Glossary

Cat care glossary

The words cat people use, defined plainly.

Litter and hygiene

Clumping litter: Clumping litter is cat litter that binds into a firm lump where urine soaks in, so you can scoop out the wet part and leave the rest clean. Most is bentonite clay, but corn, wheat, tofu and some pine litters clump too. The AAFP and ISFM guidelines say cats most commonly prefer fine, unscented clumping litter.
Covered vs open litter box: A covered litter box has a lid and a doorway, and an open box has neither. Welfare guidance leans toward open boxes: the AAFP and ISFM guidelines recommend them whenever possible, and Cornell says most cats prefer an uncovered box. Research cited by the AAFP and ISFM found cats split evenly, so some cats use covered boxes without trouble.
High-sided litter box: A high-sided litter box is an open box whose back and side walls are taller than a standard pan's, to keep kicked litter and urine inside. Most have a lower front so the cat can still step in. The AAFP and ISFM guidelines say a high-sided box collects urine well for cats that stand while urinating.
Litter box entry height: Litter box entry height is how high a cat has to step to get into the box, measured from the floor to the lowest edge of the opening. Cornell Feline Health Center says young kittens, elderly cats and cats with mobility problems need boxes with low sides, so the figure matters most for them.
Litter box size rule: The litter box size rule says a box should be at least one and a half times your cat's length, measured from the nose to the base of the tail. The AAFP and ISFM house-soiling guidelines and Battersea both give the 1.5 times figure, and Battersea warns that many trays labelled large are still too small for adult cats.
N+1 litter box rule: The N+1 litter box rule says a home should have one litter box per cat plus one extra, so two cats get three boxes. Cornell, the ASPCA and Battersea all give the formula. The AAFP and ISFM house-soiling guidelines call it a historical rule of thumb rather than an absolute requirement, and say a single cat should have two boxes.
Self-cleaning litter box: A self-cleaning litter box is a powered box that separates waste from clean litter on its own after a cat leaves, usually by rotating a drum or globe that sifts clumps into a sealed drawer. Sensors, most often weight sensors, tell it when a cat is inside. You still empty the drawer, add litter and wash the box.
Silica gel litter: Silica gel litter, often sold as crystal litter, is made of small translucent beads of silica gel that soak up urine and dry out solid waste instead of clumping. You scoop solids and stir the crystals, then replace the whole tray once the crystals are saturated. It is light, and makers market it as low dust.
Top-entry litter box: A top-entry litter box is a covered box the cat enters through an opening in the lid, climbing down into the litter and back up to leave. The design keeps kicked litter inside, but it means climbing rather than stepping in, the opposite of the low entry Cornell and Battersea recommend for kittens, older cats and cats with mobility problems.

Feeding and nutrition

Automatic cat feeder: An automatic cat feeder is a food container that releases a set portion at set times, from a hopper of dry kibble or, in a few models, from chilled trays of wet food. The AAFP lists automatic feeders among the tools that can help cats eat small, frequent meals.
Moisture content: Moisture content is the share of a cat food's weight that is water. Cornell Feline Health Center puts canned food at 75 percent or more and dry food at 6 to 10 percent. It explains why a cat on wet food can drink little from the bowl while a cat on kibble has to drink most of its water.
Puzzle feeder: A puzzle feeder is a toy or dish a cat has to work at to get its food, by pawing kibble through holes, rolling a ball or licking food from ridges. The AAFP recommends puzzle feeders as a way to let cats forage for small, frequent meals at home.

Health and vet care

Anemia: Anemia is a lower than normal number of red blood cells in a cat's blood. The Merck Veterinary Manual says it can come from blood loss, from red blood cells being destroyed, or from the body making too few. It is a sign of another problem, not a diagnosis, and only a vet can find the cause.
Body condition score: A body condition score is a number vets give a cat for how much fat it carries, judged by looking and feeling rather than by weight. WSAVA's chart runs from 1, very thin, to 9, heavily overweight, with 5 as ideal: ribs felt under a slight fat covering and a waist behind them.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM): Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, is a disease in which the muscular walls of a cat's heart thicken, especially around the main pumping chamber, so the heart works less efficiently. The Cornell Feline Health Center calls it the most common heart disease in cats. Many affected cats look well, and it is diagnosed with an echocardiogram.

Behavior

Catnip: Catnip is a plant in the mint family whose scent sets off a short burst of rolling, rubbing, licking or excited play in many cats. VCA says the response is genetic and that about half of cats do not respond at all. Catnip toys are stuffed with the dried leaves and flowers.

