Cat Terminology

Fleas

The most common parasite found on a cat's skin live by feeding on blood.

Guard hairs

These are the primary hairs, or the outer and longest hairs in a cats fur.

Tabby

These markings on a cat are striped, spotted or blotched.

Hybrid

A cat produced from breeding cats of different breeds.

Bicolor

A cats fur consisting of white hair mixed with one other color.

Cat Fancy

A collective term used to cover the hobby involving the appreciation, promotion, and/or breeding of cats.

Breed

A group of cats with a related ancestry and similar characteristics.

Tom

A male cat that has not been neutered.

Cat

A member of the family Felidae.

Cattery

A place where cats are bred and/or boarded.

Queen

An unspayed female of breeding age.

Feline

Belonging to the cat family which includes jungle cats, wild and domestic cats.

CFA

Cat fanciers association

Polydactyl

Cats that have an extra number of toes are called this.

Catnip

Derived from the herb Neptra Cataria, often used in cat toys. Most cats like this herb.

Third eyelid

Eyelid that is often seen at the corners of a cat's eyes.

Queening

Giving birth to kittens

Litter

Kittens born from the female cat at the same time during one gestation. Also the absorbent material used in a litter box.

Points

Markins such as a Siamese cat has where the ears, face, legs, feet and tail are a different color than the body color.

Feral

Tame cats that have reverte back to the wild state.

Condition

The overall health, cleanliness, and well-being of a cat.

Agouti

The sandy color located between the black stripes of a tabby.

Undercoat

The thick layer of insulating fur under the topcoat.

Quick

The vein in a cat's claw. When trimming the nails, you must be careful not to cut this vein, which will result in bleending.

Calling

The yowling sound a female cat in heat often makes.

Angora

This breed of cat has long hair and a long, slim body. It lack the woolly undercoat of long haired cats.

Pedigree

This document contains the first three to five generations of a cats predecessors. It includes the names, titles, colors and registration numbers of these cats.

Ghost markings

This faint tabby pattern seen in young kittens usually disappears as the kitten becomes older.

Ailurophile

This is a person who loves cats.

Litterbox

This is a shallow box filled with absorbent material used as an indoor cats toilet.

Calico

This is a tortoiseshell and white haired cat, almost always a female.

Kitten

This is a young cat, usually under 15 months of age.

Pricked

Upright or forward ears

Tortoiseshell

Usualy females, these cats have a black and orange coat color. The coat results from a linkage of dominant and recessive orange genes, both carried by the female chromosomes.

Hairballs

When cats was themselves with their tongues, they swallow some of thier fur. If they swallow more fur thatn they can digest, they may vomit this compacted mass of fur.