It’s interesting that in English there are collective nouns that denote a group of animals–a herd of cattle, a flock of gulls–but what do you call a group of cats? Or what’s the name for a group of kittens? As you might expect for an animal that has had such a worldwide impact, there’s not one collective noun but several to describe a group of cats or kittens!
Let’s have a look at the various ways you can describe a group of cats and kittens in different situations. (My inner word nerd enjoys this–can you tell I was once a English teacher?)
What’s the name for a group of cats?
When it comes to selecting a collective noun for a group of cats, you’ve got several choices:
- clowder
- cluster
- clutter
- comfort
- colony
- destruction
- dowt
- nuisance
- pounce
Let’s take a look at each–and when it’s appropriate to use one instead of the other.
Clowder is the most-used collective word for a group of cats consisting of three cats or more.
I could say that our cats Inca, Lucky and Jetty form a clowder. Clowder comes from the Middle English word clodder, referring to a clot or coagulated mass.
Hmm…I guess when I see Inca, Lucky and Jetty huddled together in a single chair on a cold winter day, I can see that (although I think I liked it better when I thought of clowder like chowder, not clowder like clot…)
A “cluster of cats” or “clutter of cats” would certainly describe our cat grouping (although personally I think “clutter of cat toys” might be more accurate in our home.)
A colony refers to a feral cat colony.
A “comfort of cats” also refers to three cats or more–and is so much nicer and cozier than our next few terms…
“Destruction of cats” is a collective term that’s used to refer to feral cats, a group that can get a bit rowdy amongst themselves sometimes and, well, perhaps sometimes destructive.
A “dowt of cats” (also spelled “dout“) is used similarly. Dout means to “put out” or “extinguish” so we are just moving on from this one…
“Glaring of cats” is a term that is used for a group of cats that don’t really know each other–and we all know that can result in glaring.
A “nuisance of cats” is a group of cats that are considered “nuisance cats,” unwanted cats which may or may not be feral. It’s not a nice term so once again we will just move on…
A “pounce of cats” is again a term for a group of cats, a happy terms that makes us smile.
What do you call a group of kittens?
When you are talking about a group of kittens, you’ll also find that there are several collective nouns that cover this group of fuzzy goodness:
- litter
- intrigue
- kindle
- entanglement
- clowder
- wrack
Litter is definitely the most commonly used term for a group of kittens with the same mother. It is derived from the old French word litiere which came from the Latin word lectus or bed. Litter is used not only for kittens but also puppies, pigs, rodents and other mammals that have multiple offspring.
But there are plenty of other terms you can use to describe a litter of kittens. Kindle is one of the most interesting terms and is used like litter for a group of kittens. It comes from the Middle English word kindelen to give birth and is related to our word “kindergarten.” (And if you live in Scotland, you may call a pregnant cat a Kittling. When she delivers her kittens, she has kittled.)
Some people use clowder, although that’s most often reserved for a group of adult cats.
Intrigue of kittens is not heard very often (although we’re intrigued to know why!)
Entanglement is another collective term rarely heard (although it’s easier to see why–why kittens are piled on top of one another in a cozy nap–it’s easier to see how the word came about!)
Wrack of kittens is also rarely used. Wrack is an old term for wrecked ship, derived from an Middle Dutch word Wrak which mean wreck. Well, after an intense play session of kittens, it’s easy to see how this term originated!
So there you have it! Whether you are looking for a term for a group of kittens or a group of cats for everyday conversation or your next Scrabble game, you’ve got plenty from which to choose!
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Infographic: What do you call a group of kittens?
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