Home and gear

Automatic cat toy: An automatic cat toy is a battery-powered or rechargeable toy that moves without a person moving it: it flops when touched, rolls across the floor or swings a lure on a motor. VCA suggests a battery-operated toy for times you cannot play with your cat. Many have a timer or switch off on their own.
Cardboard scratcher: A cardboard scratcher is a pad, ramp or lounge made of layers of corrugated cardboard set on edge, so a cat can rake its claws through the ridges. It usually sits flat or at an angle on the floor, and it suits cats that scratch rugs, carpets and stairs.
Cat tree: A cat tree is a piece of cat furniture with posts, perches and often hideaways stacked on a base, so a cat can climb, scratch and rest up high indoors. Low versions are called cat perches and tall ones cat towers; most are carpet or plush over wood or particleboard, with sisal-wrapped posts.
Cordless water fountain: A cordless water fountain runs on a built-in rechargeable battery, so it can sit where a cat likes to drink rather than next to an outlet. Makers publish run times per charge, from about a month to nearly three months. Most still recharge from a cable, and the pump or tank needs the same regular cleaning as any fountain.
Heated cat bed: A heated cat bed is a bed or pad with a small electric heating element that plugs into a wall outlet. The pet versions made by K&H run on 4 to 20 watts, and K&H says their built-in thermostat warms the surface toward a cat's body temperature only while the cat lies on it.
Self-warming cat bed: A self-warming cat bed is a bed or pad with no power source that holds in a cat's own body heat. Makers put a heat-reflecting layer, such as a Mylar sheet or a thermal plush, under the sleeping surface so warmth radiates back to the cat instead of escaping into the floor.
Sisal scratching post: A sisal scratching post is a post wrapped tightly in rope made from sisal, a tough natural plant fiber, so a cat can dig its claws in and pull down. Sisal is the most common covering on cat tree posts because its coarse texture grips claws.
Top-loading cat carrier: A top-loading cat carrier is a carrier with a door or opening in its roof as well as, usually, one at the front, so a cat can be lowered in and lifted out from above. Some also have a top half that comes off, so a vet can examine the cat in the base.
Wand toy: A wand toy is a rod or springy wire with a lure, such as feathers, fur or cardboard, on the end, which you move so your cat can stalk, chase, pounce and catch it. International Cat Care lists wand toys among the toys cats enjoy. Because many have a string, they are for supervised play and get put away afterwards.
Water fountain filter: A water fountain filter is the replaceable insert a fountain pumps its water through. Most combine a foam or mesh layer that catches hair and debris with activated carbon, which makers say reduces tastes and odors. Some add an ion-exchange resin to soften water. A filter does not replace regular washing of the bowl and pump.

Who we cite

AAFP: The AAFP, the American Association of Feline Practitioners, is a US professional association of veterinarians who focus on cats. It now goes by the Feline Veterinary Medical Association (FelineVMA). With the ISFM it publishes practice guidelines on cat care, including the litter box and environment guidelines our pages cite.
ASPCA: The ASPCA, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, is a US animal welfare nonprofit founded in New York in 1866. It works on animal rescue and protection and publishes pet care advice, including the litter box guidance our pages cite.
AVMA: The AVMA, the American Veterinary Medical Association, is the main professional association for veterinarians in the United States, founded in 1863. It sets standards for veterinary schools and publishes pet care guidance for owners, which our pages cite on cold weather, warmth and the safe use of heated pet mats.
Battersea: Battersea, in full Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, is a London animal rescue charity that has cared for dogs and cats since 1860. It rehomes animals and publishes care advice, which our litter box pages cite on tray size, entry height and covers.
Cats Protection: Cats Protection is a UK cat welfare charity, founded in 1927 as the Cats Protection League. It rescues and rehomes cats, promotes neutering and publishes cat care advice, which our pages cite on litter trays, scratching, human foods and cat allergies.
Center for Pet Safety: The Center for Pet Safety is a US nonprofit, founded in 2011, that develops crash-test standards for pet travel products and runs a certification program for carriers, crates and harnesses. Our carrier guide uses its certified list to say which carriers have passed its car crash testing.
CFA: The CFA, the Cat Fanciers' Association, is a registry of pedigreed cats founded in 1906 and based in Alliance, Ohio. It keeps pedigree records, publishes a breed standard for each breed it recognizes and licenses cat shows. Our pages cite it for what a breed is meant to look like.
Cornell Feline Health Center: The Cornell Feline Health Center is part of Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, New York. It funds and runs research on cat diseases and publishes plain health information for cat owners. When our pages say Cornell, they mean this center.
FDA: The FDA, the US Food and Drug Administration, is the federal agency that oversees the safety of food, drugs and medical products in the United States. Its Center for Veterinary Medicine covers pet food and animal drugs and publishes pet health pages, including the lily warning our pages cite.
GCCF: The GCCF, the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, is the main registry of pedigree cats in the United Kingdom, dating from 1910. It registers pedigree cats, keeps the standard of points judges use for each recognized breed and licenses shows. Our breed pages cite it alongside the American CFA.
International Cat Care: International Cat Care, or iCatCare, is a UK-based charity working on the health and welfare of cats worldwide. It was founded in 1958 as the Feline Advisory Bureau. Its veterinary division is the ISFM, and it publishes cat care advice for owners that our litter box article and toy guides cite.
ISFM: The ISFM, the International Society of Feline Medicine, is the veterinary division of the UK charity International Cat Care. It supports veterinary teams who treat cats and, with the AAFP, publishes the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery and the joint cat care guidelines our pages cite.
Merck Veterinary Manual: The Merck Veterinary Manual is a veterinary reference first published in 1955 and now free online, with a section written for pet owners. Outside the United States and Canada it is called the MSD Veterinary Manual. Our pages cite it on urinary problems, feeding and food poisoning in cats.
National Research Council: The National Research Council is part of the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Its 2006 report Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats is a standard reference on what cats need to eat and drink, and our water and feeding articles cite its figures.
Pet Poison Helpline: Pet Poison Helpline is a US animal poison control service run by SafetyCall International in Bloomington, Minnesota. It answers calls about any species around the clock, staffed by veterinarians, toxicologists and veterinary technicians, and charges a fee per case. Our toxic plants page cites its lily guidance.
RSPCA: The RSPCA, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, is an animal welfare charity working in England and Wales since 1824. It rescues animals, campaigns on welfare law and publishes pet care advice, including the litter guidance our pages cite.
VCA: VCA, short for VCA Animal Hospitals, is a large network of veterinary hospitals in the United States and Canada, founded in 1986 and now part of Mars Petcare. Its website publishes pet health articles written by veterinarians, which our pages cite for water, feeding and litter box advice.
WSAVA: WSAVA, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, is a global body for companion animal vets, drawn from 113 member associations representing more than 390,000 veterinarians. Its nutrition committee publishes the body condition score chart and the calorie starting points our feeding article cites.