Too early to tell gender?

[hodgesC1234]

These babies are about 3.5-4 weeks old. First two I thought were boys and the bottom two girls, but now I’m second guessing myself. Second one is orange so I assumed most likely a boy, and the last one is a tortie…so probably a girl?? They all look the same to me now

 

[Krienze]

I suck at being able to tell and I know little about Tortie patterns but I do know that orange cans can be female! It's just more rare!

What cuties I bet they are though!

 

[Heart For Cats]

I suck at being able to tell and I know little about tortie patterns but I do know that orange cats can be female! It's just more rare!

What cuties I bet they are though!

Over 99 percent of tortoiseshells are female.
Over 99 percent of orange cats are male.

If you see a tortoiseshell cat with scrotums, it has three sex chromosomes. People call them male but they have 2 reproductive systems.

This is a tortoiseshell cat:

 

[Joelle and the kittens]

Only 70-80% of orange cats are male. A female orange cat needs to inherit orange from both parents (orange dad x orange or tortie mom), whereas a male orange cat needs two X chromosomes. These cats don't have two reproductive systems, but they are infertile.

 

[hodgesC1234]

Only 70-80% of orange cats are male. A female orange cat needs to inherit orange from both parents (orange dad x orange or tortie mom), whereas a male orange cat needs two X chromosomes. These cats don't have two reproductive systems, but they are infertile.

Interesting! I wasn’t 100% sure this kitten was a tortie because she wasn’t as vibrant as the torties in the last two litters but I’ve read there’s “diluted” torties? The pictures I’ve seen don’t really look like her but I keep describing her as a less vibrant tortie so that’s what I’m going with for now lol. Here she is if anyone wants to confirm or deny whether she’s a real tortie, I’m new to the cat world

 

[Joelle and the kittens]

She sure looks like a tortie! I agree the orange isn't as vibrant as in most pics of torties, though.

 

[Willowy]

Huh, they all look like girls to me, but that shouldn't be possible if the dark ones aren't torties, unless there was more than one dad. Do #1 and #3 have any orange on them at all? What does the mom look like? Are there any leading suspects for the dad?

It's pretty common for the orange on torties to not be very vibrant, but she's not a dilute because her black areas aren't blue/gray. The little blue tabby (#3) appears to be a dilute though.

 

[missymotus]

Boy, girl, girl, girl. What colour is the mother?

I wasn’t 100% sure this kitten was a tortie because she wasn’t as vibrant as the torties in the last two litters but I’ve read there’s “diluted” torties?

She’s a black tortie. Dilute refers to blue, lilac, fawn, cream colours, dilutes of the dense colours. Dilute itself doesn’t describe a colour.

People call them male but they have 2 reproductive systems.

incorrect, they do not have 2 reproductive systems. nor are they always infertile, there’s a number of working studs that are torties in various breeds.

Over 99 percent of orange cats are male.

It’s not that high, around 75% of red cats are male.

 

[hodgesC1234]

Huh, they all look like girls to me, but that shouldn't be possible if the dark ones aren't torties, unless there was more than one dad. Do #1 and #3 have any orange on them at all? What does the mom look like? Are there any leading suspects for the dad?

It's pretty common for the orange on torties to not be very vibrant, but she's not a dilute because her black areas aren't blue/gray. The little blue tabby (#3) appears to be a dilute though.

They don’t have any orange. I don’t know who the dad is, she was a stray I brought in. Mom is definitely 100% tortie.

 

[Maurey]

1st kitten is a boy, 2nd is almost definitely a girl (but having a photo of her standing on her own with her tail up would help, as her bits are a bit squished), and 3 is definitely a girl. If 2 and 3 are both girls, two dads is the most likely cause.

 

[Willowy]

I don't believe #1 is a boy. She has those confusing tabby spots, but otherwise looks just like #2, and there just isn't enough room in between for testicles. I was confused by one of my girls once like that, so I'm always on the lookout, lol.

But yeah, if there are dark girls with no orange, and an orange girl, they have to have different daddies, that's all there is to it. If she was stray that's not too surprising really. The tortie could be from either one.

 

[hodgesC1234]

1st kitten is a boy, 2nd is almost definitely a girl (but having a photo of her standing on her own with her tail up would help, as her bits are a bit squished), and 3 is definitely a girl. If 2 and 3 are both girls, two dads is the most likely cause.

And here I was thinking the second one was without a doubt a boy

I don't believe #1 is a boy. She has those confusing tabby spots, but otherwise looks just like #2, and there just isn't enough room in between for testicles. I was confused by one of my girls once like that, so I'm always on the lookout, lol.
View attachment 397123


But yeah, if there are dark girls with no orange, and an orange girl, they have to have different daddies, that's all there is to it. If she was stray that's not too surprising really. The tortie could be from either one.

I’m seeing it now, I agree they all have the same amount of room. I was so sure the orange one was a boy, I named him Dexter

 

[Willowy]

Usually if a tortie has an orange kitten, it is a boy! So not a strange thing to assume. But that's a girl all right. . .I think Dexter can be a good name for a girl too .

 

[Meowmee]

Interesting! I wasn’t 100% sure this kitten was a tortie because she wasn’t as vibrant as the torties in the last two litters but I’ve read there’s “diluted” torties? The pictures I’ve seen don’t really look like her but I keep describing her as a less vibrant tortie so that’s what I’m going with for now lol. Here she is if anyone wants to confirm or deny whether she’s a real tortie, I’m new to the cat world

View attachment 397103

She is def a tortie, just has more black and the red is more beige, my girls were like that too, she is beautiful They look like girls to me, but one may be a boy, I am too tired for this right now