Sexing cats (Not a fetish, honest)

[YetAnotherSpartacus]

I was going to post this in ABIU, but decided it might be less weird here.

Can someone explain to me how, when given only a quick glance, one can tell the sex of a cat (assuming puss has had the fun bits removed)?

I've read all the info about looking for : or ; or whatever, but I really can't tell under fur and I have offended some kitties by holding tails and peering short sightedly for too long with a diagram and a ruler.

Am I the only one who can't do this easily? Or am I just slow? was the last in my class to find out where babies come from.

Photo diagrams welcome!

It helps to have two to compare really. But once adult even a neutered male will still have the remnants of his balls, so it's fairly easy, and only the one very obvious hole.

The females have two obvious holes close together.

When very young the males appear to have two obvious holes but they are further apart.

When adult the females tend to have softer, thinner, more delicate faces. And males, even neutered ones, tend to strut around whereas the females walk more gracefully.

Unneutered adult males develop tom cheeks - so very wide cheeks.

But some adult females look like males and vice versa, so the only totally sure way is to look at the bits.

Thanks catneuterer. I know there is a male on my street, so I will attempt to look for remnants of fluffy balls hope I won't offend him it all seems rather rude

Ha ha. Every time I meet a strange cat on the street the first thing I do is feel for balls. It's a good thing that cats don't have a sex offenders register.

I have had a good chuckle at the mental image of you groping all the cats down your road, thank you

with adult cats generally speaking one finger width between holes is female two finger widths between holes is male

I don't know that I'd be game for an actual grope ... I need my hands for the job I do for a start.

I've also not had one stay still long enough for the finger trick...

So what's this one (got off Cheezburger just now).

Assuming that's an adult it's female. Two obvious holes, close together.

Is it true that males have bigger paws?

Frizz - not that I've noticed. Paws seem to relate to the size of the cats and there are big and small cats (and paws) of both sexes. (I've just done a random sample of the 8 cats currently on my bed and that backs up what I've just said :) )

EIGHT CATS?!

That's a girly. Great shot!

That's female. Even if neutered males still have obvious fluffy scrotums.