Cat Dictionary, Anybody?

[Caspers Human]

I would have thought that The CatSite would have a cat dictionary of terms that cat owners use when talking about their cats and cat behaviors but, I searched and didn't find one.  I even Googled and didn't find very many websites that have cat lexicon.

Here are a few words from my cat dictionary:

• Zips (noun) - A sudden burst of frenzied activity that causes a cat to run in circles, all around the house.

(Also known as "Zooms"  "Rips"  "Zoomies"  "Crazies", etc.)

"I didn't get a wink of sleep, last night, because Kitty got a case of the zips at 3:00 a.m."

• Murr (noun) - The sound a cat makes that is half way between a "meor" and a "purr."

"Kitty murrs at me whenever she sees me get her cat treats down from the shelf."

• Cat Lock (noun/verb) - When your cat is lying on you or sitting on your lap and you can't stand up from the sofa or get out of bed in the morning without disturbing the cat.

"I couldn't answer the phone because I was cat locked on the sofa."

"I was almost late for work this morning because Kitty cat locked me in bed."

• Making Biscuits (verb) - The kneading motion a cat makes with her front paws when she's happy or cozy.

"Kitty wakes me up every morning when she makes biscuits on my tummy."

So...  I'm wondering...  What words are in your cat dictionary?

 

 

[hatchytt]

Would warble or trill be synonymous with murr?

 

[Caspers Human]

I figured the Cat Dictionary is a cooperative effort.  Everybody adds a word, refines a definition or adds an example quotation as they are inspired. 

If "warble" or "trill" is that sound a cat makes that's not quite a "meow" and not quite a "purr" then I guess it counts.  In the end, I would say that consensus rules. 

Just for discussion, mind you...  If you said that your cat "warbled" I might think that she made that sound that cats often make when they are looking out the window and see a bird at the bird feeder. 

 

[Caspers Human]

• Building Sandcastles   (verb) - When a cat takes a long time to cover his "business" in the litter box and makes loud or excessive scratching sounds when he does so.  Usually occurs because the litter box hasn't been kept clean enough and the cat can't find enough loose litter to cover his business.  Can also occur when there isn't enough cat litter in the box to do the job.  However, some cats just seem to like scratching in the litter box.

"I know it's time to change Kitty's litter box when I hear her building sandcastles."

"Kitty kept me up all night, scratching in his litter box.  What's he doing in there?  Building sandcastles?"

 

[hatchytt]

Would "building sandcastles" be synonymous with "digging for China"?

 

[Caspers Human]

LOL! 

 

[hatchytt]

Yeah. Hades seems to think that China can be reached through the litter box. He's also the only one that trills (murrs), makes biscuits or performs the cat lock. Hecate is a mute, (but does whisper/hiss/mew alot), so trills are out of the question. And she's not as snuggly/clingy as Hades.

 

[Caspers Human]

Casper digs for China when his litter box starts to get full.

We don't clean it every single day.  In my experience, if you keep the litter box too clean the cat will get used to it then, if you forget or if you want to take a day trip and can't clean the box every time, the cat will get upset and start going outside the box.  I had that happen with KC.  He got so particular about his litter box that, if you didn't clean it every time he used it, he would get cranky and start going on the floor, right beside the box.

Now, we just let Casper tell us when it's time to clean his box.  When we hear him start to build a sandcastle, we know it's time.  Usually every other day, more or less.

Casper is a quiet cat.  Rarely makes any noise louder than a murr / trill.  Even then, usually only when he sees you getting his treats or filling his food dish.

I know he can meow because he did it when we put him in his carrier to bring him home, when we adopted him.  He also does it when he's in the carrier, going to the vet.

But, around the house, I have heard him meow, once, maybe twice... ever.  The loudest noise he usually makes is purring.  He can purr pretty loudly.  He also snores when he sleeps.  That cat can sure saw lumber! 

Casper doesn't snuggle me very often but he does with his girl-human.  In our house, you might occasionally hear this kind of exchange:

"Honey, can you come and give me a hand in the kitchen, please?"

"In a minute.  I've been cat locked."

"Okay, take your time."

 

[Caspers Human]

• Dammitt   (proper noun)  The name that you, sometimes, think you should have given your cat.  (Facetious humor.)

"Quit scratching the sofa, Dammitt!"

"Dammitt, get off the kitchen counter!"

 

[hatchytt]

There was a time when Hecate thought that was her name.

 

[DreamerRose]

Chitter  - Cat chattering its teeth while watching birds.

Chirp  - Most frequent noise made by cats other than meow.

Talunk, talunk  - Noise made by cat's feet when zooming through the house.

 

[Caspers Human]

 
Talunk, talunk  - Noise made by cat's feet when zooming through the house.

LOL! 

Most often heard at 3:00 a.m. on mornings when you have to go to work. 

 

[hatchytt]

Jellybeans- the little pads on a cats feet.

 

[tallyollyopia]

Clowder--(noun, plural) a group of cats. 

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Incapussitated, a synonym of "cat locked"

smurgle: an actual term meaning that kneading, rooting, drooling nursing thing that some cats do.  First degree smurgling is the knead (aka "making biscuits"), second degree smurgling add the "rooting" or "rootling" nuzzling action, and third degree smurgling adds the drooling, sometimes copious.  Cats may show any one or any combination of the three degrees,  Hekitty is a first and second degree smurgler.  DONCHA LOVE THAT WORD???  Smurgle.  Smurglesmurglesmurgle

Kittybonkers:  That wild flurry of activity just at dawn as your cat searches for the gazelle at the watering hole.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

OOPS...my neighbor, a dog person, just informed me that one can also be "incapuppatated."

 

[Caspers Human]

So Hekitty smurgles you awake in the mornings? 

 

[Mamanyt1953]

 
So Hekitty smurgles you awake in the mornings? 

Generally she wakes me by yowling like a banshee.  She likes to smurgle as we watch tv, and then when we go to bed.  She thinks my inner elbow is a kitteh pacifier.

 

[tallyollyopia]

New Word for the Cat Dictionary--Cuddle Quotient. A Cuddle Quotient is the time a day that a cat must  be pet, played with, or cuddled. The end of the Cuddle Quotient is usually signaled by the cat getting up and leaving the human, and enforced by tooth and claw if necessary. Our house has six cats, and every single one of them has a different Cuddle Quotient.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Floofaloons (stolen from another site, but widely used, so fair game) that fluffy hair on a kitty's backside and running down the hind legs

AKA fluff muffins