# Pets of unknown gender **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 11, 2008, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152 "2008-11-11T03:09:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/1 "2008-11-11T03:09:31Z")
I have a goldfish named Ten. I think, but have no actual way of knowing, that Ten is a boy. Why? Ten got bigger, and bullied the other goldfish while it was still living. For all I know, though, being bigger and more agressive could be feminine goldfish traits. This has got me thinking, there are probably other people out there with pets of unknown gender. Not, I hasten to add, _temporarily mistaken_ gender - like the Tom named Marisol that a friend’s family had when we were growing up - but truly unknown because the pets aren’t a kind particularly easy to sex. Probably mostly non-mammals, huh? Did you have a pet whose gender you didn’t know? Did you assign it one anyway instead of “it”? If so, what made you think of it as he or she? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/2 "2008-11-11T04:57:55Z")
When my wife and I first got married, I got her a tiny iguana named Attilla for her birthday because she said that she liked them when we were on vacation. We spoiled the crap out of that lizard with bi-weekly baths and the best foods that money could buy. He or she grew to be about 4 feet long including the tail. We even took Attilla on a plane trip once that resulted in a very humorous story that I have told here before. I have no idea if Attilla was male or female. It bonded with my wife closely which is a male iguana trait but the growth stopped at that of a female which was still quite large. When we bought our house, I had Attilla on my shoulder we he or she jumped off and ran threw an open door. He or she hung around the yard for a coupld of weeks and the disappeared. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/3 "2008-11-11T05:22:32Z")
Does gender orientation count? I used to have a cat named Sally Ride that I am pretty sure was gay. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/4 "2008-11-11T05:46:24Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Does gender orientation count? I used to have a cat named Sally Ride that I am pretty sure was gay. My MIL had a Standard Poodle (the full sized ones) that flamed harder than any mammal that I have ever seem. He swished instead of regular walking. He sulked most of the time but you could call him and he would flame into the room. Then, you could tell him to sit and he would in his own flaming way. After that, you could ask him to give you paw and he would look deep within your eyes for a few seconds and the present a limp wristed paw that you were supposed to kiss. Visitors would ofter say “What is wrong with that dog?”, “OMG what is wrong with that dog?” He was put down about a year ago but my MIL still refers to him as the gay son she never had. ---
**Author:** ![KarmaComa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e36b37/32.png) [@KarmaComa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarmaComa)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/5 "2008-11-11T10:02:37Z")
My friend had her cat spayed… whoops! Then neutered. Seriously, how does a vet not notice something like that? Or even my friend, for that matter. Hint: check for balls! ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/6 "2008-11-11T11:32:48Z")
I had a pet rock once. To tell it’s sexuality was hard (pun intended). Everyone knows that guinea pigs can change their sex at will. ---
**Author:** ![BleizDu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@BleizDu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BleizDu)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/7 "2008-11-11T13:24:46Z")
> [@KarmaComa](#): > > My friend had her cat spayed… whoops! Then neutered. Seriously, how does a vet not notice something like that? Or even my friend, for that matter. Hint: check for balls! That happened with one of our cats. We got a couple of kittens, thought one was male the other female, and as they grew older we became convinced of it, since physically and mentally they were so different: the male was bigger, had plenty of muscles and was independant, the female was smaller and frail and a couch-cat and her head just looked like one of a female cat vs a big round tomcat head. When the male began to want to mount the other, I took the female to the vet. When I came back to get her, he told me it was a male whose testes were undescended. He only saw it when he had already begun to cut her abdomen open. Cool! The bill was cheaper this way! (castration vs spayed) The male had big furry balls, his “brother” nothing and his sheath was so small I thought the opening there was the vaginal opening. We still think of that as “she” though. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/8 "2008-11-11T15:50:04Z")
Sure. I have a peach-faced lovebird. They’re not sexually dimorphic, and I refuse to pay the money to have her DNA sexed. We “assigned” the feminine to her, because she just “seemed” like a girl–very cage-protective, bitchy as hell at times, etc. But as we’ve gotten to know her, and she’s gotten comfortable enough with us to “indulge” in her sexual nature, it’s become apparent that she \*\*is \*\*actually female. [This is the sexual posture of a female inviting intercourse](http://www.parrot-and-conure-world.com/my-new-pet-lovebird.html) (coincidentally, that’s also exactly the coloring of my Sunshine, though that is not her.) She’s done this for me (her chosen “mate”) a couple of times. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/9 "2008-11-11T16:39:52Z")
