Cat Dictionary Appendix A-E

A

a-a-a-ak (interjection): the bird-watching noise; the sound a cat makes when sitting inside and watching birds through the window
'A-a-a-ak,' said my not-so-fearsome hunter as he sat in the window and watched the birds swoop outside. (Joanne)
acrocatic (adjective): exceptional flexibility
We are amazed at out cat's display of acrocatic movements. (Thomas P. Cypert)
aglyphicat (noun): a cat who is helping a writer avoid writing; a feline literary hamperer
'Madison, you aglyphicat, stop headbutting my pen! The submission deadline is tomorrow!' (Kim Coleman Healy)
arch enemies (noun): two or more cats who dislike each other intensely
The arch enemies pretended to be unaware of each other so that they could both sleep on the bed with me. (Holly Happenstance)

B

baby girl (noun): term of endearment for a female cat
'How's my baby girl today?' (Anonymous)
bagel (noun): see cat croissant (Anonymous)
banana cat (noun): a cat who is at full stretch, wanting some tummy rubbing
The banana cat expected petting immediately. (David Harper)
bar-code cat (noun): a very stripey tabby cat
The bar-code cat stretched out in the sun. (David Harper)
Bast dance (noun): [from Bast, the cat goddess + dance]: the act a cat performs whilst waiting for someone to feed him
The cat doesn't think that he will be fed if he doesn't do a Bast dance before supper. (Caryn Wesner-Early)
bbrrrrrrrrr-oooow! (interjection): an exclaimation used to announce entering or exiting of a room, sofa, cupbord, or bathtub area; often used in the presence of other animals clarify who is in charge; used when a regular miaow just will not do
Toby the cat announced his entering the bedroom with a loud BBRRRRR-OOOOOOOW! Thus, the dog moved off Toby's favorite chair. (Laura)
bed head (verb): the slightly matted fur of a cat who has been sleeping heavily
The cat had bed head when he awoke. (Mikhail McMillan)
belly test (verb): when a cat purr paws your belly to see if you're asleep; if you pass, then the cat knows it's all right to become a lump on top of you
'Why do you belly test me to see if I'm awake?' I asked the cat. 'Just come up here and see if I stroke you!' (Rhys Tuttle)
bird-chirpies (noun): the sound a cat makes when it is singing to the birds, often accompanied by twitching lips
The cat is making bird-chirpies at the starlings outside. (Anne Hemms)
bird patrol (noun): a cat sitting in the window, vigilantly keeping the house save from marauding flocks of birds
The cat is on bird patrol today. (Barb)
bite-the-box (noun): a game in which the cat sits inside a cardboard box and chews the corners of the flaps until he reaches a state of exhaustion
That cat is playing bite-the-box. (Peter Coles)
blanket spelunking (noun): a favourite early morning activity, especially popular during cold winter months
Roll over! The cat wants to go blanket spelunking! (Gary and Alison Cummingham)
boneless kitty (noun): a cat who is so deeply asleep that he appears to have no bones in his body
The boneless kitty was easy to pick up and move. (Mikhail McMillan)
boo boo kitty (interjection): nickname for a cat
Cats often respond to the call, 'Boo boo kitty!' (Carolyn)
boo kitty (noun): see boogedy cat (Kathy Nichols)
booof (noun): the sound a cat makes after quickly gulping an entire dish of milk without stopping; the equivalent of a loud human belch
The cat went 'booof' after consuming the milk. (Mike Irwin)
bottlebrush mode (noun): to display a large puffed tail when frightened, surprised or angry
The cats went into bottlebrush mode when they spotted the feline intruder in the garden. (Pangur Ban)
bottom feeder (noun): a cat who likes to chase a string attached to a stick manipulated by someone 'fishing for cats' on the floor
I was fishing for bottom feeders when the 'cat' fish struck my line. (David Poratta)
breakfast dance (noun): a Bast dance performed at breakfast time (Mary Tayburn)
britches (noun): when the fur on the back legs is long enough to look as if the cat is wearing trousers
'Hey Mom! It looks like that cat is wearing britches!' (Ginger Gillenwater)
broop (interjection): favourite ginger cat exclamation, usually in the form of a question
'Broop?' said the cat inquiringly as he walked into the kitchen. (Pamela Don)
brown panther (noun): a brown cat with the characteristics - sleek, stealthy, athletic - of a panther
The cat with the brown cat pyjamas was known around the neighbourhood as a brown panther. (John Couani)
Buddha cat (noun): an extremely large fat cat that sits hunched over, staring directly at you
After his libration, the Buddha cat hypnotised its owner into giving up the table scraps. (Janet Therese Caban)
bug-in-a-boot (noun): when a cat sticks a paw down a shoe or boot searching for a lost toy
The cat is playing bug-in-a-boot with my favourite pair of shoes. (Claire)
bumba (noun): an affectionate nickname for a cat; also nyu-nyu, shmoo, snugglebunny, snuwpii
'Hallo, bumba!' (JCM)
bunch (verb): to place the head and rump as close to each other as possible whilst arching the back and extending the tail
The cat bunched after I woke him up. (Russell Jones)
Burmesed (adjective): the state of having shared living quarters with one or more Burmese cats for several years
I used to be quite sane until I was Burmesed. (Pete Harman)
burrow (verb): when a cat creeps under the bed covers and snuggles with their human (very therapeutic for the stressed-out human)
My cat knew I was upset last night because just after I went to bed, she came in and burrowed with me. (Claire)
butterkins (noun): a cat who is passionate about butter
Butterkins was wild with joy with a bit of butter fell to the floor. (Shannon Dunreath)
buttface (noun): a cat who always manages to wash his nether regions when company is present
The buttface is at it again. (Peter)

