Furbabies
Cat Care Site
Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N
O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
D
- Dam
- The mother of a cat or kitten
- Declawing
- Permanent removal of a cats claws by surgery
- Defaecate
- To discharge faeces from the body (also spelt defecate)
- Defaecation
- Discharging faeces from the body (also spelt defecation)
- Defecate
- To discharge faeces (feces) from the body (also spelt defaecate)
- Defecation
- Discharging faeces (feces) from the body (also spelt defaecation)
- Dehydration
- Situation where the body is losing more water than it is taking in
- Delirious Behaviour
- Frantic frenzied behaviour, excitement
- Dense
- Thick plush hair coat
- Depression
- Decreased interest in surroundings, reduced responses to stimuli
- Derangement
- Mental disorder
- Dermatitis
- Inflammation of the skin, e.g. redness, itchy
- Deterrent
- Substance used to prevent a cat from accessing a particular area
- Devon Rex
- Cat breed with a wavy coat [breed profile]
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Inadequate production of insulin by the pancreas causing frequent urination, excessive thirst and possibly increased appetite
- Diarrhea
- Watery faeces (feces), (also spelt diarrhoea)
- Diarrhoea
- Watery faeces (also spelt diarrhea)
- Diet
- 1) - the food a cat eats
2) - feeding a low energy food to reduce a cat's weight - Dilated Cardiomyopathy
- Disease resulting in enlargement of the chambers of the heart, leading to heart failure. Insufficient taurine in the diet is one of the causes. Pet food manufacturers include adequate taurine levels in cat food so the disease is now rare.
- Dilute
- Pale version of a coat colour, e.g. blue is a dilute version of black coat colouring, cream is a dilute version of red coat colouring
- Dilute Calico
- White cat with blue and cream patches
- Dipylidium caninum
- A common tapeworm that infects cats and kittens
- Diuresis
- Increased excretion of urine
- Dizziness
- Reluctant to get up and walk around
- DLH
- Domestic longhair (longhaired mixed breed cat)
- Dome
- Rounded forehead of Persian, Exotic and Himalayan cats
- Domestic Cat
- A household cat not conforming to any recognized pedigree breed, nor having any parent as a recognized breed, also called a "moggie"
- Domestic Longhair
- A longhaired mixed breed cat or "moggie"
- Domestic Shorthair
- A shorthaired mixed breed cat or "moggie"
- Double Coat
- A coat of double thickness (soft thick under coat and outer coat with coarser slightly longer fur), the skin is not easily seen when the coat is parted
- Drooling
- Secretion of saliva from the mouth
- Dry Food
- Pelleted form of cat food
- Dry Shampoo
- Specially formulated powder cat shampoo that you sprinkle through the cats coat, then brush out. No water needed
- DSH
- Domestic shorthair (shorthaired mixed breed cat)
- Dyspnea
- Difficulty breathing (also spelt dyspnoea)
- Dyspnoea
- Difficulty breathing (also spelt dyspnea)
E
- Ear Mites
- Otodectes cynotis mites that live in the cat's ear canal causing irritation and build up of dark brown wax
- Edema
- Abnormal accumulation of fluid (also spelt oedema)
- Egyptian Mau
- Cat breed of medium size with green eyes and a striped and spotted coat [breed profile]
- Elimination
- Discharge of waste products from the body (urine and faeces)
- Elizabethan Collar
- A hard plastic cone attached to the cat's collar to prevent licking or biting of a wound or skin lesion
- Emesis
- Vomiting
- Emetic
- Substance which makes a cat vomit
- Enteritis
- Inflammation of the intestine, resulting in diarrhoea (diarrhea) and abdominal pain
- Entire
- An unneutered male or female cat or kitten
- Entropion
