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.

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What is territory?

Territory

Territory – area within which a cat lives and hunts

   
What is tabby-tortie?

Tabby-Tortie

Tabby-Tortie – tortoiseshell with tabby markings

   
What is adolescent?

Adolescent

Adolescent – in British showing, a cat between 9 – 15 months old

   
What is placenta?

Placenta

Placenta – organ connecting the unborn kitten to the lining of the mother's womb through which it receives oxygen and nutrients

   
What is neutered?

Neutered

Neutered – castrated or spayed

   
What is lynx?

Lynx

Lynx – US term for tabby point

   
What is home range?

Home Range

Home Range – inner area of a cat's territory

   
What is mutation?

Mutation

Mutation – change in a gene which results in a change in hereditary characteristics between two generations, also known as rogue gene

   
What is tortoiseshell?

Tortoiseshell

Tortoiseshell – patched coat pattern, usually made up of black and orange but also seen in other mixtures of colors

   
What is domestic class?

Domestic Class

Domestic Class – class for household pets at a show

   
What is amino-acids?

Amino-Acids

Amino-Acids – organic compounds which are the component molecules of proteins

   
What is ovulate?

Ovulate

Ovulate – release eggs during oestrus

   
What is natural breed?

Natural Breed

Natural Breed – breed that has evolved on its own without human intervention

   
What is an animal´s pedigree?

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.

   
What is patched tabby?

Patched Tabby

Patched Tabby – US term for tortie-tabby

   
What is recognition?

Recognition

Recognition – acceptance by a cat fancy organization of a breed or color variety

   
What is veteran?

Veteran

Veteran – term in British show circles for a cat over seven years old

   
What is protein?

Protein

Protein – chemical compounds associated with the growth and maintenance of the body

   
What is habitat?

Habitat

Habitat – natural home

   
What is cobby?

Cobby

Cobby – short and compact

   
What is a cat´s stifle?

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

   
What is displacement activity?

Displacement Activity

Displacement Activity – activity carried on to distract the sufferer's attention at a time of stress

   
What is a cat´s ´down´?

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

   
What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol

Cholesterol – chemical occurring naturally in the body which is converted by sunlight to vitamin D

   
What is white spotting?>

White Spotting

White Spotting – random patches of white on a colored coat varying from small spots to large areas

   
What is membrane?

Membrane

Membrane – thin body tissue

   
What is bi-color?

Bi-Color

Bi-Color – patched coat of white and one other color

   
What is lactation?

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

   
What is animal protein?

Animal Protein

Animal Protein – body-building constituents of the diet derived from meat, fish, and animal products such as milk

   
What is vestigial?

Vestigial

Vestigial – non-functioning remnant of an organ

   
What is acinonyx?

Acinonyx

Acinonyx – genus of Felidae which includes only one species, the cheetah

   
What is the muzzle on my cat?

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

   
What is gene?

Gene

Gene – unit of heredity which determines an organism's physical characteristics, growth, and function

   
What is digitigrade?

Digitigrade

Digitigrade – walking on tip-toe

   
What is standard?

Standard

Standard – specification laid down by a cat fancy organization for the ideal specimens of a certain breed

   
What is panthera?

Panthera

Panthera – genus of Felidae which consists of the six large cat species

   
What is oestrus?>

Oestrus

Oestrus – period in which a queen can be successfully mated

   
What is hunting range?

Hunting Range

Hunting Range – outer area of a cat's territory, where it will hunt but not settle

   
What is genotype?

Genotype

Genotype – set of genes inherited from both parents

   
How can a cat be a seal?

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

   
What is solid?

Solid

Solid (color) – US term for a coat of single color

   
What is ring-spotted?

Ring-Spotted

Ring-Spotted – marked with spots grouped in rings

   
What is polygenes?

Polygenes

Polygenes – groups of genes that act together to produce hereditary characteristics

   
What is feral?

Feral

Feral – living wild but descended from domestic cats

   
What is breed?

Breed

Breed – group of cats with common ancestry and similar physical characteristics

   
What is breeches?

Breeches

Breeches – long hair on the upper part of the hind legs

   
What is agouti?

Agouti

Agouti – ground color between a tabby's stripes.
Non-agouti cats can loose this background, so that it becomes the same color as the stripes-resulting in a solid color

   
What is stud tail?

Stud Tail

Stud Tail – greasy condition at the base of the tail caused by over-active sebaceous glands

   
What is standard shell?

