What is the difference?
Catfishing vs Kittenfishing
Both describe misleading dating profiles, and the names are deliberately similar. Catfishing uses a fake identity, often to deceive or defraud; kittenfishing is a real person presenting an overly flattering version of themselves.
Kittenfishing
Presenting a noticeably flattering or outdated version of yourself on a dating profile: old photos, heavy filters or small fibs about height or age.
Full entrySide by side
CatfishingKittenfishing
IdentityCatfishingFalse: often someone else's photos and invented details.KittenfishingReal, but oversold.
Typical examplesCatfishingStolen photos, refusing video calls, stories that do not add up.KittenfishingOld photos, heavy filters, small fibs about height or age.
Usual motiveCatfishingRanges from loneliness to deliberate fraud, harassment or sextortion.KittenfishingUsually insecurity rather than malice.
ConsequencesCatfishingUndermines informed consent; can lead to financial or emotional harm.KittenfishingDisappointment on a first date.
What to doCatfishingReverse image search and report the profile to the app.KittenfishingRecent, honest photos set expectations you can meet.
In short
A catfish is not who they say they are; a kittenfish is, just with older photos and a few extra centimetres.
What they have in common
Both involve a gap between the profile and reality, and both erode trust in online dating.
More comparisons
- Affirmative consentvsEnthusiastic consentAffirmative consent is about getting a clear yes; enthusiastic consent goes a step further and cares whether that yes is truly wanted.
- AsexualvsAromanticAsexual answers "do I feel sexual attraction?"; aromantic answers "do I feel romantic attraction?". A person can be one, both or neither.
- Bacterial vaginosisvsThrushA fishy smell points more towards BV, itching more towards thrush, but symptoms overlap, so it is worth getting them checked by a pharmacist, doctor or sexual health clinic.
- BDSMvsIntimate partner violence 18+Calling something BDSM never makes non-consensual harm acceptable. If limits are pushed, safewords ignored or fear creeps in, it is abuse, and domestic abuse services can help.
Last reviewed 10 October 2026. Spotted a mistake?