Kittenfishing is making yourself look better online with heavily edited photos or exaggerated details, without fully faking your identity.
Kittenfishing is a milder cousin of catfishing. Instead of pretending to be someone else entirely, you present an overly flattering version of yourself.
Common examples include heavily filtered or years old photos, shaving years off your age, inflating your job title, or listing hobbies you barely do.
The profile is technically you, just polished past the point of accuracy. The disappointment usually lands in person, when reality does not match the pictures.
Most people do a little self promotion online, so the line is about degree. Choosing your best photo is normal, using a photo from a decade ago is kittenfishing.
The practical risk is that exaggeration backfires. A date who feels misled rarely gives a second chance, so honest photos and details tend to serve you better.