Cat Glossary Tips
Read these 232 Cat Glossary Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Cat tips and hundreds of other topics.
Tortoiseshell
Tortoiseshell – patched coat pattern, usually made up of black and orange but also seen in other mixtures of colors
Pe-Ph Terms
Pedigree: the line of descent of a pure-bred animal or the document recording this lineage
Pewter: British name for shaded silver
Pheromone: a chemical substance released by an animal that influences the behavior of another individual of the same species. Pheromones are involved in territorial spraying and sexual attraction.
Recognition
Recognition – acceptance by a cat fancy organization of a breed or color variety
Sti- Stu Terms
Stifle: proper name for the knee of a cat's hind leg
Stimulus: an occurrence in the enviroment that evokes a response in an animal
Stop: an abrupt change in the slope of the nose profile-an extreme form of break (Persian breeds)
Stud: a tom kept specifically for breeding
Displacement Activity
Displacement Activity – activity carried on to distract the sufferer's attention at a time of stress
Da-Dz Terms
Dam: mother cat
Dermatitis: general terms for various inflammatory skin diseases, also commonly called eczema
Down (wool) hairs: short, soft crimped secondary hairs
Cholesterol
Cholesterol – chemical occurring naturally in the body which is converted by sunlight to vitamin D
White Spotting
White Spotting – random patches of white on a colored coat varying from small spots to large areas
La-Lz Terms
Lacatation: production of milk in the queen
Lavender: American term for lilac
Leukemia: cancer of the blood cells
Lilac: pale pinkish-gray, known in North America as lavender
Liquid parafin: a mild laxative known in North America as mineral oil
Litter: a family of kittens, or absorbent toilet material
Lynx point: Amercan name for Tabby point
Animal Protein
Animal Protein – body-building constituents of the diet derived from meat, fish, and animal products such as milk
Ma-Mz Terms
Mask: The darker-colored areas of the face as seen in Siamese and Himalayan
Mongrel; moggy: a cat of mixed or unknown parentage
Molt: periodic shedding
Muzzle: the nose and jaws
Hunting Range
Hunting Range – outer area of a cat's territory, where it will hunt but not settle
Sa-Se Terms
Sable: American name for brown, the darkest coat color in Burmese
Seal: the dark brown color found at the point of the darkest variety of Siamese
Secondary hairs: fine hairs, including awn and down hairs that form the cat's undercoat
Self (solid): having a coat of a uniform color
Classic Tabby
Classic Tabby – cat with clearly defined broad stripes on a lighter agouti ground
Diseases beginning with F
FCV: Feline Calcivirus- one of the viruses that cause upper respiratory disease
FVR: Feline viral rhinotracheitis, the more serious of the two viral causes of feline respiratory diseases
FeLV: Feline Leukemia Virus
FIA: Feline Infectious anemia
FIE: Feline Infectious enterities, also known as panleukopaenia
FPL: Feline panleukopaenia
FUS: Feline urological syndrome
Ga-Gz Terms
GCCF: Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, the body controlling cat shows in Britain
Ghost markings: Faint tabby markings seen in some self (solid) colored cats; especially when young.
Gland: an organ that produces a chemical secretion, such as a hormone or an enzyme
Guard Hairs: long bristly hairs forming the outer coat
Fa-Fz Terms
Feral- domesticated animls that have reverted to or was born in the wild. Feral cats are the same species as domestic cats, unlike true wild cats.
FIFe: Federation Internationale Feline, the main cat fance organization on the European continent Formerly the Federation Internationale Feline d'Europe (FIFE)
Flehmen Reaction: facial gesture seen when a cat's Jacobson's organ is stimulated.
Frost point: American term for lilac (lavendar) point
Mucous Membrane
Mucous Membrane – membrane coated with fluid that lines passages in the body that are open to the air
Ca-Ci Terms
Calico: American term for tortoiseshell and white coloring; a three colored animal with black, orange and white. Any other combination is considered a tri-color.
Calling: a female cat's behavior during oestrus (ovulation)
Cameo-Chinchilla: shadded or smoked with red or cream tipping to the hairs
Castration: sterilizing a male animal
Cat flu: common term for feline upper respiratory virus
Catnip/catmint: a perennial plant (Nepta cataria) whose smell attacts cats
Cattery: any place where cats are kept. In America the term refers to breeding establishments; in Britain it's used for boarding establishments.
