You are likely familiar with a pride of lions or a pack of dogs, but have you ever wondered What is a Group of Cats Called ?

The answer might surprise you it's known as a clowder, If you didn't know you're not alone.

While terms like pride and pack are more common, clowder remains relatively obscure even among dedicated pet owners.

Initially clowder might seem like a silly word perhaps even mistaken for chowder, however there's historical significance behind this term.

Dive into the origins of why a gathering of domestic cats is called a clowder and uncover more delightful collective names for your beloved feline companions.

Find all the answers to the question - What is a Group of Cats Called?

Etymology experts offer diverse views on the origin of the term clowder, but it's unlikely linked to chowder though it could spark an adorable cat name.

According to the Oxford Dictionary the earliest use of clowder dates back to the 1800's, some theorize it might derive from clodder describing a cluttered mass.

which resonates as cats often gather in bustling places like hallways or cosy corners on couches, another expert posits that clowder might relate to clutter.

Representing a crowded or confused collection an apt descriptor for observing cats in a group, especially feral cats or clowder kittens.

This term not only describes a collective noun for cats but also paints a picture of their group behavior, whether it's a group of wild cats or a clowder of domestic ones.

Here are various terms you can use to describe a group of cats, besides the traditional clowder.

A more contemporary term which some cat parents may find quite fitting, is a destruction of cats.

Other collective nouns for cats which will answer the question, What is a Group of Cats Called ?

• Cluster, Dating back to the 1400s this word is perfect for describing a close knit gathering of cats who love to cuddle together.

• Glaring, Meaning to stare fiercely, this term might be most apt when your cats fix their gaze on you perhaps in hopes of a treat.

• Nuisance, Originating in the 1690's this word refers to a source of annoyance, making it fitting for those moments when your cats insist on knocking things off tables.

Pounce, From the 1680's this term meaning to jump or fall upon suddenly, accurately captures the playful behavior of kittens or the energetic nature of adult cats.

These terms not only describe a group of cats but also evoke the unique characteristics and behaviors of these fascinating animals, whether they're domestic cats, feral cats, or wild cats like big cats in the wild.

So next time you encounter a group of cats, you'll have the perfect word to describe them!

Delving into the origins of the word Cat, we uncover a lineage that stretches far back in history.

This revelation shouldn't astonish us given that cats have been companions to humans for millennia, the term Cat finds its roots in the Old English word catt.

Catt is derived from the Late Latin "catus" denoting Domestic cat interestingly, there are indications that the Latin term may have its origins in the Afro Asiatic word "kaddîska" meaning "wild cat."

This speculation aligns with the notion that the earliest domesticated cats were once wild, similarly the Egyptian word for cat "mau" bears a striking resemblance to the sound cats make "meow" in modern times.

When it comes to grouping adult cats there are various terms, but for kittens they are commonly referred to as a litter.

This collective noun typically pertains to newborn or very young kittens who are still reliant on their mother, and it's also applied to puppies.

Contrary to popular belief this term has no association with kitty litter, Its origins can be traced back to the 1500s originating from the verb litter.

which originally meant, the act of furnishing with bedding over time it expanded to encompass straw used for bedding.

Considering the ancestral environments where cats lived likely barns filled with straw, the link between the term and their habitat becomes clearer.

Whether it's a group of domestic cats, feral cats, or even wild big cats, understanding the name for their collective helps paint a clearer picture of their social dynamics within the animal kingdom.

Despite the misconception that cats prefer solitude, understanding their social nature is crucial cats often form groups.

For feral cats or stray cats living together outdoors, experts use the term colony to describe them.

The term colony has roots dating back to the Roman Empire around the 14th century, picture these groups of cats as colonists.

Settling into quiet back alleys or abandoned barns forming their own tight knit communities.

This collective term sheds light on the social dynamics of cats challenging the notion of their solitary nature, just as lions form groups known as prides.

Domestic cats have their own collective term, emphasizing the importance of social interaction in their lives.

When cats grow up together in the same colony you'll often witness heartwarming displays of affection.

They hug with their tails and rub their cheeks together, and cuddle as noted by a certified cat behavior consultant.

However stray cat colonies are tight knit communities that are wary of outsiders, In short the cat club is very exclusive.

They typically react to unfamiliar cats with hissing, chasing, or swatting, often driving them away.

This behavior isn't exclusive to outdoor cats, indoor cats may also exhibit similar territorial instincts.

That's why it's essential to introduce a new cat or kitten to your resident cat or cats gradually.

As part of this process providing each cat with their own grooming brushes, food bowls, cat blanket, litter boxes, cat beds, climbing spaces, and cat toys, ideally in separate locations.