C

caltitude (noun)

see elevator butt (Kay A.)

can-licker (noun)

a cat who licks condensation off of cans of chilled beverages; also bottle-licker, dew-licker, toilet-licker
Everytime I get a can of soda out, the cat insists on being the can-licker. (Miranda Richards)

carpet dive (noun)

when a cat lays on its stomach with front legs pointed straight forward and back legs pointed straight backward
The cat was lounging in his favourite position, the carpet dive. (Dawn)

carrot (noun)

[from cat + parrot]: a cat who is fond of sitting on people's shoulders
My fur stole is actually a carrot. (Michelle Bowers)

cataglories (noun)

(modern) to be filled with the feeling of awe, repeatedly, regarding the achievements of the felines in one's lives. (colloquial) A principal philosophy and system of religion on earth based on the observations of cat-lovers recorded in ancient writings and on subsequent revelations. It advocates preserving and restoring the emotional relationship one has with cats, the earth we share with them and the cosmos.
At our home we all observe the cataglories way of life. (Michael and Mercy Champlin)

cat-a-lump (noun)

the lump of a cat asleep under the bedclothes
I made the bed over the cat-a-lump. (Georgia Llewellyn)

catapult (noun)

the forceful exit of a feline from any type of enclosure or covering (such as a blanket) when the magic sound of a can opener is heard
A catapult occurs at every mealtime. (Andrea Smith)

catattack (noun)

when a cat springs from a hidden location, momentarily clamps onto a passying human's leg, and then skitters away
Anyone who passed the darkened nook while the cat was there on guard duty would be startled by a sudden catattack. (Elaine Ailey)

cat bump (noun)

when a cat rises excitedly to meet your hand just as you are reaching down to give rubbies between the ears
A cat bump occurred shortly after I got home from work. (Mary Tayburn)

catchew (noun)

a kitty sneeze
The cat always looks startled after a catchew. (Kristin)

cat code (noun)

a message found on a computer after a cat has lain on the keyboard
I can't figure out this cat code that I found on the computer. What do you think 'hhhhuuunnnnnnggggggguuuuuuurrrrrreeeee' means? (Harper)

cat croissant (noun)

a sleeping cat who is curled up into a croissant shape
The cat croissant was fast asleep on the bed. (David Harper)

catdom (noun)

any household that belongs to a cat
Every discerning feline dreams of the day they can rule the catdom.. (savannahkittens Yahoo! Group)

caterpillar (noun)

scratching post
The cat heads for the caterpillar as soon as he comes inside. (Dave Kustra, Sheena McCullagh)

cat fishing (verb)

the dangling of string or wire for the amusement of the cat
I went cat fishing. (Paul Bamborough)

catfun (noun)

any happiness or joy a person derives from anything related to felines
The shop was full of items for people who like catfun. (Holly Happenstance)

cat grass (noun)

fresh cat mint
I planted cat grass in the garden this spring. (Donna Stonage)

catling (noun)

a cat who is no longer a kitten, but who is not yet an adult; a young cat; or an adult cat who is behaving like a kitten; can also be an endearment
Our catling caught her first mouse today! (Diane Seiler)

cat loaf (noun)

see modified sphinx (Lynn)

catmiles (noun)

the zooming laps around the house run by the cat after he has finished using the litter tray
The catmiles taken by the cat scattered cat litter all over the house. (Reisa Rogovein)

catness (noun)

