When a cat’s penis isn’t protruding, it looks like a little dot in the center of a tuft of hair. When it does pop out, it is quite large.
Male cats have barbed penile spines that aid in ovulation during mating. Female cats are loners by nature and usually resent the intrusion of mating, so they try to escape.
The Anus
The cat’s penis is located under its tail and is tucked into a tube of skin called the prepuce. It only emerges when it is erected for mating. The glans part of the penis has numerous short horny spines.
The tip of the erect penis has sharp spines that cause intense stimulation of the female’s vagina during mating and lead to ovulation. Mating between two cats involves a series of ritualized steps that begin with the male sniffing the female’s genitals to determine if she is receptive. Then the female rolls onto her back and presents her hindquarters. The male then puts his paws on the female’s shoulders to encourage her to mount him. The penis is hidden from view during this time and only the tip of the erect penis is visible.
The sperm-producing testicles are within the scrotal sac (Fig 39-1). The urethral opening is small and positioned on the glans of the penis. The urethra passes from the glans of the penis into the abdomen via the inguinal ring on the ipsilateral side. The urethra then passes from the pelvis through the prostate gland to reach the bladder. The prostate gland contains a large amount of fluid that helps to lubricate the urethra. It also provides the major part of the fluid in ejaculate that increases sperm motility.
The Foreskin
The foreskin of a male cat penis is well known to cat lovers, as it is where you will find the erogenous zone of the male. This area is surrounded by a sheath, which is called the prepuce.
The sheath is lined with keratinized spines which resemble spikes and are only visible during sexual behavior. These spines are designed to stimulate a female cat’s vagina for ovulation during mating. After mating, the spines disappear into the sheath.
A cat’s penis contains two spermatic cords, which are similar to the ductus deferens in dogs. These cords begin at the tail of the epididymis, run along the border of each testicle and out through the urethra. The urethra is a narrow tube which exits the tip of the penis.
Cats reach puberty around 6 months of age. At this time, they develop barbed penises, according to Mar Vista Animal Medical Center. These barbs are used to stimulate ovulation during intercourse and to prevent escape from the penis. This is a very useful feature, especially since it doesn’t require the male to leave his body for the female to be stimulated.
A cat who is unable to retract its penis into the sheath, which is also called paraphimosis or phimosis, should be examined by a veterinarian as it is a medical emergency. It can lead to a number of symptoms, including a leaking sheath, pain during urination and bleeding around the genitals.
The Testicles
Male cats have 2 oval-shaped organs hanging below their penis, called the testicles. These are the main part of the male reproductive system and produce sperm, which fertilise female eggs to make babies. The testicles are covered by a foreskin and hang inside the scrotal sac, which is a pouch of skin behind the penis. The testicles have small keratinized spines that resemble spikes and appear during mating. The spines disappear back into the foreskin once the mating is over.
Gently lift the tail, and look for an opening that looks more like a vertical slit than a round hole. If the anus is not there, or it looks different (a calico cat may have a slightly wider anus) then your pet is not a male. You can also tell a male from a female by their coat color: the anus and the area around it will be darker in a male than in a female.
The testicles produce sperm, which travels through seminiferous tubules into a coiled tube called the epididymis. The sperm then enters the ductus deferens, which is part of the spermatic cord and makes its way to the penis. If a male kitten is neutered before he reaches puberty, the spines on his penis won’t develop and he won’t have barbs on his penis. A male who hasn’t been neutered could suffer from a condition called cryptorchidism, where one or both testicles stay in the belly instead of the scrotum and are exposed to the elements. This can be life-threatening and should be corrected as soon as possible by having your cat neutered.
The Penis
In the rest of its life, a cat penis is hidden away under the tail and barely protrudes out at all. It looks more like a dot in the center of a tuft of fur and has to be pushed out very hard to see. It’s not something most cat owners ever experience because cats do a very good job of keeping their penis tucked away and out of sight.
When a male cat is mating, the spines on his penis will appear and then disappear again once the cat has mated. These small keratinized spines resemble spikes and only show up when a male cat is attempting to mate with another feline. The spines are testosterone-dependent and disappear once the cat has completed the sex act.
According to Mar Vista Animal Medical Center, one purpose of the barbs on a male cat’s penis is to aid in a female cat’s ovulation during sexual intercourse. These spikes stimulate the female cat’s vulva, which signals her body to release an egg. This is a very painful process for the female, but it’s a necessary part of mating.
Interestingly, these same spines are also present on a male cat’s tongue. It’s one of the reasons why many people think a cat’s tongue is rough when they lick it, as it is similar to the texture of the penile spines. When a male cat is neutered, these spines retract back into the foreskin.
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