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Use this cat glossary to test and improve your cat vocabulary with the cat related words below! Some definitions you might already know, and some may surprise you. Hopefully you’ll learn some new and interesting little cat tidbits from this list of terminology.
A
Ailurophile – A cat fancier, a lover of cats. The word “comes from a combination of the Greek word ailouros which means “cat”, and the suffix -phile, meaning “lover”.” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.)
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B
Breed Standard – Traits (build, shape, size, coat, color, pattern, personality) of a Domestic Cat (Felis catus) breed. How cat registries award points for each trait may differ.
C
Cat Registry – Registers Domestic Cats (Felis catus) for the purpose of tracking breeding lineages (genealogies) and for setting breed standards for showing competitions. They can be national/international, vary in size, & might have their own cat shows. The cat breeds they recognize varies, as do their rules. Learn more
Catio – An enclosed outdoor area for a cat: a cat patio. Provides a safe space for a cat to benefit from the enrichment of outdoor sights, sounds, and smells. Catio designs are unlimited, taking many shapes and sizes.
Clowder – “A group of cats”. (Merriam-Webster, n.d.)
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Coalition – A group of males living together, usually brothers of consisting of mostly brothers. Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) males may form a coalition of 2-4, and will mate with as many females as possible. Lion (Panthera leo) males may form a coalition of 2-6, and will mate with females of a single pride. Some male Cheetahs/Lions remain single, not forming coalitions. (Sunquist & Sunquist 2002)
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D
E
Ear Furnishings – Hairs extending from inside the ears, the purpose of which is to provide a protective barrier against debris reaching the ear canal.
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Ear Tufts – Hair on the tips of the ears. Wild cat species with ear tufts are: Bobcat (Lynx rufus), Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis), Caracal (Caracal caracal), Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx), Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus). Domestic cat breeds with ear tufts include: Main Coon, Pixiebob, LaPerm, Turkish Angora.
Caracal (Caracal caracal)
photo by Josef Svoboda via Vecteezy
F
Felid – A member of the cat family (Felidae). This includes all cat species, from the wild cats to the domestic cat.
Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
photo by Josef Svoboda via Vecteezy
Felidae – Scientific name for the cat family. This includes all cat species, from the wild cats to the domestic cat.
vector by Mariia Petrova via Vecteezy
G
Gotcha Day – Anniversary of the day a cat was adopted/rescued by a family. This date may be more meaningful to celebrate, especially when the birth date is unknown.
vector by Anna Bezrukova via Vecteezy
H
I
IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group – Is composed of more than 200 cat experts (scientists, conservationists, and wildlife managers), from 65 countries. “The Cat Specialist Group is responsible for the global monitoring and conservation of all [40] wild living cat species” (IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, 2024). Learn more
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J
K
L
Leopardess – A female Leopard (Panthera pardus). Average size of a female is smaller compared to an average male (Sunquist & Sunquist, 2002).
Leucism – Is the partial loss of pigmentation, causing white/pale coloration; it is due to a recessive gene. White Tigers (Panthera tigris) are leucistic: the orange/yellow pigment (background color) is reduced/eliminated to pale/white and the melanin pigment (stripes) is reduced to brown (Robinson, 1969).
photo by William Warby via Pexels
Lioness – A female Lion (Panthera leo). Distinguishable from males because females never grow a mane. (However, young males only begin growing a mane when they start to mature more. Also, some adult male lions in the Tsavo region of Kenya are completely maneless (Kays & Patterson, 2002).
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M
Mane – An example of sexual dimorphism, as only male Lions (Panthera leo) grow them. But not all male lions have manes. Young males may not grow them until they start to mature more. And some adult male lions in the Tsavo region of Kenya have less developed manes or are completely maneless (Kays & Patterson, 2002). So manes come in all shapes and sizes, and can be yellow, tan, reddish, or brown.
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Melanism – Is the darkening of the background fur color due to excessive melanin production, and this genetic trait is expressed in many cat species. In some populations it is frequent. A “black panther” is not a separate species, but refers to either a melanistic Leopard (Panthera pardus) or melanistic Jaguar (Panthera onca); in both cases the spots can still be seen in the right light.
A black Leopard (Panthera pardus)
photo by Ash Edmonds via Unsplash
N
O
Obligate Carnivore – Cats in nature depend completely on eating animal tissues for survival because their biology doesn’t have the ability to use plants to derive their nutrient requirements. One essential nutrient requirement they must source from their food is taurine. (Legrand-Defretin, 1994)
Leopard (Panthera pardus) eating a gazelle
photo by Carlos Torres via Unsplash
P
Polydactyl Cat – Has a paw with more than the usual number (five on front paw, four on hindpaw, totaling 18) of toes. Sometimes just the front legs are polydactyly, sometimes just the hindlegs, sometimes all four legs are. There are two forms of polydactyl: mitten-paw (extra digit is shorter and spaced from the rest, appearing like a mitten) and patty-foot (extra digits are same length and space as the rest). Ernest Hemingway famously loved polydactyl cats. Mixed breed Domestic Cats (Felis catus) can be polydactyl; it’s a trait more commonly seen in the eastern United States. Cat breeds that can have polydactyl paws include: Maine Coon and Pixiebob. (Hamelin et al., 2017) The record set in 2002 for “cat with most toes is Jake, who has 28 toes – seven on each paw” and lives in Ontario, Canada. (Guiness World Records).
photo by Zoey Li via Unsplash
Pride – Group of Lions (Panthera leo) that live/cooperate together (although the amount can vary). The core of the pride is usually made up of related females, their cubs and subadults (mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins). The pride male/s may be single or a coalition. Pride size correlates with prey abundance. (Sunquist & Sunquist, 2002)
photo by Birger Strahl via Unsplash
Purrito – A cat wrapped up in a blanket/towel (like a burrito). Being wrapped up makes some cats and kittens feel safe and secure (like a swaddled human baby). Used as an aid in socializing feral kittens.
