Cat Got Your Tongue?

The latest National Geographic Kids claims that cats have 16 words that they use to communicate. It was driving me and the Bear nuts that the magazine doesn't say more - is this a top-secret language, so secret that only the cats know and aren't telling? Is it kind of like the mysterious name that T.S. Eliot describes in "The Naming of Cats?"

... The name
that no human research can discover--
But The Cat Himself Knows,
and will never confess.

When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought,
of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

Even after googling it, the Bear and I failed completely to figure out what National Geographic was getting at. But I did find this very funny lexicat at Artsy Catsy. I'm copying their whole list; if you love cats, do visit their blog.

1) Catcall: A signaling device we use to give marching orders to humans to fill food bowls, open doors, give us chin scritches and their undivided attention.

2) Catty-corner: The proper location for our litter box.

3) Caterwaul: What we sometimes hit when we miss the litter box.

4) Catwalk: Our daily exercise regimen, consisting of short shuffles to the food bowl with occasional detours to the catty-corner.

5) Catkin: What happens to kitties who didn't have hoohaectomies or ladygardenectomies.

6) Catalyst: What humans use to do our shopping, i.e. 1. Stinky goodness 2. Temptations 3. Litter 4. Toys 5. More Temptations

7) Catacomb: A device used on kitty spa days to remove cat-a-mats from our furs.

8) Catapult: What we do when the catacomb gets caught in a cat-a-mat.

9) Catnip: What we do when you "pult" too hard with the catacomb.

10) Catgut: An essential part of our insides, which requires constant filling with stinky goodness and Temptations.

11) Catsup: Mealtime; a method for filling the catgut.

12) Catnap: What we do when we're not catsupping.

13) Category: The yucky stuff we yak up all over the house when we've catsupped too much.

Now, we at Kittywampus no longer have a resident cat since the demise of Grey Kitty a few years ago. But we still observe proper eticatte, and so - knowing what GK would've said - here are our humble additions to Artsy Catsy's compendium:

Catalog: The shape deposited in our litter box after too much catsup and cat-a-mats.

Cat scan: Surveying our territory for signs that the humans are about to break out the catsup.

Catsuit: That which suits us, especially stinky goodness and Temptations.

Catamount: That's personal! Didn't you learn about that in biology class?

Catalytic converter: The elegant system for digesting catsup.

Caterpillar: Leader and paragon of the feline community; top cat. (Feared and loathed by Grey Kitty, who was not all that.)

Catfish: The stinkiest of stinky goodness; comes in a can and should be served at every catsup.

Catechism: The long and often futile program of schooling humans to properly cater to cats.

Catastrophe: Punctuation, used (sparingly) in cat communication. When formed by the tail, often resembles a human question mark.

Categorical imperative: The requirement for humans to cater to every feline whim; priority of feline wishes over all else.

If you come up with any more catty silliness, leave a comment and I'll add it here.

LOLdictionarycat from I Can Has Cheezburger?