He Looks Serious Doesn't He...

The origin of the term "Tom Cat"

The derivation for the phrase "Tom Cat" (often written as one word, "tomcat"), refers to a male cat. The term originates from "Tom," a generic name historically used for male animals (similar to "Jack" for donkeys or "Billy" for goats), combined with "cat." "Tom" was applied to male kittens as early as around 1300. The compound form "tomcat" for a full-grown male cat is first attested in print in 1809, but earlier uses appear in the 1770s, such as in 1772 writings by playwright Thomas Bridges. 

It was popularized by the anonymous 1760 book The Life and Adventures of a Cat, in which the male protagonist cat is named Tom (short for "Tom the Cat"). This book, a satirical novel published in London, helped cement "Tom" as a standard name for male cats, leading to the widespread adoption of "tomcat."

By the 19th century, "tom" or "tomcat" extended to males of other animals (e.g., "tom-turkey" by 1846) and even took on slang meanings, such as a promiscuous man or the verb "tomcatting" (pursuing women casually), first recorded in 1927. The phrase has no direct connection to modern usages like the Tom Cat character in Tom and Jerry cartoons, which simply draws from this established term for a male cat.

[Why isn't Thomas Cat ear tipped? I've only taken over the colony's care recently. At the moment I'm completely dedicated to building the cats' trust. I'll consider the traumatic action of trapping come spring. Almost all of the other colony cats are already spayed/neutered. - Doug Hines]

HAVE CAT FOOD AT HOME THAT YOUR CATS WON'T EAT?  DONATE IT TO THE COLONY CATS!