Supplemental Cash Flow Information	6 Months Ended
Jul. 30, 2011
Supplemental Cash Flow Information Abstract Cato [Abstract]
Supplemental Cash Flow Information	NOTE 3 - SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION: Income tax payments, net of refunds received, for the six months ended July 30, 2011 and July 31, 2010 were $15,780,000 and $13,315,000, respectively. NOTE 3 - SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION: Income tax payments, net of refunds received, for the six months ended July 30, 2011 and July 31, 2010 were $15,780,000 and $13,315,000, respectively.

Designated to encapsulate the entire footnote disclosure that provides information on the supplemental cash flow activities, including cash, noncash, and part noncash transactions, for the period. Noncash is defined as information about all investing and financing activities of an enterprise during a period that affect recognized assets or liabilities but that do not result in cash receipts or cash payments in the period. "Part noncash" refers to that portion of the transaction not resulting in cash receipts or cash payments in the period.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 95
-Paragraph 32

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