What gender is "cat" in English? - briefly
The word "cat" in English is grammatically neuter, meaning it does not have a gender. However, when referring to a specific cat, you can use pronouns like "he," "she," or "they" based on the cat's biological sex or personal preference.
What gender is "cat" in English? - in detail
In the English language, nouns do not have inherent grammatical genders as they do in many other languages such as German or French. This means that there is no masculine, feminine, or neuter classification for nouns like "cat." Instead, English uses common gender pronouns to refer to animals and objects without assigning a specific gender to the word itself.
When discussing a cat, you would typically use the pronoun "it" to refer to both male and female cats. For example, "The cat is sleeping on the couch," or "It chased after a mouse." If the gender of the cat is known, you might use "he" or "she" accordingly, but this is more about specifying the biological sex rather than assigning a grammatical gender to the word "cat."
Moreover, in recent years, there has been a shift towards using they/them pronouns for animals whose gender is not specified or known. This usage aims to be inclusive and avoids assumptions about the animal's biological sex. For instance, you might say, "The cat loves playing with its favorite toy," where "its" refers to both male and female cats.
In summary, while English does not assign a grammatical gender to the noun "cat," it employs common pronouns and, increasingly, they/them pronouns to refer to animals in a way that is inclusive and respectful of their individual identities.