Sex-based behavioral generalizations about cats are common in casual conversation, and while some patterns do show genuine statistical tendency, individual personality variation within either sex is considerably larger than the average difference between them — worth keeping in mind before assuming a specific cat will follow a general pattern.
Territorial and marking behavior tendencies
Intact males show statistically higher rates of urine marking and territorial behavior, connected to reproductive hormone influence — this difference reduces considerably after neutering, and even among intact cats, individual variation means this is a tendency rather than a guarantee for any specific male cat.
Size and physical differences, not behavioral ones
Male cats are, on average, somewhat larger than females of the same breed, though this is a physical rather than behavioral difference, and individual variation in size within each sex is considerable enough that this generalization has limited predictive value for any specific cat.
Social and affection tendencies: genuinely more individual than sex-based
Popular assumptions about males being more affectionate or females being more independent (or the reverse, depending on which stereotype you encounter) don't hold up well against actual behavioral research — individual personality, early socialization, and specific breed tendencies are considerably stronger predictors of affection style than sex alone.
Why neutering status matters more than sex for many behaviors
For most behavior patterns commonly attributed to sex differences, neutering status is actually the more relevant variable — an intact male and an intact female both show hormone-influenced behavior patterns distinct from their neutered counterparts, meaning the neutering conversation is often more behaviorally relevant than the sex conversation alone.
What this means practically when choosing a cat
Rather than selecting based on sex-based assumptions, focusing on an individual cat's actual demonstrated temperament — observed directly, or described accurately by a shelter or foster who's spent real time with that specific cat — provides considerably more reliable guidance for finding a good household match than general sex-based stereotypes.