猫咪 is an affectionate, diminutive term for 'cat', commonly used when speaking to or about pet cats with warmth and tenderness—especially toward kittens or beloved household cats. While 猫 (māo) alone means 'cat' and is neutral or formal, adding 咪 (mī), which mimics a cat’s soft meowing sound, creates a reduplicated, childlike, and endearing form. This pattern of reduplication (e.g., 小狗 → 小狗狗, 孩子 → 孩子孩) is typical in Chinese for expressing cuteness, intimacy, or familiarity.

The word is widely used in daily conversation, children’s books, social media posts, and pet-related contexts. It carries no grammatical difference from 猫 but strongly signals the speaker’s emotional attitude: fondness, playfulness, or gentle care. Unlike formal writing or scientific contexts where 猫 is preferred, 猫咪 appears almost exclusively in informal, spoken, or emotionally expressive settings.