Cat Code

The Cat Code is a code to describe real, actual cats.

Smurgling

The code makes reference to “smurgling” even in its first version in 1993. Jay Fenton of rec.pets.cats coined the phrase in May 1993:

Our yellow tabby cat named Tex has an unusual habit we call smurgling. He gets very purry, starts kneeding with his paws, and then starts sucking on you. His favorite places to smurgle are the back of the neck and on your arm. We try and discourage this behavior, which seems related to nursing as a kitten. He still wants to do it. Sometimes he smurgles a blanket when we won’t let him smurgle us.

A definition was later added to the code:

Note: “smurgling” is defined as kneading some part of a person’s body or clothing while simultaneously nuzzling, licking or sucking.

Decoder notes

Cat codes are required to start with a name and a colon, and the physical characteristics are required to be in order. Though the decoder is flexible, it does require that names start on their own lines, since otherwise they would be difficult to distinguish from other attributes.