- Turning inward of the eyelids, causes irritation to the eye, can be congenital or acquired
- Epibulbar Dermoid Cyst
- Skin-like tumour (tumor) growing on the eye
- Epiphora
- Eye discharge, overflow of tears down the face (usually due to stricture/narrowing of the nasolacrimal duct), common problem in Persian, Exotic and Himalayan cats
- Epistaxis
- Bleeding from the nose
- Epsiprantel
- The active ingredient of some de-worming medications for cats and kittens
- Estrus
- The heat period - the time during the reproductive cycle when the queen (female) displays interest in mating. Queens may rub against objects, crawl with their belly close to the floor, roll and vocalize (also spelt oestrus)
- Euphoria
- Feeling of happiness
- Excessive Water Consumption
- Drinking more than usual
- Excitation
- Increased activity, restless
- Excitement
- Increased activity, restless
- Exhibit
- A cat or kitten at a show (entire, neutered or spayed)
- Exhibitor
- The owner of an exhibit (cat or kitten) at a cat show
- Exotic
- Shorthaired cat breed with Persian body shape but a short dense plush coat [breed profile]
- Extreme Face
- A Persian, Himalayan or Exotic cat with a small nose positioned high on the face
F
- Fading Kitten Syndrome
- Kittens are born apparently healthy and normal but gradually weaken and die in the first one to two weeks of life
- Faecal Sample
- A small sample of faeces (feces) taken to test for worms (also spelt fecal sample)
- Fear Aggression
- Angry destructive behaviour accompanied by fear, usually when the cat has no route to escape by
- Feather Teaser
- Pole toy with feathers on the end, often used by cat show judges to get a cats attention
- Fecal Sample
- A small sample of faeces (feces) taken to test for worms (also spelt faecal sample)
- Feline
- Relating to members of the cat family, including domestic cats, tigers, lions, cheetahs and leopards
- Feline Acne
- Black/brown crusty formation on the chin
- Feline Calicivirus (FCV)
- Highly infectious viral disease affecting the upper respiratory tract. Also known as "cat flu"
- Feline Herpesvirus (FHV)
- The virus causing Feline Rhinotracheitis, a disease of the upper respiratory tract. Also referred to as Felid Herpesvirus-1
- Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
- Virus transmitted through cat bites, usually during fights. The initial disease is mild but becomes more severe over time. The immune system is weakened leading to secondary infections.
- Feline Infectious Enteritis (FIE)
- Highly contagious viral disease which causes high death loss, especially among young kittens, also called Feline Panleukopenia
- Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)
- An uncommon but slowly fatal disease that causes depression, lack of appetite and a high fever
- Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)
- Serious long term disease which is always fatal. The cats immune system becomes damaged, leaving the cat susceptible to various recurrent infections of the mouth, chest, skin and bladder.
- Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)
- Urinary tract disease. Signs include straining to pass urine, blood in the urine, passing small amounts of urine and crying when urinating.
Also called Feline Urological Syndrome (FUS) - Feline Panleukopenia
- Highly contagious viral disease which causes high death loss, especially among young kittens, also called Feline Infectious Enteritis (FIE)
- Feline Rhinotracheitis
- Highly infectious viral disease, caused by Felid Herpesvirus-1, affecting the upper respiratory tract. Also known as "cat flu"
- Feline Urological Syndrome (FUS)
- Urinary tract disease. Signs include straining to pass urine, blood in the urine, passing small amounts of urine and crying when urinating.
