour.
It is all because of the hormones
Once again, the name of the game is the hormones. Male cats are known to have a higher level of oxytocin. The hormone is known to give a feeling of being happy and loving. This should be the prime reason why male cats are friendly and affectionate. Hormones can decide the personality of your cat and its behaviour.
Oxytocin is also known to promote bonding and attachment. That is why it can be the closest scientific reason why your male cats are more affectionate than female cats.
In Conclusion
Well, the personal experience of the cat owners clearly indicate that male cats are more friendly. Of course, the fact may not have a scientific backing as such. Even when this may not be a rule, i have typically found male cats more loving. Cat experts believe that the affectionate behaviour typically depends on the genetics, health and age, rather than the gender.
However, if you are wondering if you should get a male or female cat, I would wish to warn you that not every male cat may be affectionate. If you are a die hard cat lover like me, I recommend getting one male and one female cat. That should ideally give you the best both worlds. Moreover, that may also be an excelent option for providing your cats a companion that they can rejoice with.
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