You may have heard somebody refer to a cat as a feline from time to time and wondered if this is correct. Are cats really considered felines and if so what does the word feline mean? Cats are in fact considered felines. The word feline can be described using one or more of the various definitions below:
- Cat, the domesticated cat
- Felidae, the cat family which includes lions, tigers, panthers, etc.
- Felinae, the subfamily of Felidae that includes domestic cats and/or smaller wild cats.
- Of, relating to, or belonging to the Felidae, a family of predatory mammals, including cats, leopards, and cheetahs, typically having a round head and retractile claws.
- Resembling or suggestive of a cat, especially in stealth or grace.
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