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This is Islay (eye-la), my hermaphrodite cat! (lemmy.world)

submitted 3 months ago by cod@lemmy.world to c/cat@lemmy.world

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[-] cod@lemmy.world 34 points 3 months ago

Both parts. Islay has both testicles and a uterus. We call her a she (since our other cat is a boy so it’s just easier if one is he and one is she), but technically she’s a they. Unfortunately it’ll be very expensive to get her fixed because of it.

[-] Nougat@fedia.io 32 points 3 months ago

Spend the money unless you want to be responsible for Cat Jesus.

[-] degen@midwest.social 9 points 3 months ago

Immcatulate catception (I couldn't decide on just one)

[-] cod@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago

Oh definitely, I will. She’s worth the much higher price.

[-] degen@midwest.social 18 points 3 months ago

I always assumed that sort of situation would render them sterile. It probably varies but the more you know!

Well, I suppose fixing has hormonal consequences too and not just reproductive, now that I think about it.

[-] cod@lemmy.world 14 points 3 months ago

More often than not, cats with both parts tend to develop cancer as a result of it, apparently. That’s according to the vet anyway. But yeah I think they tend to be sterile in most cases.

[-] degen@midwest.social 8 points 3 months ago

Having another whole system to develop something cancerous probably doesn't help, but that's interesting. I'm guessing it could cause unusual stresses on the body throughout aging too. I hope fixing/spaying mitigates the risk! Such a pretty one, and extra enigmatic.

[-] Lycaon@lemm.ee 6 points 3 months ago

Ohh interesting! So would her chromosomes be XXY?

[-] cod@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

I’m not too sure! That’s a good question though. I’m curious now, I’ll have to ask the vet the next time I see her.

[-] match@pawb.social 6 points 3 months ago

technically she’s a they

if you asked her pronouns she'd probably say "meow"

[+] hungryphrog@lemmy.blahaj.zone -8 points 3 months ago

Hey, by the way "hermaphrodite" is considered a slur, as it has a long history of being associated with horrific abuse of people with genitalia that isn't considered 'normal'. So in the future, I'd recommend using the term intersex.

[-] degen@midwest.social 9 points 3 months ago

This is an odd one, cause it's also medical I think? Or just scientific like hermaphroditic plants. For sure a person-slur though. Like a person may be hermaphroditic, but at the very least it's a faux pas to call them a hermaphrodite, if not derogatory outright.

[-] hungryphrog@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 months ago

It is used in a medical/scientific context, but most intersex people consider it bad, as it only used to refer to people until fairly recently (19th century I think?). When talking about species that can reproduce by themselves (like slugs or some plants), I've heard the word cosexual is preferred.