What is a pussycat? Is it just another synonym for cat? Or does it define a particular type of cat?
To understand what a pussycat is, it might help to know what a pussycat is not. If you've ever been a cat watcher, surely you have observed that there are some cats to whom each day is the Fourth of July. To them every day is Independence Day. None of that household petting for them! No matter which way they're stroked, they don't want any part of it. That is not a pussycat!
Then what is a pussycat? A pussycat is a cat that responds to anyone who beckons, "Here, kitty, kitty." It will follow anything from a total stranger to a piece of string dragged across the floor. A pussycat will roll over and paw the air, trying to grab whatever is dangled before it. Anytime you hear about a cat being chased up a tree and having to be rescued by the fire department—more than likely that's a pussycat. To summarize, a pussycat is a marshmallow with whiskers.
