The correct plural form of cat is cats. E.g., “I have two cats.” Furthermore, cat’s is the singular possessive form. E.g., “My cat’s paw is injured.” While the plural possessive is cats’. E.g., “Cats’ paws are extremely sensitive.”
The following chart breaks down the different forms of spelling cat.
| Singular | Cat |
| Plural | Cats |
| Singular possessive | Cat’s |
| Plural possessive | Cats’ |
Firstly, as you can see in the chart, you only need an apostrophe on the possessive forms of cat. Here are some examples of how you can use the different forms correctly.
- Singular: My oldest cat is called Stacey.
- Plural: My cats are called Stacey and Juana.
- Singular possessive: My oldest cat’s name is Stacey.
- Plural possessive: My cats’ names are Stacey and Juana.
In the first two examples, there is no noun that can belong to the cats. Therefore, you shouldn’t add an apostrophe. However, you need the apostrophe in the two last examples because the names belong to the cats.
Please keep reading the rest of the page, where we explain each of the different forms in more detail and explain when you should use each.
Cat’s
The word cat’s is the singular possessive form of cat. Therefore, you use the word cat’s to refer to something belonging to a single cat, such as a physical object, characteristic, or part of its anatomy.
Here are some examples of cat’s in a sentence:
- My cat’s personality is somewhat challenging, but I love him.
- The cat’s eyes opened wide when he saw the dog coming towards him.
Cats’
For the plural possessive form of cat, you must put the apostrophe after the “s” at the end of the word.
You use this form to mention things that belong to a plural quantity of cats. Specifically, a plural quantity can include as few as two cats, or it can mean all cats.
Here are some examples referring to just several cats. In these examples, because of the words “both“ and “each other,” we can tell that we are talking about a specific number of cats rather than all cats.
- My cats’ beds are both in the kitchen.
- The cats’ paws were injured because they had been fighting each other.
And here are some examples of the plural possessive form of cats referring to all cats.
- Cats’ habitats are being destroyed by urban expansion.
- Cats’ behavior bothers some people, who find them less friendly than dogs.
Cats
The word cats is the plural form of the noun cat. Therefore, you use the term cats to refer to two or more felines.
Here are some examples of the term cats in a sentence:
- Cats are renowned for their nonchalant demeanor.
- My sister has four cats that she rescued from the street.
Firstly, you can notice that there is no apostrophe when using the plural form of cat. This is because you only need an apostrophe when you refer to something belonging to a cat.
For example:
- Cats’ demeanor is renowned for being nonchalant.