Standard Shell

Standard Shell – US term for light tipping, mainly on the head and body

   
What is heredity?

Heredity

Heredity – process by which physical and other characteristics are passed on from one generation to the next

   
What is gene pool?

Gene Pool

Gene Pool – extent of genetic variety in a given group of cats, especially a single breed

   
What is classic tabby?

Classic Tabby

Classic Tabby – cat with clearly defined broad stripes on a lighter agouti ground

   
What is bite?

Bite

Bite – meeting of upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed

   
What do all those letters mean on my cat´s vaccination record?

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

   
What is undercoat?

Undercoat

Undercoat – layer of the coat consisting of down hairs

   
What is polydactyl?

Polydactyl

Polydactyl – having more than five toes

   
What is miacid?

Miacid

Miacid – prehistoric tree dwelling creature

   
What is stocky?

Stocky

Stocky – thick-set

   
What is standard tipped?

Standard Tipped

Standard Tipped – British term for standard shell

   
What is pet quality?

Pet Quality

Pet Quality – another breeder's term for household quality

   
What is chintz cat?

Chintz Cat

Chintz Cat – used in Britain for a tortoiseshell and white cat

   
What is booster?

Booster

Booster – injection of a vaccine to maintain immunization against disease given by a previous dose

   
What is awn hairs?

Awn Hairs

Awn Hairs – secondary hairs in a cat's coat which are bristly with thickened tips

   
How can a cat be tipped?

Ti Terms

TICA: The Indipendant Cat Assocition (USA)

Ticking: the black flecks seen characteristically on the Abyssinian coat

Tipped: having colored ends to the hairs, the degree of tipping deciding whether the cat is classed as a chinchilla, shaded, or smoke, etc.

   
What are ghost markings?

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

   
What is the difference between a feral and a wild cat?

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

   
What is haw?

Haw

Haw – third eyelid

   
What is tipped?

Tipped

Tipped – all over coloring of the ends of the coat hairs

   
What is nose pad?

Nose Pad

Nose Pad – hardened skin surrounding the nostrils

   
What is mucous membrane?

Mucous Membrane

Mucous Membrane – membrane coated with fluid that lines passages in the body that are open to the air

   
What is melanin?

Melanin

Melanin – pigment which colors the hair and skin

   
What is down hair?

Down Hair

Down Hair – short, soft hair forming the undercoat

   
What is bacteria?

Bacteria

Bacteria – micro-organisms some of which produce disease

   
What is a tom cat?

To Terms

Tom: an entire (uncastrated) male cat

Tortie: tortoiseshell

Tortoiseshell: generaly black and orange, but can also include blue-cream (dilute tortoiseshell), lilac-cream, etc.

Toxin: a poison, particularly one produced by micro-organi

   
What is a cattery?

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.

   
What is euthanasia?

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

   
What is wild type?

Wild Type

Wild Type – basic form of a species in the cat, the wild type is the short haired brown, striped tabby

   
What is sabre-toothed cat?

Sabre-Toothed Cat

Sabre-Toothed Cat – prehistoric carnivore distinguished by its long curved, upper canine teeth

   
What is non-pedigree?

Non-Pedigree

Non-Pedigree – one or both parents unknown or unregistered

   
What is muscular?

Muscular

Muscular – term applied to breeds such as the Rex breeds whose body form falls between cobby and little in type

   
What is inbreeding?

Inbreeding

Inbreeding – mating of parents to offspring or of siblings

   
What is entire?

Entire

Entire – not neutered

   
What is chromosomes?

Chromosomes

Chromosomes – thread like structures within living cells which carry molecules of DNA and control heredity

   
What is ticked tabby?

Ticked-Tabby

Ticked Tabby – coat with tabby markings on the face, legs, and tail, and a ticked effect on the body

   
What is spottie?

Spottie

Spottie – popular term for the spotted tabby

   
What is shock?

Shock

Shock – collapse caused by a failure of circulation or severe lowering of the blood pressure

   
What is himmy?

Himmy

Himmy – Himalayan

   
What is a tumor?

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

   
What is split foot?

Split Foot

Split Foot – division of the front paws as a result of a bone deformation

   
What is odd-eyed?

Odd-Eyed

Odd-Eyed – both eyes are different colors

   
What is moggie?

Moggie

Moggie – affectionate British term for a non-pedigree cat

   
What is household quality?

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

   
What is marbled?

Marbled

Marbled – coat pattern with irregular dark blotches and stripes on a lighter ground

   
What is vetting in?

