What Do You Call a Group of Cats? Why Is a Group of Cats Called a Clowder?

We all know what a group of cats is…but what do you call a group of cats?

When you look around your office, you probably see a lot of cats. They’re everywhere, living comfortably among their coworkers.

But what do you call a group of cats? A cat pack? A kitty-clique? A cat club? A cat gaggle? A cat ménage? A cat katasephobia? I think you get the idea.

What is a group of cats called?

You wouldn’t imagine that “cat soup” is the exact and perhaps hyper-specific word for a bunch of cats. A clowder is the proper noun for a bunch of cats.

Yes, it’s totally out there, right? And that’s only the beginning; a bunch of cats may also be called a clutter (which, we think, makes a little more sense) or a staring (which, again, we have no idea what it means).

Beyond that, dowt (or dout) and devastation are two more unusual names for colonies of wild or feral cats. Yep, you guessed that correctly.

On your way to the store, you could stumble upon a cat slaughter. Avert your eyes! Alternatively, a litter of young cats is called a “kindle of kittens,” which sounds more sweeter. Indeed, it is very delightful.

Odd Names For Individual Cats

Similar to the peculiarity of those collective nouns, some of the names given to individual cats are both particular and unusual.

You’ve probably heard of “tom,” which refers to an intact male cat, but “gib,” which refers to a male cat that has been neutered, is a term you should definitely attempt to remember for your next Jeopardy! appearance.

If you have a female cat, regardless of what you’ve chosen to call her, you’ll likely hear her referred to as a molly. Every day is a new educational experience!

Etymology of Cat

The history of the term “cat” goes back fairly far, as may be shown by researching its etymology. This is not shocking, considering that cats have been man’s faithful companions for centuries.

The Late Latin term catus, meaning “house cat,” was the source for the Old English word catt. There is some indication that the Latin term for “wild cat” originated from the Afro-Asian word kaddîska.

This makes sense, logically, because the original domestic cat had to have come from the wild. Do you own a gang of felines? To reduce your workload as a pet parent, consider investing in a litter box that cleans itself.

Where Did These Terms Come From?

The etymology of a term refers to its background and how it came to be used.

The etymology of a word may tell us more than just where it came from; it can also shed light on the term’s evolution in meaning and even the context in which it was first employed.

That’s why learning the origins of these terms is a great first step.

Etymology of the Word Clowder

Clowder is a variant of the term clutter that has been in use in English from at least 1801, according to the online dictionary Wiktionary.

The Middle English term clott is the etymological ancestor of the modern English word clutter.

Before that time, it was probably influenced by the early Germanic and Dutch languages. Words like “clowder” and “clowders” originally meant “lump” or “ball.”

It’s hardly surprising that terms like “ball,” “clump,” and “lump” were ultimately employed to describe a bunch of cats, especially one gathered around a feeding dish.

Cats aren’t exactly known for their ability to maintain order in a community, so the term “clutter” is also appropriate. A group of cats is also known as “clutter” according to some sources.

Clowder is not a word that comes up very often, although it did show up in one episode of The Big Bang Theory. Watch the video at:

Watch video here

Etymology of the Word Glaring

Besides clowder, Sheldon uses the word “glaring” throughout the video.

That, however, is not quite accurate.

Most references I’ve seen imply that “glaring of cats” is meant to describe a bunch of cats who aren’t very familiar with each other, but it appears that Sheldon’s cats get along just well.

Though I’ve tried, I haven’t been able to unearth much more background on the word “glaring,” at least in relation to its usage in the context of feline eyes.

A glaring is said to require at least four cats, though some sources make no distinction between how well the cats know each other and the cats themselves.

Perhaps, then, Sheldon was more correct than we thought.

We see this pattern repeatedly; for example, I know that the word “glaring” has been in use for over 700 years and comes from early Germanic languages.

Why Is a Group of Cats Called a Clowder?

There are two plausible justifications for the term “clowder” when referring to a group of cats:

• This word may have originated with the word “clodder,” which was used in the English language between the years 1700 and 1800.
• The name “clodder” is derived from the English word “clotted mass,” which may help to explain why stray and feral cats sometimes roam in big groups. The pronunciation eventually settled on clowder as the standard.
• Similarities between clowder and the English term “clutter” are also obvious. While cats are solitary predators, colonies of young or female feral cats often travel and eat together because they find safety in numbers. You would think, “They look quite cluttered!” if you came upon a cat colony with ten or more cats.

Many cat people refer to two cats as a “pair,” therefore a group of three or more cats may be called a “clowder.”

What About Kittens?

When there are several kittens, do they go by a different name?

In all honesty, they do.

The term “litter,” which dates back several hundred years, is certainly well-known to most of us. This term first appeared in print in Aesop’s Fables, published in 1602, making it one of the first examples of its kind.

But litter isn’t only for felines; it’s utilized for a wide variety of animal species. It also only occurs amongst offspring of the same mother. Literally, “littermates” refers to a group of kittens from the same litter that are all linked to one another.

Yet there are other words available except that one.

What Is A Kindle of Kittens?

A bunch of kittens is called a kindling, which is synonymous with a litter. Some of the resources I’ve looked at define a kindling of kittens as having come from the same mother, but others say that this isn’t necessarily the case.

