Warrior Cat Terminology
Crowfood or crow-food - A dead prey animal that has begun to rot, can also be used as an insult.
Cutter - A veterinarian, specifically, though not always, referring to one that spays or neuters cats.
Dirt - Feces.
Fresh-kill - A recently killed prey animal caught for the purpose of consumption. Fresh-kill is hunted by warriors and apprentices, and sometimes elders, and placed on the fresh-kill pile or brought to the elders. Elders, kits, queens, and sick cats eat first, then warriors and apprentices. Extras stay in the fresh-kill pile.
Gathering - The monthly meeting of all the Clans when the moon is full, at either Fourtrees or the Island. There is a truce on this night, and no fighting is allowed.
Hunting Patrol - A group of cats hunting for fresh-kill to bring back for their Clan to eat. May fight if there are trespassers.
Kittypet - A domesticated pet cat.
Loner - A cat that lives by itself and doesn't defend its territory.
Making dirt - Defecating.
Monster - A vehicle operated by humans. Often described when cats are near Twolegs/the Thunderpath Motorboats are sometimes referred to as "water-monsters."
Rogue - A usually hostile cat who does not have a permanent home, roams around, and does not care about crossing Clan boundaries
Sharing tongues - Cats grooming each other while sharing the latest gossip. A cat lies on the ground, talking, while the other grooms their fur, listening.
She-cat - A female cat.
She-kit - A female kit.
Silver boulder - A boulder that, when the silver disc is pulled off, holds Twoleg rubbish. To Twolegs, they are just trash cans/bins.
Silverpelt - The large swath of stars in the sky (believed in fandom to be the Milky Way). These stars are a direct representation of StarClan.
Silverthorn - Barbed wire.
Smooth boulder-thing - Twoleg ball.
Snowmelt - A term used to describe slush or dirty, melted snow.
Soft boulder - A pillow or cushion.
Tree-eater - A bulldozer.
Thunderpath - A paved road with an extremely acrid smell that cars often go across.
Tom/tomcat - A male cat.
Tom-kit- a male kit.
Twoleg - A human.
Twoleg kit - A human child.
Twoleg nest - A human's house.
Twolegplace - A town, city, or village where Twolegs live.
Telling Time;
Newleaf - The season of spring.
Greenleaf - The season of summer.
Leaf-fall - The season of autumn or fall.
Leaf-bare - The season of winter.
Moon - The time between one full moon and the next, spanning about 29 days, a month.
Moonhigh - When the moon is the highest in the sky; about midnight.
Moonrise - The time when the moon rises.
Half-moon - About two weeks, half a month.
Quarter-moon - About a week.
Sunhigh - The point during the day when the sun is highest in the sky; noon.
Sunrise - One day in cat time.
Season - A quarter of a year in cat time. Four seasons equal a year.
Heartbeat - A split second.
Claw-moon - When the moon resembles the shape of an unsheathed claw, equivalent to crescent moon.
Sundown - Dusk.
Sunup - Dawn. Dawn it still used though e.g. "Dawn patrol".
Fox-length - About the length of a fox; approximately a yard.
Kittenstep or kitstep - About the length of kit's step; approximately an inch or a half inch.
Measurements:
Tail-length - About the length of a cat's tail; approximately a foot.
Rabbit hop or rabbit length - About a foot and a half away.
Mouse-length - About two or three inches.
Pawstep - About the length of a grown cat's step, roughly six inches.
Tree-length - About the length of a tree; around 40 to 50 feet.
Phrases:
As easy as swallowing a minnow - A phrase used to indicate easiness of the task.
As much use as a dead fox - A (harsh) insult, meaning the recipient is useless.
Bees in your brain - An exclamation meaning confusion or a cat not making sense.
Buzzardfood- Alternative of crowfood, used before the start of the Clans.