Vetting In

Vetting-In – inspection of cats on arrival at a show by a veterinarian

   
What is pedigree certificate?

Pedigree Certificate

Pedigree Certificate – document issued by a cat registration organization stating the ancestry of the cat and accepting it as a pedigree cat

   
What is an Albino cat?

Albino

Albino: having little to no colored pigment in the coat, skin and eyes.

   
What is ticked?

Ticked

Ticked – coloring at the tips of the coat hairs which gives a flecked effect

   
What is mask?

Mask

Mask – dark colored parts of the face

   
What is dilute gene?

Dilute Gene

Dilute Gene – gene which results in a paler colored coat

   
What is spontaneous mutation?

Spontaneous Mutation

Spontaneous Mutation – alteration for unknown reasons in genetic make-up between one generation and the next

   
What is spotted tabby?

Spotted Tabby

Spotted Tabby – tabby in which the stripes are broken into discreet spots

   
What is registration?

Registration

Registration – recording the details of a pedigree kitten's birth and ancestry with an official registration body

   
What is predatory?

Predatory

Predatory – habitually hunting and killing other animals for food

   
What is pack animal?

Pack Animal

Pack Animal – animal that lives in a social group which has a leader

   
What is humerus?

Humerus

Humerus – upper bones of the front legs

   
What is femur?

Femur

Femur – upper bone of the hind leg

   
What is felidae?

Felidae

Felidae – order of mammals consisting of the genera Panthera, Acinonyx, Neofelix, and Felis

   
What is fault?

Fault

Fault – departure from the breed standard resulting in the loss of points at a show

   
What is DNA?

DNA

DNA – deoxyribonucleic acid, which is contained in chromosomes and is responsible for the transmission of hereditary characteristics from one generation to the next

   
What is colorpointing?

Colorpointing

Colorpointing – having a deeper shade of the body color on the ears, nose, feet, and tail

   
What is cerebellum?

Cerebellum

Cerebellum – area of the brain which controls movement and balance

   
What is the father cat called?

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

   
What is pinna?

Pinna

Pinna – ear flap

   
What is a cat´s inner eyelid called?

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

   
What is ringworm?

Ringworm

Ringworm – fungal infection resulting in circular patches of inflamed and flaking skin

   
What is typey?

Typey

Typey – US term to describe a cat which conforms exactly with the body type defined in the breed standard

   
What is mackeral tabby?

Mackerel Tabby

Mackerel Tabby – coat pattern with narrow stripes extending down the spine and flanks

   
What is litter?

Litter

Litter – the kitten born to a queen at one episode of labor; material used to line a tray into which cats can defecate and urinate indoors

   
What are a cat´s points?

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

   
Why does my cat open its mouth and breathe funny?

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.

   
What is umbilical cord?

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

   
What is senior?

Senior

Senior – term used in British show circles for cats over two years old

   
What is semi-longhair?

Semi-Longhair

Semi-Longhair – British term for breeds of cats which have hair longer than shorthairs but shorter than longhairs

   
What is self?

Self

Self (color) – British term for a coat of a single color

   
What is quarantine kennels?

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

   
What is out-crosses?

Out-Crosses

Out-Crosses – deliberate crosses with another breed

   
What are carnassial teeth?

Carnassial Teeth

Carnassial Teeth – teeth at the extreme sides of the jaw

   
What is viral epidemic?

Viral Epidemic

Viral Epidemic – widespread infectious disease spread by an organism which reproduces within the body

   
What makes a cat´s eyes shine in the dark?

Ta Terms

Tabby: striped, blotched, or spotted

Tabby Tortoiseshell: a tortoiseshell with tabby rather than self (solid) black patching; also called patched tabby or torbie

Tapetum lucidum: the mirror-like layer at the back of a cat's eye that produces the characteristic shine.

   
What is ringed?

Ringed

Ringed (tail) – marked with circular rings extending round the tail

   
What is nurture?

Nurture

Nurture – training of young by their parents

   
What is necklaces?

Necklaces

Necklaces – stripes encircling the chest and upper neck

   
What is laces?

Laces

Laces – markings extending from the paws up the back legs, almost to the hocks

   
What is valerian?

Valerian

Valerian – also known as allheal, a plant whose scent is attractive to cats

   
What is tortie?

Tortie

Tortie – tortoiseshell

   
What is parasite?

Parasite

Parasite – creature that lives on or inside another and feeds off the host's tissues

   
What is zoonoses?

