do you have a male cat then you'll probably relate to these super weird things they do for their cat parents and the weird reasons behind them starting with this super quirky one nipping and biting you if you've got a male cat you've probably experienced this it's a little nip on your hand or maybe a playful bite on your ankle it can happen when you're playing together or even when your cat just wants your attention male cats have a bit of a mischievous streak and this nipping is their way of interacting with you sometimes they can
get a little carried away during playtime their instincts kick in and what starts as a gentle nibble can turn into a more spirited bite but don't worry most of the time it's all in good fun they're not trying to hurt you it's just their way of expressing excitement or affection but why do male cats nip and bite more than female cats it all comes down to their playful and sometimes more energetic nature male cats often have a bit more of that Rough and Tumble attitude they're usually a little more rambunctious and enthusiastic during playtime which
can lead to more nipping it's part of their instinctual Behavior when they play they're mimicking hunting and fighting skills that are more pronounced in males female cats on the other hand tend to be a bit more reserved and cautious even during play they might SWAT or bat at you but they're less likely to follow through with a nip or bite their play style is often a bit more measured and they're usually more careful not to cross that line between play and pain guarding you if you've ever felt like your cat was standing guard over you
you're not imagining it male cats can develop a strong protective Instinct towards their owners you might find them staying close by keeping a watchful eye on the door or even POS positioning themselves between you and what they perceive as a Potential Threat but why do they do this it's partly because of their territorial nature male cats are often more inclined to defend their space and that includes you their favorite human they see you as part of their territory someone they need to look out for and protect this protective behavior is more common in males because
they tend to have a stronger drive to guard their domain and the beings they care about female cats while also capable of being protective usually express it differently they might be more likely to hide or observe from a distance rather than take a stand their protective instincts are often more subtle focusing on nurturing and keeping a calm environment rather than actively guarding how they play with you if you've ever had your male cat suddenly pounce on you or try to turn you into his personal wrestling partner you know what we're talking about male cats tend
to engage in rougher play and sometimes that means using their humans as part of their game of Chase and pounce male cats usually have a stronger drive to practice their hunting and fighting skills even when they're just playing that's why when they play with you they tend to be more physical with more pouncing chasing and even a few playful swats they're tapping into their Natural Instincts and sometimes that means treating you like one of their fellow cat buddies are male cats more friendly one surprising positive to Tom cat territoriality is that it seems to make
neutered males more friendly with humans feral cats who don't have owners to look after them will behave differently depending on their sex Queens will often form colonies around a shared source of food or shelter babysitting each other's kittens and even sharing food with Colony members who are unable to hunt for themselves because they're injured or nursing males on the other hand will typically head out on their own once they reach adulthood and will set themselves up with larger territories that they'll then defend from other males males will sometimes groom or allow themselves to be groomed
by females and they'll sometimes even take their turn babysitting their kittens but they won't get on with other Toms neutered domestic Toms are much less aggressive but they're still more likely than Queens to favor spending time with their humans over other cats mounting you've probably heard about the embarrassing habits some dogs have of mounting the furniture or the odd human leg but unfixed male cats will do this too fortunately you'll be relieved to hear that mounting isn't always a sexual behavior for Tom Cats it can also be a way for them to assert their place
in the social hierarchy or just work off some excess energy this is why you'll sometimes see females and neutered males engaging in this Behavior as well dominance mounting isn't the only way that male cats will try to show dominance unneutered Toms especially are more likely to try and work their way up the social hierarchy possibly to a position above you your cat might try to show dominance by claiming your favorite spot on the couch staring at you unblinkingly from across the room blocking your way in doorways or swatting at you with their paws when you
walk by handedness you might be surprised to learn that humans aren't the only species that has a concept of handedness even though you can't exactly ask your kitty which paw they write with Scientists have been able to study handedness in cats by looking at which Paws individual cats put forward first when walking and which they use when batting at objects Sur surprisingly for cats whether they're a right or a south paw actually has a correlation with their gender male cats are slightly more likely to be left poured and females to be right ped scientists still
aren't sure why this is hygiene when it comes to unneutered males and females one major difference that you may notice between the two is that males are often significantly less caught up on their personal hygiene female cats spend a lot of their time grooming when they're not in heat and because they're more up for socializing with other cats they also have the option of roping in their friends to help keep their coats clean males by comparison will often neglect their grooming habits while on their long tracks to track down eligible females as a result they
tend to look significantly more unkempt shockingly enough this does not seem to affect their ability to impress the ladies Opera voices we've all seen the following scene play out in a hundred different cartoons a cat is singing in an alley at night a human opens a window and throws a shoe at them although throwing things at a cat is never a good idea this Trope likely originates in the time before spaying and neutering your cats was a standard practice when being woken up by a stranger's cat singing outside your window was an unfortunately common problem
unneutered male cats in particular particular are famous for their tendency to serenade females who are in heat by yowling as loud as they can it's their way of simultaneously saying I'm here to the female and go away She's Mine to any other Toms in the vicinity territory as we've mentioned several times already in this video Tom Cats can get very territorial what you might not have realized however is that a cat's territory doesn't just mean the area in which they live cats will often include their humans in that category as well if your male cat
seems to be getting aggressive when they see you interacting with another cat that can be a sign that they consider you to be a part of their territory for the same reason unneutered males are more likely to have trouble accepting another cat especially another male in their territory there should always be a supervisory human present when two new cats are interacting for the first time but with unneutered males it's extra important it's highly likely that such a meeting could result in a fight as one or both cats is likely to interpret the other as an
Invader ideally it's a good idea to get your male cat neutered before bringing in another kitty cats and their humans have a special bond but some cats have a deeper Bond than others these imprinted cats will have an intense trust in their humans and will consider them to be their true cat parents check out this video to learn how to recognize when your cat has imprinted on you
