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  • Cat stuff
    • Best cat and kitten toys for Christmas
  • Home
    • The Big MEOW with Charlie ShortTail
      • The big meow – hello
  • Looking after cats
    • Symptoms and Care of Cat (feline) Asthma
    • First aid for cats and kittens
    • Caring for older cats
    • What to expect as your cat gets older
    • Dementia in older cats – symptoms, care and treatment
    • Arthritis and Osteoarthritis in Cats
    • All you need to know about cat fleas and how to get rid of them
    • A good diet for my cat
    • House plants that are toxic to cats
    • Music for Cats
  • Amazing facts about cats
    • Healing power of your cats purr
    • Wow- 10 more facts about cats
    • More facts about your cat
    • Cats special powers
    • Can cats and other animals sense and predict earthquakes and other extreme weather events?
  • Training cats
    • Very Clever Cats
    • Test your cat
    • How clever is your cat
    • Cat Behaviour – understanding your cat
    • Brain training for older cats
  • cat breeds
    • Which cat breed to choose – cat personalities
    • Cat Breeds from around the world – Asia
    • Cat breeds from around the world – Europe and Russia
    • Cat breeds from around the world – Great Britain
    • Cat breeds around the world – the Middle East and Africa
    • Cat breeds from around the world – North America
    • Abyssinian Cats – all about this beautiful and intelligent breed.
    • Manx cats – a breed with no tail
    • Persian Cats
    • Siberian Cats
    • Turkish Van cat
  • Answers to questions
    • Why do female cats screech after mating and attack the male?
    • Why is my cat aggressive?
    • Do cats have lips?
    • Do cats have arms or legs?
    • Can cats learn a new name?
    • Do white cats make bad mothers?
    • Do cats see in colour?
    • Why does my cat follow me into the bathroom?
    • Dwarfism in cats and dwarf breeds
    • Why are cats called ‘cats’?
    • Do cats have a sixth sense?
    • Cat terminology – what does this mean?
    • Why do cats like boxes, bags, drawers, bowls and small spaces
  • Cat stuff
    • Best cat and kitten toys for Christmas
cat wisdomcats facts

Why are cats called ‘cats’?

June 25, 2019 November 6, 2019 Charlie ShortTail
white cat walks along path

Definition of ‘cat’.

A cat is a small domesticated mammal kept as a pet and also found as feral (wild) in the countryside. A cat has soft fur, four legs and a tail and is a predatory animal catching mice and other small creatures.

white cat with heart

‘Cat’ name in different European countries

There are many similar variations of the name ‘cat’ for instance:
French: chat
Swedish: katt
Norwegian: katt
German: Katze
Italian: Gatto
Dutch: Kat
There are many other slight variations of the name ‘cat’  used throughout Europe.

Turkish Van cat showing colours

In Turkey the word for cat is ‘kedi’ which may be where our word ‘kitty’ is derived from.
The word ‘puss’ or ‘pussy’ is linked back to the Egyptian cat goddess ‘Pasht’.
It is widely believed that the Egyptians domesticated cats descended from the North African wild cat (Felix Lybica).
sphynx-cat-1154157_1280
‘Cat’ refers to domesticated felines and also wild cats such as lions, tigers, panthers, leopards and forest cats.

cat-3449999_1280

Popular cat names:

Girls: Molly, Poppy, Bella, Daisy, Lily, Rosie, Tilly, Willow.

Boys: Oscar, Charlie, Milo, Alfie, Jasper, Harry, Monty, Merlin.

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Charlie ShortTailJune 25, 2019
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