What is a chonk?
Also referred to as chonky, a chonk cat is an internet slang word used to refer to an overweight or obese cat and is a play on the word chunk or chunky. The term was originally coined in response to a modified body condition score chart which is an animal equivalent of the body mass index (BMI) and was posted on a Facebook group in 2018 before being widely shared on Twitter and Reddit. In fact, there is now a sub-reddit set up for chonky cats.
Chonk was originally used to describe fat cats but is now used to describe any fat animal including dogs, penguins, seals and even a chonky black snake.
While chonky cats may look adorable to many, obesity carries many serious health risks which can impact the quality of a cat’s life and should be taken seriously.
Chonk is just one word in an ever-evolving dictionary of cute Internet words known as catto or doggo lingo.
Synonyms
- Chonky
- Thicc
Antonyms
- Smol
Full catto lingo guide
| Word | Meaning |
| Absolute unit | A large cat or dog |
| Airplane/aeroplane ears | When a cat flattens and angles its ears and they look like the wings of a plane |
| Angery | Angry cat |
| Attacc | When a cat attacks |
| Baked beans | When a cat extends its paws towards a heat source |
| Bamboozle | Do a confuse |
| Beans | Toes |
| Bean sprouts | The tufts of fur between a cat’s toes |
| Big steppy | Stretch with only one peet forward |
| Bikkies | Cat biscuits/snacks |
| Birb | Bird |
| Blep | When a cat leaves a small portion of its tongue sticking out |
| Boi | A cat, not necessarily a boy |
| Bonk | Lovingly head-butt one’s hooman |
| Boop | A little tap on a cat or dog’s nose with your finger |
| Botthørlë | Cat butt |
| Bouffées de trouble | Testicles |
| Cattitude | A cat with an attitude |
| Cat tax | A requirement to post a photo of a cat |
| Catto | Cat |
| Chimken | Chicken or a naked catto (ie; Sphynx) |
| Chonk | A chunky cat |
| Chonk in training | Cat or kitten who is not quite chonky yet but has chonk potential |
| Chonklet | Chonky kitten |
| Chooch | To do something well |
| Choocher | A cat who chooches |
| Chumby | Rather plump |
| Chungus | An epic chonky cat |
| Cloud | A white cat |
| Cow | A white cat with black markings |
| Cromch | Eat by crunching wif one’s teefs |
| Cromchies | Dry cat biscuits |
| Danger dangles | Testicles |
| Danger floof | An exposed belly you want to pet but will likely encounter murder mittens |
| Danger noodle | Snake |
| Donk | Chunky dog |
| Doggo | Dog |
| Ear beards | Fur tufts inside a cat’s ears |
| Ear furnishings | Fur tufts inside a cat’s ears |
| Ekekekekekekek | The chirping sound a cat makes while watching a bird |
| Famcy | Fancy |
| Flonk | A fluffy cat or kitten |
| Floof | Fluffy cat or dog |
| Foob | Food |
| Forbidden cats | Raccoons, possums, otters, red pandas etc. |
| Frien | Friend |
| Gib | Give |
| Gorl | Female cat |
| Gremlin | A grompy hairless cat |
| Grompy | A grumpy or ill-tempered cat |
| Hamb | A cat |
| Hambina | A female cat |
| Hamblet | A kitten |
| Heckin | Used to emphasise an action (ie; ‘heckin zoomies’) |
| Henlo | Hello |
| Himb | Male cat |
| Hooman | Human |
| House panther | Black cat |
| If I fits, I sits | Cat logic for determining if it can fit into an object (usually a box) |
| Kitty glitter | Cat fur on clothing and furniture |
| Land orca | Chonky tuxedo cat |
| Loaf | When a cat sits with all paws tucked under the body, resembling a loaf of bread |
| Long boi | When a cat stretches |
| Marshmallow | A white or cream cat |
| Merp | A sudden vocalisation expressing surprise or alarm |
| Mlem | The sound of the tongue as it moves in and out of the mouth |
| Monch | Eat with enthusiam |
| Murder mittens | Paws with the claws out |
| Nakey | Hairless cat (ie: Sphynx) |
| Nip nops | Nipples |
| Nope rope | Snake |
| Norty | Naughty cat |
| Oh Lawd | A phrase used to describe the approach of an absolute unit |
| Pantaloons | The fluff on the back of a cat’s legs (also known as britches) |
| Patto | To pet a catto |
| Peets | Cat or dog feet |
| Pirate | A cat with one eye |
| Plop | Suddenly flop into a laying position |
| Pointy | When a cat’s claws are extended |
| Pooch | Droopy underbelly (primordial pouch) |
| Poopaloop | Butthole |
| Poopie zoomies | When a cat races at full speed away from the litterbox after dropping a poop |
| Poot | Fart or singular peet |
| Potate | Chonky cat in the loaf position |
| Pragonate | Pregnant cat (also referred to as pregananant, perfenat, peegnate, pergert, gregnant, pragnart, pragnent, pegrant, pregonate) |
| Purralyzed | When a cat is lying on you and you can’t move |
| Purrito | A kitten or cat wrapped in a blanket and purring |
| Razzle dazzle | To sit with one leg pointing skyward |
| Salami | A snack for hambs |
| Schmoo | A well-loved cat |
| Screm | Meow in dismay |
| Secret slonk | A cat that appears to be chonky but is just fluffy |
| Shrimpin | To lay curled up in a shrimp shape |
| Sing the song of my people | Meow repeatedly for no reason |
| Sky raisin | Fly |
| Slonk | Long, slender cat |
| Slow blink | Sign of affection or contentment a cat shows to his or humans |
| Smol | Small |
| Snacc | Treats or snacks |
| Snek | Snake |
| Snoot | A cat’s nose |
| Snoozle | A nap |
| Snout sprouts | Whiskers |
| Socks | White markings on a cat’s feet and legs |
| Spicy sky raisin | Bee or wasp |
| Sploot | Lay on the stomach with the legs splayed out behind |
| Spoopy | Heckin scary |
| Steppers | A cat’s feet |
| Stink face | Open-mouthed expression when a cat smells something (Flehmen response) |
| Stompies | Walking all over a human |
| S t r e t c h u m s | A cat stretch |
| Teef | Teeth |
| Thicc | Fat cat |
| Toasted marshmallow | A white floof with darker colouration on the ears, paws and tail (a pointed cat such as Siamese or Birman) |
| Toe beans | Cat or dog toes |
| Tortie | A tortoiseshell cat |
| Tortietude | A tortie cat with attitude |
| Triangle tail | Wobbly stage of kittehood during which the tail is triangle shaped |
| Tripod cat | A cat with three legs |
| Troublepuffs | Male testicles |
| Tummy trap | An exposed belly you want to pet but will likely encounter murder mittens |
| Void | A black cat |
| Wonky | A special needs cat |
| Woofers | Dogs |
| Zoomies | When a cat races around at full speed (usually in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep) |
Feature image: Photo by Christine Knappe on Unsplash