Civet cat is an imprecise term that is used for a variety of cat-like creatures such as:
- The Ringtail or North American Civet Cat (Bassariscus astutus), related to the raccoons;
- The musk-producing African Civet (Civettictis civetta)
- The Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), a true cat
- The African Wildcat (Felis silvestris libyca), a true cat
- The spotted skunks, skunks of the genus ''Spilogale
- The Asian Palm Civet, (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), also known as the Common Palm Civet, Toddy Cat, Uguduwa (in Sri Lanka), Marapatti (in Kerala, India).
The term Civet cat is best avoided to prevent confusion among viverrids, raccoons and cats.