cat cats logo
Celebrating Felines
Save Up To 50% Everyday!
 
home   Home
Crazy for Kitties (Cats and Kittens!)
your cats   Your Cats
All our previous Kitty Stars of the Week. Contact us to have your cat be the star!
t-shirts   Cat T-Shirts
T-Shirts and Sweatshirts for you or your favorite cat-ophile.
names   Cat Names
Need a suggestion? Vote for your favorite name!
contact   Contact Us
Drop us an email
stories   Crazy Cat Stories
Because every cat has a story... Whitney
tales   Cat Tails
Share a cute story about your kitty. (Moderated)
articles   Features
Our feature articles...
books   Books and Music
Informative books,books of photos, books for kids. Plus music for your kitty.
facts   Kitty Facts
Do you know your kitties? Check out these cat facts.
quotations   Quotations
Celebrating cats through words.
gallery   Photo Gallery
Some great cat photographs to enjoy.
friends   Cat Friends
Gus, Kitty Baby Gram, plus kittens... and the Crazy for Kitties Mailbox
glossary   Meow!
Glossary of cat-related terms
links   Cat Links
Search our directory -- suggest a site! (Will open in new window.)
ricki   Ricki at 17
A little slideshow in memory of the Rick cat.

Copyright 1999-2018 by crazyforKITTIES (SM) Privacy



 
Meow! No, we're not talking about cat-speak, but rather we're speaking about your kitty. Are there terms related to cats that have you confused? Hopefully this list will help. If not, please contact us with your term and we'll try to define it.

Anurous
A term used to describe a tailless cat.
Breeches
Longer, thicker hair on the back of the upper third of the hind legs.
Breed True
To produce a kitten exactly the same as the parents.
Brush
A bushy or plume-like tail of a longhaired cat.
Cat Fancy
A term that refers to pedigree cats and their breeding, and to cat clubs and societies.
Characteristics
Features defined by a standard of points that are used to judge a cat.
Cobby
Short and sturdy on low legs.
Cross-breed
The combination of two pedigree varieties.
Dense
A thick, full coat.
Dome
A rounded forehead.
Frill
The fur around the head that is brushed up to form a frame for the cat's face.
Genotype
The constitution of an animal as described by its genes rather than its appearance.
Ghost markings
Faint tabby markings seen in some solid colored cats, especially when the cats are kittens.
Haw
A transparent, third eyelid at the inner side of the eye that keeps the eye clean and moist.
Kitten
A cat up to the age of 9 month in Britain or 8 months in the United States.
Longhairs
A term for referring to all cats with long fur.
Mittens
The pure white feet of certain cats.
Muzzle
The projecting jaw and nose of the cat.
Patched
A coat coloration that has patches of different colors, for example: a Calico cat or a Toroiseshell and While cat.
Pedigree
A cat having at least three generations of pure breeding.
Persians
A breed of cats with long fur.
Phenotype
A term relating to the appearance of an animal as opposed to its genetic makeup.
Polydactyl
The situation where a cat has more toes than normal on one or more feet. 5 toes are normal for the front feet; 4 toes are normal for the back feet.
Queen
A female cat used for breeding.
Rumpy
A completely tailless Manx Cat.
Self
A cat's coat which has the same color all over.
Snub
The short noses seen in some of the longhaired varieties.
Spur
The white area seen on the back of the feet in Birmans.
Squint
Cross-eyed, with the eyes placed so that they seem to look permanently at the nose.
Standard
A description of what is required for a particular variety.
Stumpy
A Manx cat having a stump of a tail.
Tufts
Hair growing from the ears or between the toes.
Whip
A long, thin tapering tail. Seen in the Siamese, for example.
Updated on July 20, 2000.
Sources: A Standard Guide to Cat Breeds, Richard H. Gebhardt, ed., McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1979, pp. 32-33.
and
The Reader's Digest Illustrated Book of Cats, The Reader's Digest Assocation (Canada) Ltd., Montreal, 1992, pp. 152-154.