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[[quoteright:250:[[Manga/KiniroMosaic https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_fauxpaw.png]] ]]
[[caption-width-right:250:[[MemeticMutation Like, y'know, nyah?]]]]

A character is supposed to be imitating or acting like a cat, so they start batting at a moving object with their fingers curled inwards to imitate the rounded look of a cat paw. Bonus points if they start licking this faux paw. This move is often favored by {{Catgirl}}s.

This move also doesn't actually make any sense if the person in question is supposed to be [[MyInstinctsAreShowing acting on actual cat instinct]]: when a real cat grabs at something, its digits will be splayed out as far as possible to maximize their grab capacity. When that's ''not'' what they're doing, the motion serves two purposes: it more closely mimics the shape of a cat's paw than a fingers-extended position does, and it reinforces that the person is imitating a cat, not merely swatting at a mosquito.

Contrast HumanlikeFootAnatomy.

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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/TokyoMewMew'': Ichigo bats and licks when she first becomes a Mew.
* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': Ranma does this when his [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes ailurophobia]] drives him into thinking he's a cat. Justified in that he's not actually supposed to ''be'' a cat or part-cat; he's just acting how he perceives a cat would.
* ''Manga/SoulEater'': Blair in her human form. Strange, since she as a cat would stretch her arms out.
* Botan from ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' does this when behaving "catty".
* Matsuri and Miu, in episode 51 of ''Manga/StrawberryMarshmallow'', each don kitty ears (''not'' the kitty hat from episodes 8 & 43). Matsuri mimics does the Faux Paw maneuver (just batting, no licking), to Nobue's delight. Miu behaves more like a cat that's lashing out. Nobue doesn't think so highly of this.
* Himari, the title catgirl of ''Manga/OmamoriHimari'', is quite prone to this, as seen in Chapter 1.
* In ''Manga/KOn'', Azusa does this while donning cat ears, resulting in the other girls [[CutenessProximity swooning over her]] (and giving her the nickname "Azu-nyan").
* Hazuki in ''Anime/TsukuyomiMoonPhase'', especially in the opening. You can watch it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNWr_Jlx6p0 here.]]
* ''Anime/CarriedByTheWindTsukikageRan'': Meow is using the "Iron Cat Fist."
* ''Literature/HighSchoolDXD'': Official illustrations of [[CatGirl Kuroka]] often have her doing the gesture, fitting for her habit of mimicking cat-like mannerisms as much as possible.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comedy]]
* Used in Creator/JimGaffigan's stand-up routine. "Just cause I make a hot catwoman... meow..."
* According to behind-the-scenes commentary, this is how Creator/WillFerrell auditioned for ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''. He did a deadly serious impersonation of a cat playing with various objects and grooming himself.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Comicbook/{{Empowered}} as Schrodinger's Catgirl (in an ImagineSpot).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In ''Series/PrettyGuardianSailorMoon'', Luna does this when she's in human form.
* ''Series/BigWolfOnCampus'': An episode features a werecat who performs the Faux Paw maneuver.
* ''Franchise/KamenRider'':
** [[TheHero Shoutaro]] of ''Series/KamenRiderDouble'' claims to be able to work out where a missing cat is the same way he finds missing people: by getting into the cat's mindset. He does so by performing a FauxPaw [[CloudCuckooLander and meowing]]. Not only does this work, but [[spoiler: the woman he was hired by had ulterior motives, and ''never actually had a cat in the first place'']].
** As part of her cat motif, [[SpoiledSweet Neon]] [[TheOjou Kurama]] of ''Series/KamenRiderGeats'' does this as part of her transformation pose whenever she turns into Kamen Rider Na-go.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theater]]
* Used by performers in Andrew Lloyd Weber's ''Theatre/{{Cats}}''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''[[Music/{{Vocaloid}} Project Diva Extend]]'': Hatsune Miku in the [[CatGirl Nekomimi Switch]] PV.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* Done by Ellen to Nanase's ponytail in ''WebComic/ElGoonishShive'' several times starting [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-06-18 here.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* The character of Charles "Upchuck" Ruttenheimer in ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'', KavorkaMan and would-be romeo, tends to do this a lot when appreciating a feisty lady, usually with a noise sounding like "Rrrrowlll!"
[[/folder]]
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