Glossary of Feline Terms

Do you sometimes have problems understanding the jargon commonly used in some articles about cats? Does your veterinarian throw around ten dollar words as if he expects you to understand them? I've had both experiences, and I have to admit "meow culpa" in sometimes using those words which I now consider "every day," but which may give some readers the "HUH?" reaction.

In order to help all of us to better understand words, acronyms, and phrases seen and heard regularly in the ailurophile (I'll let you look this up) world, I've assembled a glossary of feline terms. It offers short, dictionary-style definitions of each term, a pronunciation guide, with a sound file so you can hear the word pronounced, and in many cases, links to articles and other resources relevant to the term. Naturally, this is an ongoing project, so bookmark this page for future reference.

Did I Miss Some?

If there's a cat-related word you don't see on the list, post it here in the comments, and I'll consider adding it.