civvy cat n Also sp civ(e)y cat, pronc-spp ciffy cat, chivy cat [Varr of civet cat n] chiefly SW, Cent
= spotted skunk n.
1927 DN 5.473 Ozarks, Civvy-cat. . . A civet, a little striped skunk, very similar to the phoby-cat of the Southwest. 1944 PADS 2.55 cMO, Civvy-cat. . . A species of skunk. 1950 PADS 14.20 SC, Civey cat. . . The polecat. From civet cat. 1954 Abilene Reporter–News (TX) 17 Jan sec D 7/7, Skunks or civy cats are carriers of rabies. Wrong. These animals have to contract the disease from the bite of another animal. 1956 Ker Vocab. W. TX 196, Chivy cat [1 inf]. c1960 Wilson Coll. csKY, Civvy-cat. 1965–70 DARE (Qu. P26, Names and nicknames . . a skunk) 18 Infs, chiefly SW, Cent, Civvy cat; OK52, Ciffy [ˈsɪfɪ] cat—throws the same scent, smaller than a skunk and spotted; (Qu. P32, . . Wild animals) Infs OK42, TX67, Civvy cat. 1971 Bright Word Geog. CA & NV 185, Civet (civic / civvy) cat 13% [of infs, rural areas]. . . This was described as smaller than skunk or polecat, which were generally considered synonymous, although a few thought skunk the larger of the two. 2008 in 2016 DARE File—Internet AR, Civy cat, I saw one at the Russelleville fur sale in Arkansas bring 25 bucks, straight skunk was running 2.50 to 7.50. 2009 Ibid SD, Locally people here call them civey cats, they are spotted skunks. 2010 Ibid neOK, When my Dad was a kid, he ran a trapline for “civvy cats” (civets or spotted skunks). 2014 Ibid ceGA, Mamma talked about civy cats down here. . . Had an uncle down here that coon hunted, and he’d say something occasionally about wampuscats and civeycats like they were two different creatures.