I can assume the number like 37 is the amount of an item I have in the upper left portion of the item picture.

I am wondering why IF I make 9 cat eye potions then go to the drink potion section and drink cat eye .... why does it make me drink all nine of the potions . I thought it was just the gamepad I was using and a mistake in the interface or something but the keyboard and mouse deos it oo. Is there a way to drink just one of the many duplicate potions that I have?

Your assumption about the number is correct.

You don't actually drink all your nine potions. It's designed like that so you can't select the same potion twice. Probably they would stack if you could.

Which gives me an idea... hypothetically, if one would use the mod where the duration and/or intensitiy of a potion are different each time (to add a little flavor to alchemy), the potions don't stack in the inventory, one could probably stack the effects of similar potions ... ;)

Aye, AudreyWinter is right. It only 'hides' all the potions in the stack, to show you that you've already selected that potion. Only one potion will be consumed upon hitting 'drink potions.' When you noticed this, didn't you even bother to test it before coming here and asking about it? I mean, it's just a simple act of clicking 'drink potions' anyway, and just see what happens - to either confirm or dismiss your own theory? :)