Thread: Коты и кошки. Как называть?

А можно вопрос. А как на английском кота от кошки отличают?

Originally Posted by rv9yw

А можно вопрос. А как на английском кота от кошки отличают?

Cats can be male or female in English.
But male cats can also be called Toms
And female cats can also be called Queens

rv9yw,
female cat (кошка)
male cat, tomcat (кот)
kitten (котёнок)

Originally Posted by Deborski

Cats can be male or female in English.
But male cats can also be called Toms
And female cats can also be called Queens

I know it may sound ambiguous but don't you call a female cat Pussy?
I remember very well a children's rhyme I learned in the nursery-school.
It went like, "Pussy-cat, Pussy-cat, can you catch that big fat rat?"

Originally Posted by Lena

I know it may sound ambiguous but don't you call a female cat Pussy?
I remember very well a children's rhyme I learned in the nursery-school.
It went like, "Pussy-cat, Pussy-cat, can you catch that big fat rat?"

Not just the females... any cat can be a pussy It just depends on his orientation

Originally Posted by Deborski

Not just the females... any cat can be a pussy It just depends on his orientation

I hope all your cats are straight.

Originally Posted by Lena

I hope all your cats are straight.

Our cats are all neuter

Originally Posted by Deborski

Our cats are all neuter

Well, good for them. At least they are down by one problem.

Originally Posted by Lena

I hope all your cats are straight.

Гомофобией попахивает...

Originally Posted by Lampada

Гомофобией попахивает...

Да нет, вообще-то я без предрассудков. Просто беспокоилась, чтобы котика не испортила суровая действительность.

Originally Posted by Paul G.

rv9yw,
female cat (кошка)
male cat, tomcat (кот)
kitten (котёнок)

Note that with any pet animal, it's perfectly okay to use "boy" and "girl" -- because, you know, pets are like children. So you can say "girl cat" for кошка, and "boy dog" for пёс, etc.

However, if you're talking about wild animals, it's much better to use "male" and "female" -- if you say "boy shark" or "girl elephant" or whatever, it sounds a bit childish (or foreign).

Полное имя моего пса по документам "Dexter Snow boy" Так что он "boy dog".
Спасибо Throbert, Deb and Паша.

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

However, if you're talking about wild animals, it's much better to use "male" and "female" -- if you say "boy shark" or "girl elephant" or whatever, it sounds a bit childish (or foreign).

I know, if you use "male/female" for cats it sounds close to Russian самец/самка, a bit formal. We also use "boy/girl" in Russian for pets.

I know it may sound ambiguous but don't you call a female cat Pussy?
I remember very well a children's rhyme I learned in the nursery-school.
It went like, "Pussy-cat, Pussy-cat, can you catch that big fat rat?"

The term is used less frequently now as it's developed in to a generally considered inappropriate word. But traditionally it could be used for any type of cat.