by Anne StClair

Created on: August 06, 2008

My family and I have had many cats over the years, and it was always a traditional belief in our family that the male cats were friendlier than the female cats. I continued on this tradition for years without giving it any thought, and with absolutely no knowledge of female cats to confirm the traditional family belief, since we only ever had male cats.

Then a number of years ago, the house next door burnt down and the family abandoned it, and also abandoned their female cat and left her to fend for herself. Not wishing to see her become feral or to starve, or to become pregnant over and over again and litter the entire suburb with unwanted kittens, I took her in and named her Florence (don't ask me why - it just seemed like a good idea at the time). I then took her to the vet to be desexed.

Little Florence turned out to be the friendliest, sweetest cat I had ever met. I had always believed cats were aloof, independent, and only cared about getting fed, but Florence was none of those. She loved being around me, was very affectionate, and spent most of her time curled up at my feet, resting on my lap or purring beside me.

Florence wasn't just friendly with me either - she was affectionate with everyone, unlike the male cats I had owned over the years, who were generally very picky about who they would share their affection with, and the times when they would be affectionate.

I thought that it was just Florence, but when she died I decided to get another female cat. This one is called Juliet (which seemed like a good idea at the time), and is the most affectionate, loving cat you could ask for. She loves to spend time with me and other people, loves to curl up and purr, and is just a delight to have around. She also loves the piano, and when I start to play, she runs in from wherever she is so she can sit beside me as I play.

In contrast, my male cat is aloof, independent, and only ever gets affectionate when he wants to be fed. His affection is given sparingly, and when there is something in it for him.

In case you are thinking that it was something to do with being desexed - all our cats, whether male or female, have been neutered or spayed. Juliet was affectionate and friendly from the very first day I brought her home at a few weeks of age.

The family tradition was wrong, in my experiences, and I really don't think I'll bother having any more male cats. The female cats are by far the friendliest and most affectionate.

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