Yes. PIE cannot be shown to have any cat-word.
As has been mentioned earlier in the history of this group, domestic
cats come *very* late to Europe. They were known in antiquity but
mostly as exotic pets. I remember a story about St. Helena
(Constantine's mommy) as the one who introduced them to Greece.
Domestic ferrets filled the mousing role now usually thought of as
occupied by cats. Quite a few people have never heard of, much less
seen a domestic ferret, but they really are effective when it comes to
rodent control. Cats have nicer personalities and more predictable
bathroom habits than do ferrets, and are just as effective as mousers.
We need to mention the word 'commensal'.
--- In cybalist@..., "João S. Lopes Filho" <jodan99@...> wrote:
> It's usually attributed to a African origin, cf. Nubian kaddi:s