Ailuranthropy comes from the Greek words ailouros meaning "cat", and anthropos, meaning "human" and refers to human/feline transformations, or to other beings that combine feline and human characteristics. Its root word is also used in ailurophobia, the most common term for a phobia of cats.
Ailuranthrope is a lesser-known term that refers to a feline therianthrope.
Depending on the story in question, the species involved can be a domestic cat,[1] a tiger,[2] a lion,[3] a leopard,[4] a lynx, or any other type, including some that are purely mythical felines.[5]