[from cat + royal highness]: term of endearment
'Oh, catness,' I called. 'Time for din din.' (C. Christian)

cat pie (noun)

a sleeping cat curled into a perfectly round shape, with no feet sticking out and tail wrapped over the head
There's a cat pie on the bed. (Anne Hemms)

cat pile (noun)

multiple entwined sleeping cats
I had to remove the cat pile from the sofa before I could sit down. (Toni)

cat pyjamas (noun)

a cat's standard attire
Cats are always wearing their cat pyjamas so they are always ready for bed. (John Couani)

catquake (noun)

the effect of a particularly large urk which causes the entire cat to quiver
The cat always looks a bit startled following a catquake. (David Harper)

cat salad (noun)

greens designated for feline consumption
I'd better pick up some wheatgrass - we're out of cat salad. (Zelda)

catsing (noun)

cat language in song
The cat stopped miaowing and proceeded to finish her sentence in catsing instead. (Abbey Strobel)

catstraction (noun)

[from cat + distraction]: the state of being when your cat has derailed your thoughts, actions or plans by virtue of its cuteness or presence on top of something you need; this includes your lap when you need to move
I'd have finished this submission long ago, except for the constant catstractions. (Eric)

cat-tastrify (noun)

the results when a cat sniffs too much cat mint
I was not anticipating a cat-tastrify when I planted cat mint in the back garden. (Alex Kostka)

cat test (noun)

what every potential girl- or boy-friend must pass
My date didn't pass the cat test so I won't be seeing him again. (Tori)

cattitude (noun)

multiple definitions:

the natural characteristic constituting all feline behavioral responses
The cat's independence is definitely displayed by his cattitude of indifference. (Mike Caruso)
state of being a cat
The regal cat sure had cattitude. (Mike Caruso)
the superior air cats have due to the fact that they are indeed superior
His cattitude was clearly the result of being admired by everybody in the room. (Phatchick96)

cat transfer (noun)

when one human temporarily removes a cat from another's lap so that the formerly cat-bound human can get up
'Sweetheart, I need to go to the toilet. Could you please do a cat transfer?' (Pat Gould)

cat trap (noun)

any spot of sunlight large enough for a cat to bask in
When I got home I found the cat lying in a cat trap in the living room. (Paul Duxbury)

catwise (adjective)

describing an opening large enough to let a cat pass through
Make sure before you turn off the lights that the bedroom door is left open catwise. (Mary)

catyak (noun)

multiple definitions:

hairball
The cat emitted a catyak on the living room carpet. (Kathy Nichols, Kimberly)
what the cat throws up on the carpet just as guests arrive
'Honey, would you please clean up the catyak before company gets here?' I asked. (Susan Orr)

chattercat (noun)

a talkative cat
My chattercat talks to me when I am busy and he wants attention. (Angela Selby)

chip-slut (noun)

a cat acting very cute in order to scrounge potato chips
Once the potato chips were gone, the chip-slut disappeared. (Joy Hattie)

chook pose (noun)

see modified sphinx (John Couani)

cling-on (noun)

a foreign object hanging from a cat's hairy pants
The cat emerged from the litter tray with a cling-on in his hairy pants. (Lori)

compile (verb)

when a cat walks around the edge of the litter tray whilst simultaneously pushing all of the litter into a heap in the middle
'That sound? It's just the cat compiling again,' I replied. (Sean and Peggy Gartlan)

concerto playing (verb)

kneading
The cat is playing an early morning concerto on my back. (Janet)

cow cat (noun)

multiple definitions:

the position a cat assumes with its front paws tucked under its body; resembles a cow resting on the ground
The cow cat is resting. (Kristi)
a white and black domestic shorthair with the markings of a Holstein cow, usually given in response to questions regarding the cat's breed
That cat? Why, he's a cow cat. (Shelley with cow breed correction by Lynn)

crab (verb)

to saunter crab-like sideways across the floor
The cat crabbed his way across the kitchen. (Susan Willis)

crab kitty (noun)

a cat playfully dancing sidewise with an arched back
The crab kitty was very excited about his new toy. (Celia Martin)

crazy fit (noun)

when a cat zooms wildly around the house; when a sleeping cat suddenly zooms from one chair to another
The cat had a crazy fit and deposited cat hair all over the house. (Rachel)

cute brigade (noun)

generic name for genus kittenus adorabilus
Oh, oh, here comes the cute brigade. (Pamela Don)

cutie or cutey (noun)

a nickname for a favoured cat
'Come here, cutie,' I called to my cat. (Paul Bamborough)

cutie munchies (noun)

cat biscuits
I always keep Cutie's bowl full of cutie munchies. (Paul Bamborough)

