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The licking, nipping, biting, kneading, bunting, rubbing and butting a cat does to you to demonstrate their happiness and, or, their affection for you.
Example: “Trying to catpliment me, Quinn jumped up onto my lap and began purring loudly while making biscuits. I began scratching his head and ears. If I stopped, he would thrust his head against my hand or my chin, encouraging me to resume.”
Catnixing takes place when one cat who normally accepts another cat instead rejects the other cat.
“Quinn walked up to Meep to sniff his face but Meep catnixed Quinn with a pullback and a raised paw.”
Attempting to coax a cat to do or accept something. Examples:
“Seriously, Flash, I’m not going to hurt you. Please come out from under the bed and take the pill. It’s good for you. It’ll get rid of those nasty worms.”
“Here, Princess. I bought some new food for you. It’s chicken and it’s supposed to be healthier for you. Here, let me put a little on my finger for you to taste. Come on, honey. I think you’ll like it.”
“Jade, don’t you want to come in? It’s boring down rain. Why are you being obstinate today?”
Catsyncrasies are the endearing and annoying personality quirks that endear us to our cats while sometimes annoying us.
Tucker is a sweetheart but loves to fight other cats.
Quinn enjoys cuddling but becomes extremely needy before transforming into Quinn the Zen master, sitting motionless outside, apparently meditating with his eyes open, but not looking happy about it.
Boo will happily sleep with you and purr as you pet him before suddenly announcing, “Enough,” delivering his decision with a sudden hiss and a swipe.
Meep comes running when I run water in the kitchen, jumping up onto the counter and getting in the way, vexing me when I’m trying to clean the kitchen.
Annoying, endearing, exasperating, intriguing, they’re catsyncrasies.
A kitson is a male kitten. Obviously.
A catraindication is a cat changing its mind about what they were going to do, about to do, wanted to do, asking for from you, or thinking about doing. (Believe me, degrees of differences exist in catdom.)
Famous ones include a cat begging to eat. You provide them food. They sniff, and then hurry to the door and ask to be let out. Or, as though insulted, turn and mime burying that food, as though your offering is so appalling, they need to bury it like feces.
Another one for which cats have gained notoriety is the famous indoor/outdoor routine. I want out. No, wait, it’s wet out here. Let me in. No, it’s boring in here. Let me out another door. No, it’s wet outside of this door, too. Let me back in. Let’s try the front door again.
A third famous moment of catraindications well-known among catsters is the cat who begins a jump and then changes their mind…a split second too late.
Catpathy is another form of sympathy and another form of empathy. Almost telepathic in nature, catpathy is the ability to feel sadness and loss in others, but also display understanding of how others feel from their frame of reference. Cats and other animals seem particularly capable of demonstrating sympathy and empathy, expressing themselves without words but comforting via presence and actions in an almost psychic manner that exceeds humans’ simple comprehension of cause and effect.
They know; they show. They make themselves available, and they stay.
Concatulations is accepting congratulations for how beautiful, sweet, handsome, smart, or damn amazing your cat is as though you had something to do with it other than being the one the animal selected as its servant, caretaker, mattress and intimate friend.
Catfidence is the absolute certainty some felines demonstrate that they are the smartest, fastest, strongest and bravest. Nothing can stop a catfident feline, and they’ll go to amazing levels to prove it!
Cathead (noun): looking gorgeously groomed and clothed, with perfectly styled hair.
Example of use: “Did you see Phylicia today? Her hair is so golden and shiny, right? And her clothes, wow.”
“Yes, she has a real cathead going on.”
“I’m so jealous. I never get cathead.”
Michael Seidel, writer 