Chickfeed- Alternative of crowfood, used before the start of the Clans.
crazier than a fox in a fit! - An insult used when a cat (or cats) are acting crazy. Another variation uses "madder" instead of "crazier."
Doesn't matter a whisker/Doesn't catch so much as a whisker - An exclamation meaning the cat does not care, similar to I don't give a mousetail. Or saying that a patrol didn't catch anything.
Doormouse - An expression or exclamation used against a cat who sleeps a lot.
Drypaw - A cat that dislikes getting wet.
Dungface- An (harsh) insult.
Like LionClan/TigerClan - An expression stating that a cat does something very fiercely or well.
Flea-brain, Furball, Fuzz-brain, Minnow-brain - A (friendly, yet harsh) insult. Severity of the insult is almost always decided by tone.
Fox-dung - A (harsh) insult comparing the recipient to fox feces. Also used as an exclamation.
Frog-dung - Same as fox-dung.
Great StarClan! - An exclamation used to signify extreme surprise or anger.
Hare-dung - Used as an exclamation, similar to "mouse-dung".
When hedgehogs will fly - An exclamation style statement that shows disbelief that a certain event will likely occur.
How in Silverpelt? - An exclamation used meaning "How in the world?"
I don't give a mousetail/They wouldn't give a mousetail - An exclamation meaning that the cat does not care. Another variation is I would ____ for a couple of mousetails meaning that they are willing to do the inserted action for no real reward. Can also mean that a cat would be stingy enough not to share a mousetail.
I'd have shredded you into mousedust/mousemeat! - to gravely injure, rip to shreds.
May StarClan light your path/Banish all the fleas from your nest - A friendly term used to tell others they wish them well.
May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter when you sleep- An ancient farewell used by all the Clans, to say goodbye to loved ones on their way to StarClan.
Mouse-hearted - An insult that describes one who is cowardly.
Mousefodder - An insult describing that the cat is worthless or a kittypet.
Once a kittypet, always a kittypet! - A harsh phrase used to describe a cat with kittypet roots.
(Only) StarClan knows (what) - Sometimes used to answer a question that is impossible to answer.
Pain in the tail - An insult meaning a cat is irritating or lazy.
Scaredy-mouse/sparrow! - A similar expression to scaredy-cat, but in cat terms.
Snake-tongue - An insult meaning cold or unfair.
Sorry catches no prey or Sorry fills no bellies - Means cats can be sorry, but that will not change the past.
StarClan's kits! - An exclamation of surprise or disbelief. Sometimes used as an exclamation if a cat is hurt.
Tabbies don't change their stripes - means that a cat doesn't change their nature.
What in StarClan's name?- A exclamation similar to "What on earth?" or "What in the world?"
That's a load of badger droppings - A harsh exclamation saying that something is nonsense.
Thistles and thorns - Used to describe bad luck.
You fight/hunt like a kittypet! - An expression used to insult or tease a cat who fights/hunts poorly.
Who made dirt in his/her fresh kill/nest?- A phrase to describe a cranky or suddenly moody cat.
Who ruffled their fur?- A similar way of saying "who got under their skin?" But in cat terms.
Rabbit-brain- An insult that is friendly but harsh.
Camp - The place where a Clan makes their permanent home.
Leader's den - The den in camp that belongs to the Clan leader.
Medicine cat's den - The den in camp that belongs to the Clan's medicine cat and his or her apprentice. Sometimes referred to as the medicine den.
Warriors' den - The den in camp that is shared between the warriors and the deputy of that Clan.
Apprentices' den - The den in camp that is shared between the apprentices of that Clan.
Elders' den - The den in camp that is shared between the elders of that Clan.
Nursery - The den in camp that is shared by the queens and kits of that Clan.
Dirtplace - The place near the camp where cats go to urinate or excrete.
Fresh-kill pile - The place, usually in the center of the camp, where the warriors drop the prey they caught while hunting, so it is easily accessible to all the cats in the Clan.
