Small Animal Science - Cats
hybrid
a cat produced from breeding cats of different breeds
purebred
a cat whose ancestors are of the same variety or allowable varieties
bicolor
a cat's 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
tomcat
a male cat that has not been neutered
cattery
a place where cats are bred and boarded
queen
an unsprayed female cat of breeding age
feline
belonging to the cat family, which includes the jungle cats, wild and domestic cats
angora
breed of cat with long hair and slim body - lacks the woolly undercoat of the true long haired cats
CFA
cat fancier's association
polydactyl
cats that have an extra number of toes
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 the cat's eye
queening
giving birth to kittens
litter
kittens born from the female cat at the same time during one gestation, also the absorbent materials used in a litter box
points
markings such as a siamese cat has where the ears, face, legs, feet, and tail are a different color than the body color
cat
member of the family felidae
ailurophile
person who loves cats
guard hairs
primary hairs, or the outer and longest hairs in a cat's fur
agouti
sandy color located between the black stripes of a tabby
feral
tame cats that have reverted back to the wild state
fleas
the most common parasite found on a cat's skin live by feeding on blood - an infestation of these could cause a cat to become anemic
condition
the overall health, cleanliness, and well-being of a cat
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 bleeding
calling
the yowling sounds a female cat in heat often makes
tabby
these markings on a cat are striped, spotted, or blotched
pedigree
this document contains the first three to five generations of a cat's predecessors- includes the known names, titles, colors, and registration numbers of the cats
ghost markings
this faint tabby pattern seen in young kittens usually disappears as the kitten becomes older
litter box
this is a shallow box filled with an absorbent material used as an indoor cat's toilet
calico
tortoiseshell and white haired cat, almost always a female
pricked
upright or forward ears
tortoiseshell
usually 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
hair balls
when cats wash themselves with their tongues, they swallow some of the fur, if they swallow more fur than they can digest, they may vomit this compacted mass of fur
kitten
young cat usually under 15 months of age
