Our question this week was:

How can you find out how old is my ocicat and what gender?

Tyesha Johnson


Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. You have two questions – first is how old is your cat and second, what gender.

First, lets talk about how old is your cat. "Aging" cats can be difficult. It is easier in kittens as their baby teeth come in and out being replaced by their adult teeth. Most cats have all their adult teeth by the time they are 6 months old. After that, it can be difficult to age a cat.

I'll give you a couple links to articles that tells you the dental formulas of how to figure out your cat's age. The first article is How Old is this Kitten? and How Old is this Cat?

As far as what gender, that can also be difficult – especially in young kittens. Essentially when kittens are young, the males and females can look very similar. There are two opening just under the tail in cats. The first is the rectum and the second is the genital opening. Its location and shape is slightly different in males vs. females. First, the distance between the rectum and the genital opening is generally longer in males and the genital opening is more often a dot in males, and a slit in females.

It can be difficult for some people that are not used to looking and sexing kittens to figure it out. If you aren't sure, stop by your local veterinary hospital and they can help.

An article that might be helpful to you is on our Petplace.com is How to Determine the Sex of Your Kitten.

Best of luck!


Dr. Jon





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