Just as old male orangutans develop distinctive fleshy cheek patches, older tomcats—unneutered toms—develop “stud jowls,” a widening at the cheek area that you don’t have to be a cat expert to recognize. The widening of the face is accentuated by the growth of the long guard hairs in that region. If you see a tomcat with stud jowls, you can safely assume that the fellow has probably mated with a lot of females in his day and has sired many a kitten.
