Crossword Genius

Take hold of feline companion (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

catch

'take hold' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'feline companion' is the wordplay.
'feline' becomes 'cat' (cat is a kind of feline).
'companion' becomes 'ch' (Companion of Honour).
'cat'+'ch'='CATCH'

'of' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for catch that I've seen before include "Snag; be in time for (train)" , "Get a grip on" , "Book by Joseph Heller" , "Trap - hear - contract" , "secure" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app