Are pets able to sense the gender of their human owners?

I wasn't sure whether to post this in pets or GS. Do you think cats and dogs know the gender of their human owners? Before my former girlfriend had her female cat fixed, it went into heat a few times. The cat usually seemed to pay more attention to me than her.|||As "nasty" as I think I'm going to sound here, I think pets that aren't spayed or neutered can pick up a male or female scent. My aunt had a male dog that was attracted to women on their periods. They're just animals, they don't think in their heads that anyone is male or female, they just act on instinct. My four cats are neutered/spayed and I think they just care about who likes them the most or who they like the most.|||Would it matter either way? Their master/owner is their leader -- one that they will choose to follow as a sign of inferiority or submission -- and usually pets don't tend to deviate away from such traits. The gender doesn't particularly matter (I think), because as long as the owner of the pet stays loyal to their pet, then the pet will - usually - stay loyal to the owner.





As for being able to "sense" the gender -- probably. They can sense blood (menstruation), and "sweaty butt" (male characteristic), but I'm not so sure they'd be able to distinguish gender based on individual smell.





Interesting question, Thundercat.|||I socialized my dog to get along with other animals and people, which is quite an accomplishment for dachshunds, because they're usually a "one man" dog. She does really well, but I do know that if she decides she doesn't "like" someone, it's usually larger, older males. Whether or not she knows I'm a female, I really wouldn't know how to tell.|||I think they do. One of my beloved cats was a real flirt. She would be all over my dad, all over my brother, all over my boyfriend. If a man came to the house, she would be straight up to him, and if he sat down she would be straight on his knee. If a woman came round, she would ignore her completely. She didnt ignore me or my mum, but only if there were no men available!|||I think so. My aunt had a female dog when I was a kid that didn't like males. She would often snap at the boys/men, and at a very cherished area of their anatomy. She didn't do this to me or other females.|||I think animals can "sense" the sex of their human owners, but I doubt they can comprehend the nuances of human behavior enough to understand whether they are masculine, neuter, or feminine, i.e. "gender."|||I wondered that. When we first got our puppy for days he wouldn't go near anyone but me, and was always in my lap.





We thought it could be because he missed his mother and could tell I was female. Not sure though|||No because gender is not real it's a social construct now they may be able to sense the sex of a person.