Note 17 - Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details) - Fair Value Hierarchy of Financial Instruments (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Financial Assets
Cash and due from banks	$ 176,830	$ 153,747
Short-term investments	489,614us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments	516,938us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments
Securities available-for-sale	1,318,935us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities	1,586,668us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
Trading securities		4,936us-gaap_TradingSecurities
Loans held-for-sale	1,225
Loans, net	8,688,072	7,760,490
Investment in Federal Home Loan Bank stock	30,785	25,000
Warrants	27caty_WarrantsFairValueDisclosure	30caty_WarrantsFairValueDisclosure
Financial Liabilities
Deposits	8,785,342us-gaap_DepositsFairValueDisclosure	7,977,639us-gaap_DepositsFairValueDisclosure
Securities sold under agreement to repurchase	473,816	852,835
Advances from Federal Home Loan Bank	424,974	521,560
Other borrowings	17,978caty_OtherBorrowingsFairValueDisclosure	16,107caty_OtherBorrowingsFairValueDisclosure
Long-term debt	59,425us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue	58,970us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Financial Assets
Cash and due from banks	176,830	153,747
Short-term investments	489,614	516,938
Securities available-for-sale	669,870	465,918
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Financial Assets
Securities available-for-sale	649,065	1,120,750
Trading securities		4,936
Investment in Federal Home Loan Bank stock	30,785	25,000
Financial Liabilities
Securities sold under agreement to repurchase	473,816	852,835
Advances from Federal Home Loan Bank	424,974	521,560
Long-term debt	59,425	58,970
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Financial Assets
Loans held-for-sale	1,225
Loans, net	8,688,072	7,760,490
Warrants	27	30
Financial Liabilities
Deposits	8,785,342	7,977,639
Other borrowings	$ 17,978	$ 16,107

Name:	caty_FinancialAssetsAbstract0
Namespace Prefix:	caty_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Name:	caty_FinancialLiabilitiesAbstract0
Namespace Prefix:	caty_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Other borrowings fair value disclosure.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caty_OtherBorrowingsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	caty_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Warrants, Fair Value Disclosure

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caty_WarrantsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	caty_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of investment in debt and equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 25

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28360136&loc=d3e22054-111558

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5

-Subparagraph (aa)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27232-111563

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6871852&loc=d3e26610-111562

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Cash

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6506951

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Cash Equivalents

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6507016

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of deposit liabilities held by the entity, including, but not limited to, foreign and domestic, interest and noninterest bearing, demand deposits, saving deposits, negotiable orders of withdrawal (NOW) and time deposits.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DepositsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of borrowing from Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.13(3)(a))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FederalHomeLoanBankBorrowingsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of investments in Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank) stock.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 325

-SubTopic 20

-Section 25

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=29638263&loc=d3e39828-111592

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentInFederalHomeLoanBankStockFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of loans held-for-sale including, but not limited to, mortgage loans and finance receivables.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansHeldForSaleFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of loan receivable, including, but not limited to, mortgage loans held for investment, finance receivables held for investment, policy loans on insurance contracts.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 310

-SubTopic 10

-Glossary Loan

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6517073

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansReceivableFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fair value amount of long-term debt whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of securities that an entity sells and agrees to repurchase at a specified date for a specified price.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 825

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 10

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35750535&loc=d3e13433-108611

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SecuritiesLoanedOrSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Investments which are intended to be sold in the short term (usually less than one year or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer) including trading securities, available-for-sale securities, held-to-maturity securities, and other short-term investments not otherwise listed in the existing taxonomy.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.2)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph g

-Article 7

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of investments in debt and equity securities and other forms of securities that provide ownership interests classified as trading.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6871852&loc=d3e26610-111562

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6871852&loc=d3e26626-111562

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Trading Securities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6526789

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.4)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TradingSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: