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cat2 n Cp OED marten 4: marten cat (1798-) for sense 1;
DC ~ house (Nfld: 1770-), ~ killer (Nfld: 1819), ~ path (Nfld: 1775-) for combs.
in sense 2.
1 Pine marten (Martes americana).
[1759] 1976 HEAD 173 There are here the furz of Badgers, Foxes,
Deer sometimes, the two first are much prized in this Country, & also what they Call
Cat or Marten Furz. [1778] 1792 CARTWRIGHT ii, 304 A cat had robbed a couple of [my
traps], and a brace of wolves, two of his. [1866] LLOYD 82 Of the above, the beaver,
otter, musk-rat, cat, bear, and porcupine, are eaten by the inhabitants.
2 Comb cat-house: covering placed over a trap set for
marten or lynx.
[1770] 1792 CARTWRIGHT i, 70 The furriers took
four traps out of cat-houses near home. 1792 ibid Gloss i, x ~ A hut of boughs
erected over a trap, to defend it from snow. 1819 PANL CS 1 [He found] an Indians Arrow
drawn through the roof of the Cat House at the end of the Path.
cat-killer: deadfall trap for taking marten and lynx.
1792 CARTWRIGHT Gloss i, x The Cat-killer, one end of which
turns upon a nail which is driven into a strong stake, and the other is supported high up
by a line which passes over a crutch on the top of a stake and then comes down to another
at the bottom, under which one end of the tongue is fixed, while the other supports the
bridge; which being pressed by the animal, disengages the point of the tongue, that sets
the cat-killer at liberty and it falls down upon the ground-killer.
cat-path: trail prepared for the trapping of marten or lynx.
[1775] 1792 CARTWRIGHT ii, 130 Two others were cutting cat-paths
from the south side of the harbour.
cat-trap: device for
snaring marten or lynx.
[1777] 1792 CARTWRIGHT ii, 276 Jack went
to the cat-traps, but they were so covered with snow, that they could not strike up. 1819
PANL CS 1 I found five of my Cat Traps set as I supposed to protect their Venison from
the Cats. 1894 Evening Herald 13 Dec I have been ... to some of my rabbit
snares and [steel] traps, cat traps and mink traps.
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