Ea-Ez Terms
Elizabethan Collar: a cone shaped hood worn around the neck to prevent animals from irritating an injury
Entire (cat): not neutered or altered
Euthanasia: Painless killing, commonly called destruction, putting down, or putting to sleep
Sabre-Toothed Cat
Sabre-Toothed Cat – prehistoric carnivore distinguished by its long curved, upper canine teeth
Chromosomes
Chromosomes – thread like structures within living cells which carry molecules of DNA and control heredity
Ticked-Tabby
Ticked Tabby – coat with tabby markings on the face, legs, and tail, and a ticked effect on the body
Tr-Tu Terms
Trait: a discrete inherited feature such as color, coat length, etc.
Tumor: any growth (not necessarily cancerous) caused by abnormal cell multiplication
Household Quality
Household Quality – term used by breeders for pedigree kittens which are not of sufficient quality to be shown or used as breeding stock
Pedigree Certificate
Pedigree Certificate – document issued by a cat registration organization stating the ancestry of the cat and accepting it as a pedigree cat
Spontaneous Mutation
Spontaneous Mutation – alteration for unknown reasons in genetic make-up between one generation and the next
Registration
Registration – recording the details of a pedigree kitten's birth and ancestry with an official registration body
Colorpointing
Colorpointing – having a deeper shade of the body color on the ears, nose, feet, and tail
Sh-Si Terms
Shaded: coloring in which the tips of the hairs are colored, the rest being white or pale, the tipping being intermediate between the chinchilla and the smoke
Shading: gradual variation in coat color, usually from back to belly
Show standard: a description of the ideal cat of a particular breed, against which actual cats are judged. Also called standard of points.
Silver: term applied to shaded silver and silver tabby, both tipped colorings
Sire: father of a litter
Na-Nz Terms
Neuter (alter): A castrated male, outside the USA can include a spayed female
Nictitating membrane- the correct name for the thin opaque membrane that covers the front fo the eyebal under the eyelid.
Nocturnal: Active at night
NZCF: New Zealand Cat Fancy
Mackerel Tabby
Mackerel Tabby – coat pattern with narrow stripes extending down the spine and flanks
Pl-Pz Terms
Platinum: the American name for lilac (lavender) in Burmese
Points: the extremities of a cat's body-the head, ears, tail, and feet-which are colored in Siamese and other breeds
Premier, grand premier: the equivalent of a champion and grand champion for a neutered animal
Pricked: describes ears held apart
Primary hairs: the same as guard hairs-the outer coat of a cat
Ia-Jz Terms
ICF Independent Cat Federation (USA)
Inbredding: the maiting of closely related cats such as parents or siblings
Infertile: unable to breed
Jacobson's organ- vomeronasal organ-a sensory organ in the roof of a cat's mouth that responds to chemical stimuli. Using the organ is known a phleming.
Umbilical Cord
Umbilical Cord – tube connecting a kitten to its mother before and during birth which supplies oxygen and nutrients and carries away waste products
Semi-Longhair
Semi-Longhair – British term for breeds of cats which have hair longer than shorthairs but shorter than longhairs
Quarantine Kennels
Quarantine Kennels – boarding catteries in certain countries where cats are kept in isolation for a period to ensure that they are free from rabies and other infections
Viral Epidemic
Viral Epidemic – widespread infectious disease spread by an organism which reproduces within the body
Jacobson's Organ
Jacobson's Organ – also known as vomero nasal organ; found at the back of the mouth and sensitive to airborne chemicals
Boarding Cattery
Boarding Cattery – establishment where cats are cared for in the absence of their owners
Antibodies
Antibodies – substances produced in the blood which neutralize or destroy bacterial infections
Spe-Spr Terms
Species: The basic unit of a biological classification, consisting of similar indiviuals that are distinctively different from all other species and can breed together to produce fertile offspring like themselves. All domestic cats (off all breeds) belong to one species.
Sperm: the male reproductive cell
Spotting: the occurrence of white patches in the coat
Spraying: the instinct of urinating (mainly by toms) to mark out territory
Ch-Cz Terms
Champaign: American name for the chocolate color in Burmese and the lilac color in Tonkinese
Chinchilla: Coloring in which only the outermost tips of the hairs are colored black or another color; the rest of the hair being white or pale.
Chocolate: Medium to pale brown; in Siamese distinctly paler than seal.
Cobby: having a short compact body shap, with broad shoulders and rump, a short tail, and large rounded head.