Zoonoses

Zoonoses – infections and diseases that can be transmitted to humans from other animals

   
What is mitted?

Mitted

Mitted – white markings on the front and hind paws

   
What is jacobson´s organ?

Jacobson's Organ

Jacobson's Organ – also known as vomero nasal organ; found at the back of the mouth and sensitive to airborne chemicals

   
What is plume-like?

Plume-Like

Plume-Like – feathery

   
What is homozygous?

Homozygous

Homozygous – identical alleles from each parent for a particular characteristic

   
What is boarding cattery?

Boarding Cattery

Boarding Cattery – establishment where cats are cared for in the absence of their owners

   
What is blaze?

Blaze

Blaze – marking in the center of the forehead

   
What is lordosis?

Lordosis

Lordosis – crouched position in which a queen presents herself to indicate that she is ready for intercourse

   
What is jugular vein?

Jugular Vein

Jugular Vein – vein in the neck that returns blood to the heart from the head

   
What is foreign?

Foreign

Foreign – fine-boned and elegant, also known as Oriental

   
What is crossbreeding?

Crossbreeding

Crossbreeding – mating of cats of two different breeds

   
What is classic?

Classic

Classic – conforming entirely with the body type defined in breed standards

   
What is a carnivore?

Carnivore

Carnivore – meat-eating animal

   
What are antibodies?

Antibodies

Antibodies – substances produced in the blood which neutralize or destroy bacterial infections

   
What does spraying mean?

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

   
What is a Piebald cat?

Pi Terms

Piebald: specifically black and white, but also applied to white spotting with other colors

Pigment: coloring matter

Pinking up: primarily a British term for the characteristic coloring of the queen's nipples about three weeks after a successful mating

Pinna: the ear flap

   
What is colostrum?

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

   
What do the letters CFA stand for?

Associations starting with C

CCA: Canadian Cat Association

CFA: Cat Fancier's Association

CFF: Cat Fancier's Federation (USA)

   
What is smoke?

Smoke

Smoke – coat coloring in which the roots of the hair are pale and the remainder colored

   
What is pricked?

Pricked

Pricked – upstanding

   
What is points?

Points

Points – head, ears, feet and tail

   
What is declawing?

Declawing

Declawing – surgical removal of a cat's claws

   
What is congenital?

Congenital

Congenital – inherited or resulting from abnormal development in the womb

   
What does spaying mean?

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

   
What is torbie?

Torbie

Torbie – tabby tortoiseshell, known in North America as patched tabby

   
What is coccyx?

Coccyx

Coccyx – last vertebra of the spine

   
What is cat flu?

Cat Flu

Cat Flu – also known as upper respiratory virus infections

   
What is barred markings?

Barred Markings

Barred Markings – dark stripes

   
What is weaned?

Weaned

Weaned – having had the diet changed from mother's milk to solid food

   
What is nocturnal?

Nocturnal

Nocturnal – active by night

   
What is marsupial?

Marsupial

Marsupial – mammal that is born immature and continues its development in the pouch of the mother

   
What is flanks?

Flanks

Flanks – sides of the body

   
What is guard hairs?

Guard Hairs

Guard Hairs – long, bristly hairs making up the outercoat

   
What is felis?

Felis

Felis – genus known as small cats

   
What is dominant gene?

Dominant Gene

Dominant Gene – gene which passes on a physical characteristic even if it is in the genotype of only one parent

   
What is the technical word for one who loves/hates cats?

Ailurophile and Ailurophobe

Ailurophile: one who loves cats
Ailurophobe: one who hates cats

   
What is small intestine?

Small Intestines

Small Intestine – part of the digestive system where the breakdown of food into nutrients and waste matter takes place

   
What is plantigrade?

Plantigrade

Plantigrade – walking on the soles of the feet

   
What does altering mean?

Alter

Alter: American term for sterilization of animals.

   
What is register?

Register

Register (sound) – tone

   
What is nutrient?

Nutrient

Nutrient – substance that contributes to the growth, development and maintenance of a living creature

   
What is junior?

Junior

Junior – British show term for cats over 15 months but under two years old

   
What is frills?

Frills

Frills – long hair growing from the chest between the front legs

   
What is cell?

Cell

Cell – basic structural unit of all living things

   
What is ruff?

Ruff

Ruff – long hair round the neck

   
What is provisional recognition?

Provisional Recognition

Provisional Recognition – stage in the recognition of a breed where specimens may compete in shows, but not in championship classes

   
What is championship status?

