I use this term a lot in posts. Most people don't know what it means, so here's a bit about the word, its history, and what it means:
It's an old British term used to describe a street cat. Now, it's used to describe a mixed breed/shelter cat. This doesn't mean that it's necessarily demeaning, it's actually meant to be a term of endearment, but it's often used as a derogatory term. It really depends on the meaning behind its use.
The origin of the word is often misunderstood. Some believe that it's derived from the term "Mongrol", referring to a dog of mixed breeds, which seems logical but it's not so. Others believe that it comes from its earlier depiction of a cow or a calf that was then used to describe an untidy homeless woman in the 1800s. Despite these beliefs, the real origin story is that in Lancashire, England, mice were called moggies, and the cats that catch them, "moggie catchers." The nickname was later shortened to "moggie."
Works Cited
Ed, "Moggy - origin of the word," MoggyBlog, 30 August 2007,
Fredriksen, Peter, "Why Are Cats Called Moggies? Full Explanation," Manolopets, 15 June 2021
If moggies are street cats, does that mean they got street cred?