Colostrum: the first ‘milk' produced by the dam
Associations starting with C
CCA: Canadian Cat Association
CFA: Cat Fancier's Association
CFF: Cat Fancier's Federation (USA)
Sm-Spa Terms
Smoke: coloring in which most of the hairs are colored, the roots being white or pale
Solid: American term for self- all one color
Spaying: the sterilization of a female animal
Dominant Gene
Dominant Gene – gene which passes on a physical characteristic even if it is in the genotype of only one parent
Small Intestines
Small Intestine – part of the digestive system where the breakdown of food into nutrients and waste matter takes place
Provisional Recognition
Provisional Recognition – stage in the recognition of a breed where specimens may compete in shows, but not in championship classes
Canine Teeth
Canine Teeth – sharp, pointed teeth at the front of the mouth, two in the upper jaw and two in the lower
U-Z Terms
UCF: United Cat Federation (USA)
Van pattern: Bicolor in which most of the body is white, the color being restricted to the extremities
Variety: strictly, a subdivision of a breed, such as a particular color form. The term is, however, sometimes used interchangably with breed.
Vibrissae: whiskers
Vomeronasal organ: also known as the Jacobson's organ.
Wild type: the basic unmutated form of a creature that is found in the wild: in the cat, this is the short-haired brown stripped tabby.
Q-Rz Terms
Queen: an un-neutered femal cat, particularly one kept for breeding
Rangy: describes a cat with long slender legs
Recognition: the official acceptance of a breed, color, etc. for show under the rules of a cat fancy organization. There may be different degrees of recognition.
Registration: recording the particulars of a cat's birth and ancestry with an official organization
Roman: describes a nose with a high, prominent bridge, characteristically in Siamese
Ha-Hz Terms
Haw: third eyelid or nicitrating membrane
Heat: common name for oestrus/ovulation
Hock: proper name for the ankle of a cat's hind leg.
Honey mink: the name given to the intermediate brown color of Tonkinese, corresponding to chocolate
Hormone: a chemical messinger secreted into the bloodstream by a gland in order to affect another part of the body
Host: the animal upon which a parasite lives
Vestibular Apparatus
Vestibular Apparatus – an organ in the cat's inner ear which enables it to maneuver so that if the cat falls it will land on its feet
Oa-Oz Terms
Odd-eyed: Having eyes of different colors, usually one blue and one orange or copper
Oestrus (estrus) regularly occuring periods of sexual receptivity seen in female cats-during ovulation-commonly known as in heat
Olfactory: relating to the sense of smell
Olfactory mucosa: the area of the nose responsible for the detection of smells
Omnivore: an animal that eats meat and plant foods
Oriental: a term often used interchangeably with ‘foreign,' particularly of extreme type. Specifically relating to the Oriental Shorthair.
Ovulation: release of eggs in female mammals
Sebaceous Glands
Sebaceous Glands – organs in the skin secreting an oily substance known as sebum, which lubricates the hair and gives protection against bacterial infection
Preliminary Recognition
Preliminary Recognition – stage in the recognition of a breed where specimens may be exhibited but are not eligible for competition
Pa Terms
Panleukopaenia: another term for FIE-feline infectious enteritis. (preferred in North America)
Papilla: small finger-like tissue projection as found on the tongue and lining the gut.
Parasite: any animal or plant that lives inside or on the skin of another animal (host), from which it obtains food and nourishment and generally does harm to the host.
Parti-color: term encompassing bicolors, tortoiseshells, and tortie & whites
Heterozygous
Heterozygous – two different alleles for a particular characteristic, one from each parent
Tapetum Lucidum
Tapetum Lucidum – reflecting layer at the back of the cat's eye whose function is to increase the intensity of vision
Metabolism
Metabolism – chemical processes in an organism which control growth and functions
Animal Shelter
Animal Shelter – an organization which looks after strays and other homeless pets and finds new homes for them
Subspecies
Subspecies – division within a species with slightly different characteristics usually caused by the isolation of its members
Ba-Bz Terms
Bi-color: having a patched coat of white and a second color
Blaze: a contrasting marking down the the center of the forehead
Blue: color ranging from blue-grey to slate-grey.
Break: a distinct change in the direction of the nose profile (used mainly in the Persian breeds)
Bloodline: a ‘family' of cats related by ancestry or pedigree
Breed: a group of cats with similar, defined phyiscal characteristics and related ancestry
Recessive Gene
Recessive Gene – gene that will pass on a characteristic only if another identical gene appears in the allele
Flehmen Behavior
Flehmen Behavior – grimacing expression, where the cat tests airborne chemicals using the Jacobson's organ