Championship Status

Championship Status – second highest level of awards at a show

   
What is canine teeth?

Canine Teeth

Canine Teeth – sharp, pointed teeth at the front of the mouth, two in the upper jaw and two in the lower

   
What is alleles?

Alleles

Alleles – pairs of genes that produce alternative physical characteristics

   
What is scapula?

Scapula

Scapula – shoulder blade

   
What is gloves?

Gloves

Gloves – markings on paws

   
What is hybrid breed?

Hybrid Breed

Hybrid Breed – breed originally produced by crossing two other breeds

   
What are a cat´s vibrissae?

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.

   
What is a queen cat?

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

   
What is back crossing?

Back-Crossing

Back-Crossing – mating a cat to one of its parents

   
What is the extra piece of skin in my cat´s eye?

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

   
What is vestibular apparatus?

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

   
What is cat fancy?

Cat Fancy

Cat Fancy – organization of pedigree cat breeders, exhibitors, and owners

   
What is snub nose?

Snub Nose

Snub Nose – nose which is fore-shortened and turned up

   
What is conformation?

Conformation

Conformation – body type, size, and shape

   
What is ovulation?

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

   
What is sebaceous glands?

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

   
What is reflex action?

Reflex Action

Reflex Action – automatic response to a stimulus

   
What is preliminary recognition?

Preliminary Recognition

Preliminary Recognition – stage in the recognition of a breed where specimens may be exhibited but are not eligible for competition

   
What is follicle?

Follicle

Follicle – the point on the skin from which a hair grows

   
What is break?

Break

Break – change in direction of the nose, also called the stop

   
What is bile?

Bile

Bile – fluid in the digestive system which aids the digestion of fats

   
What is dinicitis?

Dinicitis

Dinicitis – group of prehistoric carnivores from which the Felidae evolved

   
What is a parasite?

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

   
What is receptor?

Receptor

Receptor – nerve ending that receives information through the sense organs and transmits it to the brain

   
What is molt?

Molt

Molt – shed hair

   
What is heterozygous?

Heterozygous

Heterozygous – two different alleles for a particular characteristic, one from each parent

   
What is frost?

Frost

Frost – US term for pinkish dove grey, also known as lilac or lavender

   
What is variety?

Variety

Variety – division within a breed, usually related to color

   
What is olfactory?

Olfactory

Olfactory – related to the sense of smell

   
What is ligament?

Ligament

Ligament – fibrous tissue forming part of the joints in the body

   
What is muzzle?

Muzzle

Muzzle – nose and jaws

   
What is body language?

Body Language

Body Language – movements of parts of the body which convey meaning

   
What is rosette?

Rosette

Rosette – spots arranged in a circular pattern enclosing a patch of the basic coat color

   
What is alley cat?

Alley Cat

Alley Cat – non-pedigree cat

   
What is hairball?

Hairball

Hairball – mass of compressed hair which has been ingested

   
What is shaded?

Shaded

Shaded – coat which shows a gradual variation in color from one part of the body to another

   
What is declawing?

Declawing

Declawing – surgical removal of a cat's claws

   
What is vertebral column?

Vertebral Column

Vertebral Column – spinal column

   
What is tapetum lucidum?

Tapetum Lucidum

Tapetum Lucidum – reflecting layer at the back of the cat's eye whose function is to increase the intensity of vision

   
What is metabolism?

Metabolism

Metabolism – chemical processes in an organism which control growth and functions

   
What is animal shelter?

Animal Shelter

Animal Shelter – an organization which looks after strays and other homeless pets and finds new homes for them

   
What is calico?

Calico

Calico – tortoiseshell and white

   
What is catnip-?

Catnip

Catnip – a herb whose scent is attractive to cats

   
What is subspecies?

Subspecies

Subspecies – division within a species with slightly different characteristics usually caused by the isolation of its members

   
Are there really blue cats?

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

   
What is incisors?

Incisors

Incisors – teeth between the canines, six in each jaw

   
What is recessive gene?

Recessive Gene

Recessive Gene – gene that will pass on a characteristic only if another identical gene appears in the allele

   
What is flehman behavior?

Flehmen Behavior

Flehmen Behavior – grimacing expression, where the cat tests airborne chemicals using the Jacobson's organ

   
What is hocks?

Hocks

Hocks – joint on a cat's hind legs corresponding to the ankle in humans

   
What is sprayed?

Spayed

Spayed – neutered of a female

   
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