Cats phrases and words in Chinese
China has one of the most enthusiastic cat cultures in the world — 撸猫 (petting cats) is a national stress-relief activity, cat cafés are everywhere, and Chinese social media is saturated with feline content. But the real depth is in how Chinese has absorbed cats into everyday metaphor: cats stand for hidden tricks, self-deprecating ownership, independent personalities, furtive indulgences, and anything that operates outside normal rules. These expressions range from classical proverbs to contemporary internet slang, all in active everyday use.
11 phrases · meanings & example sentences
“猫腻”
Something fishy, underhanded, or shady going on; a hidden trick, a concealed flaw, or a dodgy element that someone doesn't want you to find. '这里面有猫腻' (there's something dodgy here) is one of the most commonly used everyday expressions in Mandarin for when something smells off. The character combination evokes a cat's cunning and concealment.
- 这个合同条款太模糊了，里面肯定有猫腻
- 价格比市场价低了一半，我觉得有猫腻，没敢买
- 他解释了半天，越说越觉得有猫腻
“撸猫”
To stroke or pet cats — the national stress-relief activity; visiting a cat café or simply petting one's own cat as a form of mood restoration. The term has expanded beyond the literal act to describe any soothing, low-effort pleasure that restores your energy and calm after a rough day or week. Heard in offices, in group chats, and in descriptions of self-care routines.
- 今天开了五个小时会，晚上就想回家撸猫
- 上班压力太大了，周末去猫咖撸猫充个电
- 她一边撸猫一边看剧，整个人放松下来了
“铲屎官”
Poop scooping official — the affectionate, self-deprecating term Chinese cat owners use for themselves: the person officially in charge of cleaning the litter box and doing all the unglamorous maintenance work for a creature who completely ignores them. Widely used as a badge of honour among cat owners and applied more broadly to anyone doing thankless, invisible work to keep something they love running smoothly.
- 我家猫把花盆打翻了，我这个铲屎官默默收拾了一下午
- 当了三年铲屎官，终于让它愿意坐到我腿上了
- 养猫之后才明白，铲屎官不是称号，是职业
“猫咪”
Kitty — a term of endearment for anything small, cute, or delightfully harmless. While literally meaning a small cat, 猫咪 is used freely as a pet name in relationships, a way to describe a cute person or animal, or as a description of anything with a gentle, soft, appealing quality. Universally understood and widely used across all ages on Chinese internet and in speech.
- 她发来一段视频，里面的猫咪一直在揉被子，太治愈了
- 男友管她叫猫咪，她觉得很甜
- 这款耳机的颜色太可爱了，像猫咪的颜色
“猫性”
Cat nature — the quality of being independent, aloof, self-directed, and operating entirely on one's own schedule with no regard for what others expect. Used for people who are unmistakably doing things their way, refuse to be domesticated by social expectations, and show up only when they feel like it. Often used with admiration as much as mild exasperation.
- 她猫性十足，想来就来，想走就走，谁也管不了
- 他不参加任何活动，完全是猫性——只有在自己感兴趣的时候才现身
- 这个品牌走的就是猫性路线，神秘、自我、不迎合大众
“偷腥”
Secretly eating fishy things — what cats are famous for doing when no one is watching. Used as a widely understood euphemism for cheating on a partner or sneaking indulgences you know you shouldn't have. The fishy reference captures both the secretiveness and the irresistible temptation that motivates the behaviour.
- 出差那几天他在偷腥，回来被发现了
- 在减肥，但昨晚还是偷腥吃了一块蛋糕
- 她一直怀疑他有偷腥的迹象，但没有证据
“九命猫”
Nine-lives cat — someone who repeatedly survives impossible situations that should have finished them, whether in business, politics, personal life, or any adversarial situation. The belief in a cat's nine lives translates directly into Chinese as a metaphor for anyone who keeps bouncing back against all rational odds.
- 他公司三次差点倒闭，三次都撑过来了。九命猫一样
- 那个明星丑闻一个接一个，还是活跃在娱乐圈。九命猫
- 车祸、手术、裁员——他就是九命猫，总能扛过去
“猫鼠游戏”
Cat and mouse game — a prolonged tactical chase in which both sides keep anticipating each other's next move without either side delivering a decisive blow. Used for drawn-out rivalries between companies, regulators and businesses, negotiators, or any two parties locked in a back-and-forth that neither can resolve cleanly.
- 监管部门和这家科技公司之间的猫鼠游戏已经持续了好几年
- 他俩的感情关系就是一场猫鼠游戏，追来追去，谁也不表态
- 两个谈判团队玩了半年猫鼠游戏，最后才签合同
“没有猫是不爱鱼的”
There's no cat that doesn't love fish — everyone has their weakness; no one is incorruptible given the right temptation. A proverb used to explain why even apparently principled people or institutions eventually succumb when the right inducement is offered. Also used more lightly to point out that everyone has a particular desire they can't resist.
- 别觉得他不会被收买——没有猫是不爱鱼的
- 她号称不在乎钱，但那个价格一报出来她立刻动心了。没有猫是不爱鱼的
- 每个人都有软肋。没有猫是不爱鱼的
“猫哭耗子”
The cat crying over the mouse — fake sympathy; crocodile tears; pretending to grieve for someone or something you actually harmed or benefited from. A vivid Chinese idiom for inauthentic mourning, hollow condolences, or hypocritical concern. Used when someone's displayed sorrow is transparently insincere.
- 他害得对方失去了项目，还假意来道歉——猫哭耗子，假慈悲
- 裁员之后老板说了一堆感谢的话，员工都觉得是猫哭耗子
- 这种道歉就是猫哭耗子，谁都看得出来不是真心的
“猫有九条命”
Cats have nine lives — used both as the literal proverb about feline resilience and as a metaphor for anyone or anything that keeps surviving against the odds. Applied to people, companies, careers, and relationships that refuse to die despite repeated near-fatal blows. Often said with a mix of awe and mild disbelief.
- 这家公司已经倒闭了三次又重组了三次，猫有九条命
- 被辞退了又被重新雇回来，他真的猫有九条命
- 那段感情分了又和好，所有人都说猫有九条命
