>>49818672It's also used for the neutral name of the species.
In cat's case, the species is a male name, though you can refer as a female cat just by changing "Gato" to "Gata".
There are species where the name itself is feminine like frogs, "Rana" That doesn't mean spanish isn't aknowledging male frogs, it's just the name of the animal.
In general, If it ends in "-a" its a feminine word. (Not necessarily female)
If it ends in "-o" its a masculine word. (Not necessarily male)
