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Catness: What Makes a Cat a Cat

Do you ever just get those random thoughts that pop into your head?  Maybe its a fact, joke or quote that you heard from a professor, friend or family-member, but regardless of its source, it just pops up out of nowhere.

Today, for some reason, the idea of catness popped into my head.  What is catness?  What makes a cat a cat?  If most people were asked what makes a cat a cat, they’d most likely come up with a list like: a cat has four legs; a cat has fur; a cat has whiskers; a cat chased mice; a cat purrs, etc.

Here’s what popped into my head:  If a cat only has three legs is it still a cat?  What if the cat was one of those hairless cats with no fur or whiskers?  What if the cat didn’t purr or chase mice, would it still be a cat?

If a cat can possess none of the typical cat qualities, but still be a cat, then what does that mean for humans?  What makes a human a human?