I used to have a pair of newts named Behemoth & Leviathan. Leviathan was smaller so I just made “her” the female. Plus, Leviathan sounded more like a girl’s name. I’ve no idea how to sex a newt and I don’t want to know. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/10 "2008-11-11T16:46:38Z")
Hell, most of my pets I have never known the gender of, nor cared. Let’s see: Too many parakeets to count, over the years Lovebird - goddamn, they are loud. Never again. Finches. Beep. beep. beep. beep. beep. beep. Never sang. Two snakes (little ones) Turtles An electric blue lobster And currently: Two turtles One desert gecko The only ones I have been sure of were my parrot, who was sexed, and my Samoyed dog. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/11 "2008-11-11T16:59:47Z")
I used to have an African water frog (he lived to be 10, rather a bit longer than we’d expected). We assumed he was, well, a he because he’d sing at night, which is supposed to be a male trait. But I find it hard to believe the female frogs are silent all their lives, so who knows. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/12 "2008-11-11T17:04:17Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Two snakes (little ones) I had a snake too, and I had no way of knowing its sex. With a snake, it doesn’t really matter. It’s not like you need to give it a name so you can call it so it will come to you. (“Come here, Harold!” or “Go fetch, Mary Jane.”) ---
**Author:** ![Black\_Sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@Black\_Sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Sunshine)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/13 "2008-11-11T17:31:38Z")
I had two hermit crabs - Vedder (boy) and Moonbeam (girl). Moonbeam was a girl because she has a smaller and prettier shell. Dunno what I would have done if they’d ever moved into different shells. Also, Moonbeam died of the vapors when a dirty Anole moved into their tank. Vedder just bought him a beer and they were fast buddies. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/14 "2008-11-11T17:36:41Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > I had a snake too, and I had no way of knowing its sex. With a snake, it doesn’t really matter. It’s not like you need to give it a name so you can call it so it will come to you. (“Come here, Harold!” or “Go fetch, Mary Jane.”) I once told someone I never named a new reptile until it started eating. They were SHOCKED. How could you not name a pet? I said, you’re never sure about reptiles, if they won’t eat they die, I’ve had a lot of experience with them, and besides, the name is solely for my benefit. They’ll never know it, as you say! ---
**Author:** ![schnuckiputzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@schnuckiputzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schnuckiputzi)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/15 "2008-11-11T17:46:48Z")
I, too, have a peach-faced lovebird who is sex-unknown. I call ‘her’ Shiva, because she is definitely into death and destruction. She dreams of taking down my Rott/pit mix, and plots the death of my pug, who shivers in terror. I had a tarantula who ate its cagemate. We named it Jezebel, as it seemed appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/16 "2008-11-11T18:02:38Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Lovebird - goddamn, they are loud. Never again. To me it’s not the volume that’s amazing, it’s the shrillness.:smack: > [@schnuckiputzi](#): > > I, too, have a peach-faced lovebird who is sex-unknown. I call ‘her’ Shiva, because she is definitely into death and destruction. She dreams of taking down my Rott/pit mix, and plots the death of my pug, who shivers in terror. That’s an amazingly apt name for a lovebird. [Sunshine](http://www.flickr.com/photos/troubleagain/2751132395/in/set-72157602651317786/)would (try to) eat the cats if I ever allowed them in the same room together.:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/17 "2008-11-11T18:08:41Z")
> [@KarmaComa](#): > > My friend had her cat spayed… whoops! Then neutered. Seriously, how does a vet not notice something like that? Or even my friend, for that matter. Hint: check for balls! Make sure that the vet goes back and unstitches the cats butthole too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/18 "2008-11-11T20:26:30Z")
I had a turtle for 19 years, and just assumed it was a “he”. Maybe three years before Bubbles passed on, I looked up turtle sexing and from the supposed clues, Bubbles was probably a “she”. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/19 "2008-11-11T20:40:22Z")
We have inherited two unnamed fish and two turtles of undetermined gender. However, one of them is an aggressive asshole and is therefore assumed to be male. The other just got girlified by default. They were already named when we got them - Snidely (the asshole) and Polly. I should really name those fish. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/20 "2008-11-11T21:50:29Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I’ve no idea how to sex a newt and I don’t want to know. Well, you have to start with the right mood music … [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152.md?page=2)