7 Important Disadvantages Of Male Cats

Gender isn’t especially important for some prospective cat parents. On the other hand, some will exclusively want a male or female cat.

Yes, every cat is great in its own way, but there are facts and behaviors that can help you decide which gender will be a better choice for you.

Today we focus on the disadvantages of male cats. 

You may be surprised by the words disadvantages and cats in the same sentence.

Well, it's necessary to be honest and realistic here. After all, the decision of getting a cat is an important one, since you’re likely to spend a good deal of time with this furry companion on your side.

Let’s check out these seven important disadvantages of male felines and see if there is something you can do to fix them.

1. Aggressive Behavior

Owning a male cat often means witnessing them come to you with new injuries all over their bodies.

Intact male cats are likely to display aggression and get into fights with other males. This most commonly occurs when they compete to get a mate.

Most tomcats show aggressive and dominant behavior. Tomcat is an expression used for a domestic male cat that hasn’t been neutered.

These behaviors can change as male cats get neutered.

The Wildest explains that testosterone drives a male cat’s behavior. Removing the testicles means removing testosterone from his body and reducing behaviors like aggression and loud vocalization.

Still, it’s essential to emphasize that this will not happen with every single male cat. Some of them may still continue to show aggression even after getting neutered.

In this case, this is more due to a specific cat’s personality rather than hormones.

👉 Related Reading: 7 Reasons Why Is A Female Cat Suddenly Aggressive

2. Spraying Behavior

Spraying behavior is something that can be seen in both male and female cats.

However, intact males are most likely to spray and their urine has the most pungent smell. Spraying behavior is one of the important differences between tomcats and neutered males.

It's important to note that neutering may not entirely eliminate spraying behavior in every male cat.

According to San Bernardino County, around ten percent of male cats neutered before ten months of age will still spray as adults.

Still, without a doubt, neutering decreases this possibility.

3. Wandering From Home

Once again, there is another important disadvantage of a male cat related to hormones.

This one refers to their fondness for running away from home. A sexually mature male cat will look for females in heat in his vicinity. 

The female cat informs males around her she’s in heat by meowing loudly, spraying, and assuming the mating position.

When a male cat doesn’t find a female nearby, he wanders far away from home to satisfy his urge.

This can be very dangerous, since there are plenty of risks for a cat that’s spending time alone outside.

For instance, he can get into fights with other males. He can easily pick up an infection. Also, he can get into a road traffic accident or get lost.

Female cats are less likely to wander around. Just like with the two previous downsides – neutering can also significantly decrease the probability of a male cat running away.

He won’t be able to mate anymore, so he won’t have the strong urge to find a female in heat.

4. Territorial Behavior

Territorial behavior isn’t something strictly related to male cats, since females can be territorial, too.

However, males tend to take up larger territories and exhibit this behavior more commonly than females.

Every cat wants to ensure it’s safe in its territory and that it has enough food. To achieve this, they will let the other cats in their surroundings know which area is theirs.

A male cat will mark his territory to keep the other cats away. Territorial behavior is commonly observed in multi-pet households.

Once again, intact males are usually the most territorial ones. The most common way of them showing their dominance is by urine marking, claiming ownership, and manifesting aggression towards other cats. Sometimes, they can also be aggressive toward people. 

Neutering is likely to calm a male cat down and make it less territorial. Still, some neutered cats will continue to show this undesirable behavior. In certain cases, help from a veterinarian or pet behavior specialist will be necessary.

👉 Related Reading: Do Cats Get Jealous Of Babies?

5. Rambunctious Behavior

Male felines are usually more friendly and playful than females.

I bet you’re thinking: This is great! I want to have a cat that’s always up for playing! Why would this be a disadvantage?

Well, more playfulness typically leads to more rambunctious behavior. This means a lot of mess in your house and a cat that may refuse to obey you.

Viera East Veterinary Center explains how owning a male cat is great if you have plenty of time to dedicate to playing with them. Also, male cat owners can expect to be woken up in the middle of the night by their mischief.

Female cats are better for prospective owners looking for a more quiet companion.

6. Urinary Blockages

Every cat breed has some potential health issues it may develop during their lifetimes.

There are also some conditions that are gender-related. One of them is urinary blockage, a health problem commonly seen in male cats.

This condition occurs when a cat is unable to empty its bladder. As pointed out by PetMD, urinary blockages are more common in males due to their narrower urethra compared to females.

This is a severe condition that can even lead to life-threatening consequences.

👉 Related Reading: Cat Urine Color Chart: Everything You Need To Know And More

7. Lower Life Expectancy

All of us would love to have our pets by our side as long as possible.

We can make this more likely by providing them with good living conditions, quality nutrition, exercise, and tons of attention.

Of course, we cannot influence unpredictable circumstances like disease or accidents. In general, there are some differences in the expected lifespans of male and female cats.

Mathieu Montoya and his associates [1] investigated the life expectancy for both dogs and cats. 

The study results showed that female cats had a significantly higher life expectancy than males. The ratio stood at 11.68 years for females versus 10.72 years for males, signifying that females tend to live approximately one year longer than males.

Males are expected to live shorter due to a higher probability of infection with feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia. 

Also, they're at a higher risk of lower urinary tract obstruction. Additionally, males are more likely to get into fights and accidents.

Summary

Nothing is perfect – not even our favorite feline friends.

The goal of this article was to present the main disadvantages of male cats.

Some of them can be significantly decreased by neutering, since hormones are responsible for certain unwanted behaviors in cats.

Perhaps you’ve thought that having a male cat would be a better choice for you. I don’t think that these downsides mean males can’t be awesome pets. Of course, they can!

It’s just that they aren’t perfect for everyone’s lifestyle. Some people just may lack time to dedicate to these playful and mischievous balls of fur.

If you still find a male cat desirable as your future pet after reading these potential downsides, I encourage you to go for it!

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