Also called Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) - Felis catus
- Latin name for "cat"
- Feliway
- Synthetic pheromone spray that mimics the scent of cat cheek glands. May be used to reduce spraying in cats
- Feral Cat
- A wild domestic cat, either born in the wild or reverted to the wild life, not tame
- Fever
- Abnormally high temperature
- Fine-toothed Comb
- Comb with teeth close together
- Fipronil
- One of the active ingredients in Frontline Plus flea treatment
- Flea
- Small jumping insect that feeds on your cats blood
- Flea Allergy Dermatitis
- Inflammatory reaction and self-trauma due to a hypersensitivity to flea saliva, skin condition due to a flea allergy
- Flea Collar
- Collar containing chemicals worn around the neck as a treatment for fleas, often contain toxic chemicals such as organophosphates
- Flea Comb
- Comb with narrow teeth designed to remove fleas from the cat's coat by trapping them between the teeth
- Flea Dip
- Flea preparation given as a bath
- Flea Powder
- Powdered chemicals used to treat flea infestations, not a very effective treatment for fleas
- Flea Shampoo
- Shampoo used as a method of flea treatment
- Flea Spray
- Liquid flea control product sprayed from a bottle onto the cat
- Food Allergy
- An exaggerated immune response to a food (an allergen). Allergy occurs on the second or subsequent exposure to the allergen. Foods that may cause an allergic reaction in cats include milk, fish and beef. Itchy skin or vomiting and diarrhoea (diarrhea) are the most common signs of food allergy.
- Food Intolerance
- An abnormal response to food that is not immune-mediated. Signs of food intolerance can be similar to food allergy. Milk is the most common food intolerance in cats. Some cats lose the ability to digest lactose (milk sugar).
- Forelimbs
- The front legs
- Frill
- Lengthened fur around the neck and chest of a longhaired cat, also called the "ruff"
- Frontline Plus
- A six-weekly top-spot preparation applied to the back of the cat's neck as a treatment for fleas
- Furballs
- Thick matted tubes of fur that build-up in a cat's gastrointestinal tract (from fur that is swallowed when the cat is grooming), they are periodically regurgitated and coughed up. Also called hairballs.
G
- Gangliosidosis
- Inherited lipid storage disorder characterized by progressive neuromuscular dysfunction and impaired growth from an early age. GM1 gangliosidosis is due to a defect in the B-galactosidase enzyme resulting in accumulation of galactoside GM1. GM2 gangliosidosis is due to a defect in the hexosaminidase A and B enzymes resulting in accumulation of galactoside GM2
- Gastric Lavage
- Flushing of the stomach with saline or water, usually to remove ingested poisons
- Gastroenteritis
- Inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines, causes vomiting and diarrhoea (diarrhea)
- Gastrointestinal Tract
- The stomach and intestines
- Gauntlets
- The white back paws and toes of a Birman cat
- Gene
- Part of the chromosome from which hereditary traits are determined
- Gestation
- Pregnancy
- Ghosting
- Faint tabby markings seen in some solid-coloured cats, most commonly seen in kittens, they may fade or disappear as the kitten ages
- Ghost Markings
- Faint tabby markings seen in some solid-coloured cats, most commonly seen in kittens, they may fade or disappear as the kitten ages
- Gingivitis
- Inflammation of the gums
- Glop
- A "kitty pudding" which is rich in calcium and can be fed as a supplement for weaning kittens, lactating queens, or sick cats
- Gloves
- The white-tipped front paws of a Birman cat
- GM1 Gangliosidosis
- Inherited lipid storage disorder characterized by progressive neuromuscular dysfunction and impaired growth from an early age - due to a defect in the B-galactosidase enzyme resulting in accumulation of galactoside GM1.
- GM2 Gangliosidosis
- Inherited lipid storage disorder characterized by progressive neuromuscular dysfunction and impaired growth from an early age - due to a defect in the hexosaminidase A and B enzymes resulting in accumulation of galactoside GM2
- Grooming
- Brushing or combing a cats coat to remove and prevent knots, cats groom themselves by licking
- Guard Hairs
- Long coarse protective hairs that form a cats outer coat
References
Blood DC & Studdert VP, Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary, Great Britain: W.B. Saunders & Co, 1999
Carlson DG & Giffin JM, Cat Owners Home Veterinary Handbook, New York: Howell Book House, 1995
Plunkett SJ, Emergency Procedures For The Small Animal Veterinarian, Spain: W.B. Saunders & Co, 2002
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