... are you confident of that the spelling "Kzinretti" was used in the source? (I just want to be sure that if it is a misspelling it is original to the source. When poking around the internet, I was thinking that maybe it had just been mis-transcribed, since Niven's spelling for a female Kzin is Kzinrret and its plural is Kzinrretti. But if you are sure this specific spelling was used in the source, that might also help. On the other hand, if you're not sure one way or another, that might help too.) Again, thanks much!
Also, does anyone else reading this have any TFF-related Starlog issues or a copy of this "Handbook of Production Information" to aid in the investigation?
Every Trek movie came with a "Handbook of Production Information" , sent out to (some) Star Trek clubs and the media as part of a press kit (with a few slides, photos, etc), or as just the booklet.
My spelling is definitely correct for the resource I read. (Until then, I'd only remembered Niven - and TAS? - calling non sentient kzinti females as "kzinti females".) The more I try to recall it, I actually think it may have been an online interview with stunt actress Linda Fetters on a specialist theatrical makeup website, but it doesn't seem to be around any more. (I remember googling her name to find good images of her in costume.) Keep in mind that the spelling would be the transcriber's estimation after the oral interview with Ms Fetters. The transcriber would have no idea that Niven was so pedantic on spellings.
I usually have a good memory for my sources, but I'm afraid I just remember reading and pouncing on the snippet around the time I first compiled the Toon Trek list. My Starlogs are in all storage, as are my Starlog movie tie-in mags.