Categorization in Language

I was asked to post this thread a couple days ago as an extention from a conversation in Chat.

Example of categorization diversity in language.

General English categorization of 'cat'
In english we use the general Linnean category system for biology, which he based from the already extant Indo-European folk category system of animals.
So we have as a prototype 'cat' normally house cat Felis sylvestrus. We also use subcategories of cats, wild cats, small wild cats, large cats etc... New species of cat are adopted as subcategories of cat based on their general physical and behavioral similarities with the prototype 'cat' in other words exhibits a general sense of catness.

In western mono there is no natural category of 'cat' or a category that exhibits catness as English speakers would categorize. there are 3 native species of feline in the traditional area of the Western Mono, the Bobcat (wihabichi), the Lynx (tukabichi) and the Mtn Lion (ehoka). Background info on Western Mono, it is a polysynthetic language, meaning that it is made up of categorical semantic and grammatical morphemes that combine very complexly. There is also a general animal term (Pahabichi) bear. In the native speakers mind Wiha(wild)/Tuka(eats)/Paha(tree stump)- bichi is one category or they are related species, while Ehoka is considered a completely different category, and the house cat is its own category that has a word borrowed from English (kidi' or kidi'bugu) (bugu) being the word/suffix for domesticated/pet animal. At times small scruffy haired things can be called by the -bichi suffix through metaphical extention, like hairy spiders can be called ?n?'?bichi (Scary little beast), however the bichi suffix has no direct connection in the minds of speakers as hairy or scruffy haired. Not surprisingly native speakers cannot tell me the exact meaning of the suffix bichi. It may simply be a Genus level categorization suffix as this happens on other plant and animal categories such as fruit bearing plants get a suffix -b?'.

Anyway the question I think the person who requested me to write this example wanted answered by the general population, is what does this say to you about categorization, the human mind, and its relationship with the world.

Cheers,
Russ