Q
R
S
T
Tapetum lucidum – Is composed of many layers of cells and is located behind the retina. It behaves as a reflector, guiding light back through the retina, which increases the available light to the photoreceptors. This means better vision in low light. “Eyeshine” is seeing light reflected on this mirror-like membrane back to the onlooker. Latin “tapetum” means, “woolen cloth or rug used as a covering, hanging, carpet, tapestry”‘ and “lucidus” means bright, shining or clear (Olivetti, 2025).
photo by Nikki
Taurine – C2H7NO3S, an amino acid that is essential for cats. Felids can make some, but not as much as they need because the enzyme required to make it is limited and also needed elsewhere. Therefore, it’s very important their diet include an adequate amount to prevent taurine deficiency. (Taurine deficiency can cause loss of vision, heart disease, and reproductive failure.) A cat’s natural diet is animal protein (meat, fish), which is almost exclusively where taurine can be sourced. (Coates, 2014)
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The Cat Fancy – Refers to the entire activity by a group of cat lovers concerning cat breeds, breeding, and showing cats; a person may be called a “cat fancier”.
Tigress – A female Tiger (Panthera tigris).
Toe Tufts – Fur growing between cat toes and extending beyond toe pads (usually cats with coats of medium to long hair).
photo by Nikki
Tomcat – An unneutered male domestic cat.
U
V
W
Working Cats – Feral Domestic Cats (Felis catus) that were never socialized to people, or cats that have another reason they don’t do well confined in a home. They are not adoptable as pets, but are adoptable to live on a safe property and hunt rodents. They are mousers who “work” for keeps by performing vermin control at barns/farms/factories/warehouses/breweries/shops/private property. Many shelters have a working cat program where they place these otherwise unadoptable cats in a forever home. Owners are still expected to provide shelter, food, water, and vet care.
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X
Y
Z
References
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Byrdyak. Lioness in the savannah [Photograph]. Freepik. https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/lioness-savannah_11011839.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=6&uuid=461db977-3f30-4ee0-a791-6a57eac82a18
Coates, J. (2014, December 12). What is taurine? Pet MD. https://www.petmd.com/blogs/nutritionnuggets/cat/dr-coates/2014/december/what-taurine-32287
Edmonds, A. (2019). [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/black-jaguar-resting-on-sand-MZVJ4joUAlI
FranckinJapan. (2017). Cat, animal, pet image [Photograph]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/photos/cat-group-three-stare-watching-2039381/. CC0.
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Guiness World Records. Most toes on a cat. In Guiness World Records.com. Retrieved June 26, 2024, from https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-toes-on-a-cat
Hamelin, A., Begon, D., Conchou, F., Fusellier, M., Abitbol, M. (2017). Clinical characterization of polydactyly in Maine Coon cats. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 19(4), 382-393. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612X16628920
IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group. (2024). Home. https://www.catsg.org
Kays, R. W., & Patterson, B. D. (2002). Mane variation in African lions and its social correlates. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 80(3), 471-478. https://doi.org/10.1139/Z02-024
Legrand-Defretin, V. (1994). Differences between cats and dogs: a nutritional view. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 53(1), 15-24. https://doi.org/10.1079/PNS19940004
Li, Z. (2024). The cat sleeping at Hemingway’s residence [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/a-cat-laying-on-top-of-a-white-chair-HaV6iqf4nOg
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Ailurophile. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ailurophile
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Clowder. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved June 25, 2024, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clowder
Olivetti, E. (n.d.). Lucidus. In Online Latin Dictionary.com. Retrieved January 18, 2025, from https://www.online-latin-dictionary.com/latin-english-dictionary.php?lemma=LUCIDUS100
Olivetti, E. (n.d.). Tapetum. In Online Latin Dictionary.com. Retrieved January 18, 2025, from https://www.online-latin-dictionary.com/latin-english-dictionary.php?parola=tapetum
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Robinson, R. (1969). The white tigers of Rewa and gene homology in the Felidae. Genetica, 40, 198-200. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01787350
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Sunquist, M. & Sunquist, F. (2002). Wild cats of the world. The University of Chicago Press.
Svoboda, J. Portrait of Bobcat free photo [Photograph]. Vecteezy. https://www.vecteezy.com/photo/22931910-portrait-of-bobcat
Svoboda, J. Portrait of Caracal [Photograph]. Vecteezy. https://www.vecteezy.com/photo/2457914-portrait-of-caracal
Torres, C. (2019). Leopard eating a gazelle on the top of a tree during a safari in Kenya, Africa [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/leopard-eating-animal-on-top-of-tree-MyQpn2IijpY
Warby, W. (2024). A white tiger lying on a tree log [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-white-tiger-lying-on-a-tree-log-19730444/
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