CW (noun)

short for Clear Water, a white cat; pronounced 'see-douba-u'
It is hard to spot the CW out in the snow. (Luis)

cyber-mouser (noun)

a cat who sits on the computer monitor in sphinx mode and chases the cursor around the screen with a paw, usually during a very intense game
That cat was the best cyber-mouser I ever had. (Sean and Peggy Gartlan)

D

dastardly deed (noun): the act of giving a cat a pill
Let's do the dastardly deed before he's eaten. (Karen Sutherland)
dead cat (noun): a cat who has gone completely limp, usually laying on his back; during a dead cat session any appendage can be lifted without restraint and released to flop immediately back; see also uber dead cat
Whenever DK is tired he plays Dead Cat and won't move a muscle. (Karen Westly)
de-lurk (verb): to sift out the stuff that is lurking underneath the litter in the litter tray
I believe it's your turn to de-lurk the litter tray. (Tracy Schmidt)
diddy-walk (verb): to knead the blanket or a lap before layin down to sleep
Before he went to sleep, the cat diddy-walked on his Momcat's leg for a good ten minutes. (Mona)
dig to China (verb): use the entire contents of the litter tray to cover whatever has been deposited in there by the cat, usually in the middle of the night
'Get out of there, you blasted cat!' I said. 'You don't need to dig to China!' (Mike Irwin)
diving (verb): when a sleeping cat stretches his front legs straight out in front of him
The calico was diving on the top of the sofa, basking in the winter sun. (Rita)
Dolittleypuss (noun): a cat who miaows to its human if the human talks to it, as if 'talking to the animals/humans'
When I asked the Dolittleypuss if she would like some wet stuff, she miaowed at me scoldingly. (Hani Mosley)
dooky-doo (noun): term of endearment; synonyms include booky-boo, kitty-poo, picky-poo, pooky-poo and shnuffle-shnoo
'There you are, dooky-doo,' I said to my cat. (Katherine Hunt)
dough-kneader (noun): a cat who kneads everything in sight such as soft, fuzzy blankets and people's socks
I found the dough-kneader at it again on the bed. (Elyse)
drive by (noun): when a cat races past and delivers a playful nip to your foot or ankle without stopping
The cat just did a drive by on my foot! (Melinda)
drool man (noun): a cat who purrs so hard he drools
'I love you but ick! Stop being such a drool man!' (Anonymous)
dumb face (noun): see lion face; also funky look, ickface, stinkpuss, yuck face (Bridgete McAuley)

E

eahwwwwr (interjection): sound of disapproval
'Eahwwwwr,' warned the cat when I got out his portable pet prison. (Michael)
echo (verb): the act of conversation between humans and cats; the cat miaows and the human either miaows back or talks to the cat who then replies
A great deal of echoing occurs at dinner time. (Claire)
editorial assistant (noun): a cat competing for attention with a manuscript; a desktop-model cat
'Has Madison been an editorial assistant today?' 'Yes, dear, she sat in the window and cut off the natural light.' (Matt and Kim Healy)
elasticat (noun): a cat stretch that makes the cat look at least three times his normal size; a half-stretch is referred to as a 'partial elasticat' and a full-stretch is a 'full elasticat'
Wow! That's a pretty impressive elasticat! (Cheryl-Anne Hyek)
elevator butt (noun): posture a cat assumes when scritched on the back near the base of the tail: the hind legs are straightened and the front legs are lowered; also caltitude
Elevator butt is a favourite position of the cat. (O.J.)
elevenses (noun): see night crazies; also flying fluffy, kitty-cat freak-out hour, the rips, the rockets, seeing martians, spastic cat syndrome, spaz attack, ten o'clock terrors, vroom-vroom kitties, the zoomies (Tina Lau)
eraser head (noun): a nickname for a cat with a little pink wedge-shaped nose
'Come here, eraser head,' I called to my cat. (David Poratta)
eraser nose (noun): the brownish-red proboscis of a tabby or other cat; generally the colour of a #2 pencil eraser
Your tabby cat has a cute little eraser nose. (Vicki)
Evinrude (noun): a cat with an exceptionally loud purr box
After a satisfying meal, the cat lays in the corner and becomes a real Evinrude. (Chip Bergeron)
eyegorp (noun): the sleep crust that builds up in the corners of the eyes
After his nap, the cat had eyegorp on his face. (Griffin Howe)