What is a Group of Cats Called?

  • Author

    Author
  • What is a group of cats called?

    A group of cats is called a clowder, this word is believed to be a variation of clutter, from the word clott, which means round mass or lump. A much less used term is a ‘glaring‘, however, there is little information available on the etymology of this word or when it fell out of use. The term clowder only applies to groups of three or more cats.

    Are there words to describe groups of big cats?

    Yes, groups of big cats also have their own collection of words:

    • Lions: Pride, troop
    • Jaguars: Shadow, prowl
    • Leopards: Leap
    • Tigers: Streak, hide, ambush
    • Cheetahs: Coalition

    Overview of cat terms

    Description

    Name

    Variations or old terms

    Entire female cat Queen (female used for breeding) Molly, doe
    Entire male cat Tomcat, stud (male used for breeding) Boar, ram
    Desexed male cat Neuter (also applies to desexed female cats) Gib
    Desexed female cat Spay Neuter
    Group of cats Clowder Cluster, clutter, glaring, pounce
    Group of kittens Kindle
    Litter (kittens from the same mother)
    Group of feral cats Colony Dowt, dout, destruction
    Old female cat Grimalkin
    Person who loves cats Ailurophile
    Person afraid of cats Ailurophobe
    Female parent of kittens Dam
    Male parent of kittens Sire

     

    Author

    • Julia Wilson, 'Cat World' Founder

      Julia Wilson is the founder of Cat-World, and has researched and written over 1,000 articles about cats. She is a cat expert with over 20 years of experience writing about a wide range of cat topics, with a special interest in cat health, welfare and preventative care. Julia lives in Sydney with her family, four cats and two dogs. Full author bio