What does catnapper mean?
A catnapper is most commonly understood as a person who steals a cat — the word is built on the model of 'kidnapper,' replacing 'kid' with 'cat.' It carries an informal register and often appears in news reports, community notices, or light-hearted accounts of missing pets, where it may imply something more mischievous than criminal. A second, more playful sense has developed from the verb 'to catnap': a catnapper in this usage is simply someone who takes short, light naps during the day, as cats famously do. Which sense applies depends almost entirely on context, since the two meanings share nothing but the word itself. The word's charm lies in this double life: it can describe a petty pet thief prowling a neighborhood or an office worker dozing through a coffee break. Because both senses are informal, writers generally avoid it in formal prose, though it adds color and wit wherever it appears.
A person who steals a cat.
"The police finally caught the catnapper responsible for the missing pets."
Informally, a person who takes a short nap; one given to catnapping.
"A lifelong catnapper, she never went anywhere without her favorite pillow."
This sense is humorous and informal, derived from the verb 'catnap' rather than from the kidnapping analogy.
Regular plural; used for both senses.
"Local shelters warned residents to watch out for catnappers."
A 'catnapper' can be either a feline felon or just someone sneaking forty winks — context decides whether to call the police or simply hush.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of catnapper
Catnapper is a compound of 'cat' and 'napper,' formed in imitation of 'kidnapper,' which itself derives from 'kidnap' — originally a late 17th-century term for stealing children or livestock ('kid' + 'nap,' from 'nab,' to seize). The cat-stealing sense arose as a natural analog once 'kidnap' was firmly associated with human abduction. The napping sense derives separately from 'catnap,' a word attested from the early 19th century that likens a brief sleep to a cat's habit of dozing.
Related word forms
How catnapper is actually used
Both senses are informal. The 'cat thief' sense is the older and more established one, formed on the pattern of 'kidnapper'; the napping sense is a playful derivative of the verb 'catnap' and is used chiefly in casual or humorous contexts.
Easily confused with catnapper
A kidnapper abducts people, while a catnapper steals cats or, informally, takes a brief nap.