It seems that cats stretch the limits of English’s available vocabulary. Sometimes, Da Katz demand new words be invented. Do you have some?
I’ll start: My mom might call a cat “insta-purr.”
At work all cats are refered to as mittens. =) I once picked up a kitty out of a room and I said come on mittens. The owner went thats not his name, I then had to explain them that it was an endearing term that we used for cats. They laughed.
Our cats require their own vocabulary, plus of course multiple names.
Toodles or Toodle Poots – generic cat names, as in “Where are the Toodles?” My Dad, who never does silly/baby talk, started this one. Can also be Poodle Toots and Toodle Puss.
Puds – another generic cat name. Can also be Pud-puds, and can be combined with the above to be Toodle Puds.
Catten – the stage Mac is now, between being a kitten and a cat. I think lots of people use this.
Names:
Mac – Mackles, No Mac Trouble, Mac-Attack, Ninja Kitty (he’s mostly black, silent and sneaks up behind you), Mr Furry Pants
Spike – Spikeles (sounds like Mackles), The Tabby Terror, Mr Stripey Pants (ironic, as his white dipping goes right up his legs), Bikey-bike
It’s funny, because all our cats have had multiple names but my horses never have. The only thing is I might say “I’m going to see the pony” and non-horsey people are confused because they thought I had a horse.
When I pull out the floor mat to exercise in the mornings, my cats are delighted to see a human rolling around on the floor. They sometimes join in, turning their little tummies to the ceiling and waving their paws in the air.
My husband says we do “Purr-lates”. 
[QUOTE=Justmyluck;7263972]
At work all cats are refered to as mittens. =) I once picked up a kitty out of a room and I said come on mittens. The owner went thats not his name, I then had to explain them that it was an endearing term that we used for cats. They laughed.[/QUOTE]
Aww…
My macho neighbor homeslice (who stepped up for the Emergency BBQ and Cat Burial when Old Lady Cat died) called her “Corn Dog.” He says all animals are called “Corn Dog.”
Oh geez, we have a whole language here… we have six cats and we’ve had all of them nearly the kids’ whole lives (they’re teens) and we tend to be kitty freaks…
Obviously, they’re kitties here.
They eat Foodzies.
They “put down stinkies” in their litter box.
They survived The Great Starvin’s of 2010 when we went away for the weekend and forgot to put out kitty foodzies. (they ransacked the pantry and ate bread instead)
They do 'scapinz when they get outside when they aren’t supposed to. (escape)
They demand Luvies.
“But I have a kitty” is an automatic “out” of anything that means you have to get the cat off your lap.
if someone yells “KITTY CUTENESS!!!” everyone has to stop and admire.
They do “stretchies” where you can hold one upside down and they do a full body stretches upside down while you carry them around so all the other family members can administer “luvies”
It’s an illness, I think. I’m not proud. :lol:
Here’s my cat codex:
Fuds: food, as named after this cartoon.
Laying Stinkies/Turds: Self-explanatory
Klingons: When the above gets stuck to the butt of the long-haired cat.
Catpacity: When the limit of cat per X has occurred. “Sorry Little Man, you can’t sit in the chair with me since your sister has already filled it to catpacity.”
Lubbins: Head rubs, ear scritches, etc.
The Magic Finger: Wiggle of my left index finger while making a high-pitched “psst, psst, psst” noise. It seems to be the universal cat caller. It even worked this past weekend on a neighbor’s cat while I was visiting my folks. She came running right up to me and let me give her lubbins. As soon as my mother came close, off the cat ran. I repeated The Magic Finger, and kitty came back. Mom was quite shocked since this cat is supposedly quite skittish.
ETA: My lesson horse has more nicknames than the cats (although the old girl has three or four that I use). He’s “P”, “Mr. P”, “Goober”, “Goobs”, “Handsome”, “Sweetie”, or “Bub”.
I usually greet him with a nose rub and “Hi Sweetie” or “Hi Handsome” and he’ll get an “easy Bub” if he gets fidgety on the cross ties. When we’re ready to work, he’s “Mr. P” as in “Let’s go, Mr. P” or “Good boy, Mr. P.”
May only appeal to folks familiar with Victorian furnishings, but y’know what you call a cat doing that monorail-like sprawl over the back of the recliner?
An antimacatsar.
Vaquero that is exactly how I spell cat food (cat fud) when it’s on my shopping list and nobody else in the family has a clue why but it makes me giggle a little every time… :lol:
[QUOTE=pAin’t_Misbehavin’;7265185]
May only appeal to folks familiar with Victorian furnishings, but y’know what you call a cat doing that monorail-like sprawl over the back of the recliner?
An antimacatsar.[/QUOTE]
That is Pie Cat here. We decided one day that our cat that does that was the shape of a pie when she was draped over the back of the chair… so… Pie Cat. :yes:
Mine all have “official” names, but none of them are called by those names. I think they all have at least 5 or 6 nicknames, and they each know them all. For example, “Gracie” is usually Gray-gray, Stinky, Stinkpot, Grucie-gray, Gru-Gru, and recently she got “KamaCATzie” added. She likes to hide behind the curtains and pounce on any of the others that innocently stroll on by her spot.
[QUOTE=cowboymom;7265190]
Vaquero that is exactly how I spell cat food (cat fud) when it’s on my shopping list and nobody else in the family has a clue why but it makes me giggle a little every time… :lol:[/QUOTE]
LOL! I’m glad I’m not the only one then.
Oh, and for a fun read: Fanglish.
Love it-sending it to the kids!
LOVE the Far side “Cat Fud” one!
Googled but could not find my fave of the Larson cat couple in their kitchen.
DH cat says to spouse (complete with “cat-eye” glasses") who is opening a can of “fud”:
(I paraphrase here)
“Cool it with the opener, the Rothenbergs heard it”
And out the window you see another cat couple walking up.
A long time ago a friend coined the term “Vizh-Vah” for when cats knead you.
We still say they are “making vizh-vah”
She is my “kidden”. Because I’m too young for a real kid.
[QUOTE=cowboymom;7265190]
Vaquero that is exactly how I spell cat food (cat fud) when it’s on my shopping list and nobody else in the family has a clue why but it makes me giggle a little every time… :lol:[/QUOTE]
I do the exact same thing! For the exact same reason!
A secret club!
[QUOTE=pAin’t_Misbehavin’;7265185]
May only appeal to folks familiar with Victorian furnishings, but y’know what you call a cat doing that monorail-like sprawl over the back of the recliner?
An antimacatsar.[/QUOTE]
Love it! :lol:
Also from my mom (a woman who doesn’t vacuum but will have a cat in her bed): “Hair lung.”
That’s the cat-owner’s equivalent of the coal miner’s black lung.
We’ve always used used the term “nippy” to describe when the cats get a wild hair and go a little bonkers. Derived from “catnip” and the antics because of said drug. Also see the term “nip fit” to describe a particular period of time where one cat is acting particularly “nippy.”
“Carbunkles” are what happens to my mom’s long haired cat after visiting the litter box at times…
DH and I are on a “bear” theme that started with “the kitty bears” and “bear cubs”. Now all the animals are “bears”: RoxiBear, LucyBear, EddieBear and DexterDogBear. But if we just refer to “the bears” it only means the kitties, not the dog. RoxiBear is also known as “little bear cub” and “little bear” since she’s tiny even though she’s fully grown.
