Glossary of Cat Vocabulary

Me and my family have come up with a lot of inside jokes and personalized lingo over the years that relate to our beloved pet cats. This is a glossary of things we say.

A

And everywhere that Mary went (phrase)

• Derived from the nursery rhyme "Mary Had A Little Lamb". Dolly follows my mom around all the time, much like the lamb in the story.

B

Bubba (proper noun)

• A nickname my dad would use to describe Jimmy, now I call him this all the time.

C

Cheetah fat (phrase)

• A playful nickname for the flap of skin along the stomach area of cheetahs (and Egyptian Maus) that allow for a better range of motion in their back legs.

D

Deputy Dolly (proper noun)

• See Sheriff Jim. Dolly does not push doors open like Jimmy does, but my dad wanted to include her in the lore.

Dog paws (phrase)

• Jimmy seems to have larger paws compared to the average cat that almost resemble the paws of a dog.

Dolly (cat)

• My cat, Dolly. We aren't really sure what breed she is. We also don't have a clue when she was born, but she is most likely at least one year older than Jimmy. She can be needy, but also easily irritable. Dolly adores my mom.

E

Egyptian Mau (proper noun)

• A shorthair breed of cat notable for its silvery, spotted coat and muscular body type.

El Pescado (proper noun)

• A fictional place that Sheriff Jim and Deputy Dolly protect. Name derives from the Spanish word for "fish".

F

G

Good dog (phrase)

• A tongue-in-cheek phrase I often say to Jimmy, who is needy and loving like a dog.

H

I

Is that yours? (phrase)

• All cats have scent glands surrounding their mouth, and they utilize these scent glands to mark what's theirs by rubbing their faces against things. When I see this in action, I will likely ask "Is that yours?" in a baby voice.

J

Jimmy (cat)

• My Egyptian Mau, Jimmy. He was delivered on February 14th, 2013. He is quite clingy and I'm his favorite person. My dad is probably his second favorite.

K

L

M

N

O

Octocat (proper noun)

• When the local veteranarians delivered Dolly's litter of eight kittens, she was advertised as "Octocat" on posters in reference to Natalie Denise Suleman, also known as "Octomom".

P

Q

R

S

Sheriff Jim (proper noun)

• Jimmy understands that he can utilize his front leg to push open a door that's ajar. Seeing him in action is evocative of a sheriff busting into a saloon like in a spaghetti western film, which is why we sometimes call Jimmy "Sheriff Jim" or just "Sheriff".

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z