A term for an unrelated bunch of kittens would be really helpful, so perhaps we can spread the word and get kindling to adopt it.

All the terms we’ve looked at so far, including kindle, seem to have come from the original Germanic languages.

Other Words to Describe a Group of Cats

The word “clowder” is awkward to say in comparison to “pack,” “gaggle,” “drift,” and “flock.”

It’s also important to note that the name “clowder” isn’t universally applicable to groups of cats; for instance, you’d probably use the word “litter” to describe a bunch of brand-new kittens. Additional groups of cats are described by the following terms:

Kindle

A litter of newborn kittens from a single mother is more accurately referred to as a “kindle.” The Middle English root term for “to give birth to young” is kindelen, from which we get the modern word “kindle.”

It follows that a mother cat will produce a kindling, or a group of kittens, after mating. There is a dearth of users for this phrase, which is preferred by virtually no one to litter.

It’s also not clear if a bunch of kittens from different mothers counts as a “kindle” (such as several unrelated kittens huddled together in a colony).

Litter

While “litter” is the most popular term for a group of kittens born to a single mother cat, “litter” can also refer to a group of kittens from different mothers that share a similar father.

However, a female cat may produce more than one egg during a single heat cycle due to the rapidity with which her ovaries release eggs after mating.

Cat females have a seven-day window of fertile time, during which they can produce several fertilized eggs by mating with various male cats.

As a result, multipaternal mating is common in domestic cats, and the mother may give birth to a litter of kittens having genetic traits from more than one father.

Colony

If several cats form a social unit in the wild and share hunting and eating duties, they are said to form a colony.

Stray and feral cats alike will congregate in groups called “colonies” in order to socialize with other felines and take advantage of the abundance of food that is available in such settings.

Colony cats may frequent the homes of those who feed them or the garbage cans of those who regularly throw out scraps of food.

When food is scarce in a colony, however, the cats may venture into the woods in search of rodents.

Typically, only female cats and their young make up a colony’s population. In a cat colony when all the males have died, there is no longer any established social order.

More Bizarre Terms Describing Cat Groupings

You’re in for an unpleasant shock if you think that words like “clowder” and “glaring” are strange ways to describe a gathering of cats. The following are alternative names for a group of cats:

• Devastation: a pack of ferocious or possessive wildcats.
• Feral or wild cats that have gathered together to form a “dowt” (this term does not apply to domestic cats).
• Pounce is a term for many cats that is not often used.

When referring to a group of three or more cats, the words “nuisance,” “cluster,” and “clutter” may also be used interchangeably.

Otherwise, use pair to refer to a set of two cats and a glaring or clowder to refer to a group of cats in the home.

Does Anyone Actually Use These Words?

Would anyone understand if you walked out on the street and inquired where you might find the nearest clowder of cats?

Likely not.

The whole decade I spent working in the veterinary sector, I never once heard the terms clowder, glare, or kindle used. Instead, the choice was between having 21 cats or only 4.

Of course, the word “litter” was used frequently; yet, it was important to know the exact number of kittens being addressed, as opposed to a vague “group.”

But you can go ahead and use adjectives like “clowder” and “glaring” without fear of reprimand from me. It might be used as a litmus test to determine whether or not a person has an obsessive love of cats (or is at least a voracious researcher).

What About Big Cats?

Only the domestic feline has been discussed thus far.

Is there any information regarding huge cats?

Because they are so unlike to the common housecat, they have their own specialized vocabulary.

Unlike domestic cats, who tend to be lonely creatures, lions in the wild congregate in huge groups known as prides and are organized according to a strict hierarchy. Up to 40 lions may live together in a pride. Wow, what a swarm!

Words to Describe Individual Cats

In any case, you address your feline friend by her proper name, because she is, after all, a cat.

Did you know that there are more precise ways to describe a cat, such as “unspayed female cat,” for example? Other names for certain feline beings are as follows:

• Tom (or tomcat) refers to an intact male cat, which means he may impregnate a female cat if she hasn’t been spayed. To establish dominance and territory, tomcats sometimes spray and act aggressively.
• Neutered male cats, known as gibs, are less likely to be aggressive or territorial than their unaltered counterparts and also have a reduced chance of developing prostate problems and testicular cancer.
• An unaltered female cat can attain sexual maturity as early as four months of age, and her “heat” (a period of intense hormone production that signals fertility and the release of eggs following mating) occurs every week or two.
• Spaying reduces a female cat’s chance of acquiring uterine infections and breast cancer for the rest of her life.
• A cat’s paternal father is called a sire.
• A female cat who has recently given birth.
• A kitten is a young cat, male or female, generally younger than a year old and not yet fully mature.

There is a lot of thought put into every word used to describe felines. Even though both tomcats and gibs are male cats, the two are treated very differently when it comes to neutering.

The reasoning for queens and spays is identical. In order to establish your authority as a cat specialist, you should begin utilizing these words more frequently.

Conclusion

The group of cats was all about having fun and being playful, but when they were alone and scared, they could only think of each other.

So, they decided to band together and try to find a home where they could stay and be happy together.

However, the shelter staff didn’t want to take in a group of cats, so they were sent to a farm. Fortunately, the farm owner took them in and they all lived happily ever after.

source https://catshint.com/call-group-cats/