Kitten Sexing Job Aid: How to Tell if a Kitten Is Male or Female

Learn how to tell if a kitten is male or female with this visual job aid for animal shelter staff and caregivers. Use the printable guide to identify kitten sex, including in newborn and neonatal kittens, and keep a copy in your shelter’s intake area for quick reference.

How to Tell if a Kitten Is Male or Female

It can be difficult to determine the sex of very young kittens. To sex a kitten, look at the shape of the genital opening and the distance between the genital opening and anus. Comparing littermates can also make the differences easier to see.

• Female kittens: The genital opening looks like a vertical slit and is located close to the anus.
• Male kittens: The genital opening appears more like a small round dot and is farther from the anus, with the testicles located between the anus and genital opening.

The distance between the anus and genital opening can also help when determining the sex of adult cats.

Download the Kitten Sexing Job Aid

Print, laminate and post the job aid in your shelter's intake area so staff can quickly reference it when identifying kitten sex.