Cute Cat Slang Words and Phrases to Know

Caitlin Dempsey

Updated:

Closeup of a gray tabby cat's face.

Since the early days of the internet, the domestic cat has been an ongoing source of entertainment.

From their cute features to their silly antics, people love to squee over anything cat. Cat lovers have created their own language to express their love of all things cat. Learn some of the more popular cat slang being used. Related: Cat Glossary.

1. Smol 

Yes, it means very small, a smol cat is tiny and cute. Cats are so cute that you’ll want to hug them. The word smol means that the cat is small but so different and lovely, so a smol cat is small but goes above and beyond other cats.

2. Kitten Me 

Kitten me means like are you kidding me. It’s like your kitty has done something surprising like she jumped on the counter and knocked over a glass of water all over your counter and you are like “are you kitten me?”. 

A grey tabby cat looking out of a cardboard box with the phrase "are you kitten me" and four drawn cat paw prints.
Are you kitten me is a cute rife on the phrase “are you kidding me?”, but with cats! Photo: Caitlin Dempsey

3. Making Biscuits 

Making biscuits is also commonly known as kneading because it resembles the process of humans making dough. When cats knead, cats move their front paw up and down and in some cases, they retract their claws. 

A black cat kneading on a small pink cat bed with white tiles in the background.
When cats knead, the back and forth motion of their front paws resembles kneading dough. Photo: Caitlin Dempsey

4. Floof 

The word ‘floof’ is a twist on the word ‘fluffy’. Cats are incredibly cute and furry creatures and floof is used to describe that.

A charcoal gray cat with yellow eyes sitting the arm of a tree.
All that fur makes cats pretty cute and fluffy looking. Photo: Caitlin Dempsey.

5. Loaf 

A loaf is a piece of dough baked in an oven. This is one posture cats commonly use is when they tuck their feetsies under their body and they look just like the piece of loaf.

A black tabby sitting on a rug with a cat toy.
A cat sitting in the loaf position with her paws tucked in under her body. Photo: Caitlin Dempsey

Cats adopt this sitting position when they are relaxed and resting, but also want to be able to stand quickly. The position protects a cat’s vulnerable underbelly while allowing them to enter a more relaxed state. A cat may doze in this position but your feline won’t enter a deep sleep.

A cat loaf is just plain cute!

6. Toe Beans 

People use different words to describe the adorable toes of a cat. They are known as toe beans, beans, or jelly beans. Your adorable kitty loves to run and jump with their toe beans so keep an eye on their paws and make sure their paws remain clean and healthy.

The back feet of an orange tabby cat that is lying down on a blue blanket.
This orange tabby cat has his toe beans on full display. Photo: Caitlin Dempsey

7. Blep

A blep is an incredible asset to a cat. A blep is when a cat will let her tongue hang out for a bit. While they may look silly, all purr-ents know that the mind of a cat is always thinking about new strategies to catch mice and other small creatures. Or maybe the cat is just under the influence of catnip.

A black cat with its tongue sticking out.
This black cat is having a blep moment. Photo: Caitlin Dempsey

8. Mlem 

The process of mleming involves a cat licking and cleaning her fur, snoot, water, or any other thing. Mlem is meant to evoke the sound that a cat makes when they are licking something.

If your kitty is mleming very often, it can be a sign of anxiety or distress. If your kitty is showing this sign more often you should consult your vet immediately. 

A black and white cat lying on the floor holding his back leg while grooming. He is licking his lips and the rug is a light blue color.
Mlem is the sound a cat makes when licking their lips. Photo: Caitlin Dempsey.

9. Teefies 

Teefies is the name given to the small teeth of a cat which include both its fierce canine teeth and its tiny incisors. It’s important to keep your cat teeth clean because they can suffer from various oral diseases. 

10. Boop 

When you touch your cat’s nose it’s pretty much a requirement for you to say “boop”. It’s especially fun when they are head bunting, which is affectionate behavior where a cat nudges their head on the object of affection to spread their scent.

11. Snoot 

It’s actually the only term that is socially acceptable when people see cats’ snout nowadays. When you see a cat’s snout and the word that comes from your mouth is what a pretty snoot is. 

Closeup of a gray tabby cat's face.
Cats have incredibly cute noses. Photo: Caitlin Dempsey

12. Purr-fect 

Perfection is an attribute that can be applied to describe purr-fect which means all the necessary attributes, elements, or qualities required for being a good cat. Cats are always the purr-fect snuggle buddy for their owners. 

A gray tabby sitting in the lap of a person wearing a burnt red sweater.
Cats are ideal snuggle buddies. Photo: Caitlin Dempsey

13. Derp 

Derp is a certain expression people use when referring to dumb or clumsy cats. It is considered cute and associated with awkward expressions related to cats.

14. Cat Taps 

Cat taps are a simple and non-verbal way of communication within the feline community or humans. It’s common for cats to tap an object or human gently and repeatedly to seek the attention they deserve. This is the cat saying now is the time to play with me. 

15. Bunny feet 

The soft, tiny, and furry flesh cover the toes on the bottom of some cat’s paws. Also known as bunny feet. This nickname may have its origin from fluffy cat feet that look similar to bunny feet and kick in a similar manner hence bunny feet.

16. Purrito 

The act of wrapping a cat in a small piece of cloth and then placing it upright on its feet, thus making it resemble a normal burrito. My cat is my favorite purrito. 

17. Furbaby 

Feeding your furbaby is the term used for taking care of your furry cat. Your kitty is your furry companion and she will remain with you through thick and thin. 

18. Water beard 

Cats cradle their heads and then dip them into the water when they drink. This way a water beard is formed right below the mouth and it sticks to the wet fur. Kitties look extremely cute with a water beard. 

Black cat drinking water from the sink.
Sometimes water ends up on the chin of your cat. Photo: Caitlin Dempsey

19. Fur-end

You probably have a cat and you love her and you know that the feeling is mutual so she is your cat and the two of you are very good friends, this is why you consider her a Fur-end.

20. Void

A cat that fades into darkness? Yes, please. Black cats are notorious for their ability to just blend away into shadows with nothing but two bright eyes staring out at you. Welcome to the void.

Black cat with yellow eyes isolated on black background.
Black cats disappear against dark background. Photo: © aurency/stock.adobe.com.

21. Cat Hostage

The universal rule that if a cat is sleeping or otherwise touching you, you may not move until that cat has moved away of their own accord.

22. Caturday

While enthusiastic cat lovers think every day is dedicated to cats, Saturday is a popular day on social media to post using the hashtag #caturday.  Caturday is a combination of cats and Saturday.

Conclusion 

Next time you are scrolling through Facebook or Pinterest, you will know exactly how your cat feels. These funny internet slang terms for cats represent a small percent of the vast collection of cat memes, comics, and stories available online.

I hope that this interesting information on cute internet slang used for cats inspires you to get in on the fun and learn more about cat lingo to communicate with your internet friends.

This article was originally written on January 10, 2022 and has since been updated.

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About the author
Caitlin Dempsey
Caitlin Dempsey holds both a master's in Geography from UCLA and a Master of Library and Information Science. She is the editor of Geographyrealm.com and an avid researcher of geography and feline topics. A lifelong cat owner, Caitlin currently has three rescued cats: an orange tabby, a gray tabby, and a black cat.