Introduction
It’s common when referring to cats as pets or in general to use the pronoun “she”, even when the cat’s gender is unknown or unspecified. People will often say things like “I love my cat, she’s so cute” or “That’s a nice cat, she looks well taken care of”. This tendency to default to referring to cats with female pronouns is widespread, but why is this the case? In this article, we’ll explore some of the historical, cultural, and linguistic factors that have led to cats, more than almost any other common pet, being anthropomorphized into feminine beings.
Gendered Languages
In many languages, including French, nouns have grammatical gender. This means that every noun is categorized as either masculine or feminine. For example, in French the word for “cat” (chat) is grammatically masculine. As a result, when referring to an individual cat in French, the masculine pronoun “il” (he) is used regardless of the cat’s biological sex.
This linguistic convention of applying masculine or feminine gender to nouns leads to the common practice of using feminine pronouns for cats in languages like French. Since the word for “cat” is grammatically masculine in French, people default to the feminine “elle” (she) when talking about a specific cat, in order to distinguish its biological sex.
So the convention of calling cats “she” or “her” stems from the gendered nature of nouns in many languages – the pronouns used are meant to indicate biological sex rather than strict grammatical agreement. This tendency carries over into English, even though nouns themselves are not gendered in English.
Societal Perceptions
Cats have long been associated with femininity and grace in many cultures throughout history. In ancient Egypt, cats were sacred animals associated with goddess figures like Bastet, representing protection, fertility and motherhood (1). During the Middle Ages in Europe, cats were linked to witchcraft and paganism, seen as the “familiar” of witches. This further cemented the feminine association, as witchcraft was considered a primarily female practice (2).
The Victorians romanticized cats as dainty, delicate creatures, a stereotype that persists today. Paintings and literature from the era often depict cats in the laps of women or curled up by the fireside. Their graceful movements and fastidious grooming habits came to represent ideal Victorian feminine qualities like cleanliness and modesty (1). This cultural perception continues to influence how cats are gendered in modern media and popular culture.
(1) https://blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2017/07/cats-women-why-connection.html
(2) https://thestute.com/2022/09/30/the-femininity-of-cats/
Linguistic Conventions
When referring to animals of an unknown gender, there is a tendency to default to using “she” and “her” pronouns instead of “it.” This convention likely arises from the perception that female pronouns are more personal while “it” can seem impersonal or objectifying. As expressed on Reddit, “You can default to ‘it’ when the sex of the animal is unknown, or you can just call it he or she or they. All are correct, and people tend to default to ‘she’ as more personal than ‘it'” (Reddit). Using “she” humanizes the animal and shows care, while “it” can distance the speaker. So calling a cat “she” reflects a linguistic norm, not necessarily the cat’s actual gender.
Motherhood
Cats are strongly associated with motherhood and nurturing kittens in many cultures. This goes back to the fact that female cats have very strong maternal instincts and behaviors when caring for their young. For example, mother cats will groom, feed, and protect their kittens, often exhibiting a protectiveness that is regarded as very caring and loving (https://intl.petsafe.net/en-gb/feline-maternal-instincts).
Given the strength and devotion of the mother-kitten bond, female cats came to symbolize ideal motherhood in many societies. Their nurturing behaviors and protective fierceness towards their young were seen as admirable maternal traits. Since mother cats were almost always referred to as “she”, this further reinforced the association between female cats and motherhood in language and culture. Even when cats don’t have kittens, people may subconsciously associate them with feminine nurturing due to this long-standing cultural perception.
In Literature
Cats have a long history of being depicted as female characters in books, cartoons, and other works of fiction. This likely stems from the societal perception of cats as motherly nurturers. Some classic examples include the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, who exhibits a playful yet mysterious feminine persona. Crookshanks from the Harry Potter series is Hermione’s loyal female companion. In comics, cats like Top Cat and Felix the Cat are male characters, while females like Mitzi from The Adventures of Tintin exhibit more classically feminine traits.
The children’s book character Poppy Cat is a young adventurous female kitten who leads her teammates on imaginary expeditions. Writers often choose female names like Belle, Duchess, or Victoria for cat characters to reinforce their feminine identities. This further perpetuates the perception of cats more broadly as female in gender.
In Names
Common female cat names like Kitty reinforce the convention that cats are referred to with feminine pronouns. According to lists of popular cat names, common names for female cats include Luna, Lucy, Bell, Lily, and Daisy (Most Popular Cat Names in the USA – Rover.com). The use of traditionally feminine human names for female cats shows how deeply ingrained the association between cats and femininity is. Even though cats do not have inherent gender identities, we assign gendered names that align with the pronouns we use. This naming convention reflects and perpetuates the perception of cats as female.
Superstitions
Many superstitions around the world refer to cats with female pronouns like “she” and “her”, which has contributed to the perception of cats as female. In England, there is a superstition that if a household has a black cat, it will bring the woman of the house luck in finding a husband [1]. In the Netherlands, there is a belief that cats are gossipy creatures who will share all your secrets, using “she” to refer to them [2]. Similarly, in Mayan folklore in Mexico and Central America, black cats are considered gossipers and are referred to with the feminine “chismecatera” [3]. These types of superstitions consistently refer to cats with feminine pronouns, contributing to the gendered perception.
In Research
Studies on cat behavior commonly refer to cat subjects using the pronoun “she”, even when the cat’s sex is unknown or irrelevant. This convention likely stems from the general societal perception of cats as feminine. According to some sources, researchers may default to “she” pronouns because motherhood and maternal behaviors in animals have been more extensively studied than fatherhood (Source 1).
Moreover, cat behavioral studies often focus on queens (female cats) and their kittens, looking at maternal behaviors and relationships (Source 2). Since research disproportionately examines the mother-kitten bond over other dynamics, it makes sense that cats would frequently be referred to as “she” in the scientific literature.
However, the convenience of a default pronoun does not justify the underlying gender bias. Some advocates argue that animal studies should use “it” rather than “she” or “he” when an animal’s sex is unknown or unimportant (Source 3). This change could help combat assumptions that cats are inherently feminine. Still, established linguistic and societal conventions contribute to the persistent feminization of cats in research.
Sources:
2. https://www.josieholford.com/cats-and-pronouns/
3. https://www.vintageisthenewold.com/game-pedia/do-cats-have-pronouns
Concluding Thoughts
Our exploration into why cats are commonly referred to as “she” reveals several potential contributing factors. While cats have no innate gender identity, human tendencies to anthropomorphize combined with cultural perceptions of femininity have led to associating female pronouns with felines. Linguistic conventions cement this default terminology over time. The maternal role of mother cats further reinforces the feminine imaging. And myths connecting cats and women, from witchcraft to multiple lives, propagate the gendered language. Though misguided according to science, referring to cats as “she” satisfies literary needs for personification. The ubiquity of feminine descriptors signals our society’s prevailing views of gender. But increased awareness of stereotypes and concerted efforts to avoid biases could lead to more inclusive and accurate cat communications in the future.