After all just like you wouldn't want to share your dinner plate or your private bathroom with your sibling, cats appreciate having their own space.

So, strive to give each member of your clowder, destruction, or pounce their own designated area.

There isn't a single authoritative source for animal group names rather, these names have been collected from numerous texts spanning centuries.

Which results in a diverse array of terms, many of these terms have fallen into disuse over time.

One notable text from the 1300's to 1400's known as the Boke of Saint Albans, compiled various animal group names still in use today.

Interestingly the book offers an alternative term for a litter of kittens a "kindle" However, don't expect to find this in your standard dictionary.

Yet English is a constantly evolving language so, if you're inclined to invent your own names for groups of cats like a cuddle of kittens or a cacophony of cats.

Feel free to do so who knows, your creations might just catch on, and you could find yourself credited with officially coining names for groups of animals.

Here are more imaginative terms, check out our comprehensive animal group names below.

• Antelope: a herd
• Ants: a colony or an army
• Apes: a shrewdness
• Baboons: a troop
• Badgers: a cete
• Bass: a shoal
• Bats: a colony, cloud or cauldron
• Bears: a sloth or sleuth; Cubs: a litter
• Beavers: a colony
• Bees: a swarm
• Boar: a sounder
• Buffalo: a gang or obstinacy
• Camels: a caravan
• Caterpillars: an army
• Cats: a clowder, glaring, pounce, nuisance or clutter; Kittens: a litter or kindle; Wild cats: a destruction
• Cattle: a herd or drove
• Cheetahs: a coalition
• Chickens: a brood or peep; Chicks: a clutch or chattering
• Clams: a bed
• Cobras: a quiver
• Colts: a rag
• Cows: a kine, drove, herd or fold; twelve or more cows are a flink
• Coyotes: a band
• Cranes: a sedge
• Crocodiles: a float or bask
• Crows: a murder
• Deer: a herd
• Dogs: a pack or cowardice; Puppies: a litter
• Dolphins: a pod
• Donkeys: a drove
• Doves: a dule
• Ducks: a brace, paddling or team
• Eagles: a convocation
• Elephants: a herd or parade
• Elk: a gang or herd
• Emus: a mob
• Falcons: a cast
• Ferrets: a business or fesnyng
• Finches: a charm
• Fish: a school, shoal, run, haul or catch
• Flamingos: a stand or flamboyance
• Flies: a swarm, hatch or business
• Foxes: a skulk or leash
• Frogs: an army or a colony
• Geese: a gaggle or flock, a skein when in flight
• Giraffes: a tower
• Gnats: a cloud or horde
• Goats: a herd, tribe or trip
• Goldfinches: a charm
• Goldfish: a troubling
• Gorillas: a band
• Grasshoppers: a cloud
• Greyhounds: a leach
• Hares: a down or husk
• Hawks: a cast or kettle
• Hippopotami: a bloat or thunder
• Hogs: a drift or parcel
• Horses: a team or harras
• Hounds: a pack, mute or cry
• Hyenas: a cackle
• Jaguars: a shadow
• Jellyfish: a smack or brood
• Kangaroos: a troop or mob
• Larks: an ascension or exaltation
• Lemurs: a conspiracy
• Leopards: a leap
• Lice: a flock
• Lions: a pride
• Locust: a plague or cloud
• Magpies: a tiding or tittering
• Mallards: a sord
• Manatees: an aggregation
• Mares: a stud
• Martens: a richness
• Minnows: a steam
• Moles: a labour
• Monkeys: a barrel, cartload, or troop
• Mules: a pack, barren or span
• Nightingales: a watch
• Otters: a family, romp, or raft
• Owls: a parliament
• Oxen: a team or yoke
• Oysters: a bed
• Parrots: a pandemonium or company
• Partridges: a covey
• Peacocks: a muster or ostentation
• Penguins: a colony
• Pheasants: a nest, nide, or bouquet
• Pigeons: a flock or flights
• Pigs: a drift or drove (younger pigs), or a sounder, litter, or team (older pigs)
• Ponies: a string
• Porcupines: a prickle
• Rabbits: a colony or warren
• Raccoons: a gaze
• Rats: a colony, pack, swarm, or mischief
• Rattlesnakes: a rhumba
• Ravens: an unkindness
• Rhinoceroses: a crash
• Sharks: a shiver
• Sheep: a drove or flock
• Skunks: a stench
• Snakes: a nest or knot
• Sparrows: a host
• Squirrels: a dray or scurry
• Starlings: a murmuration
• Stingrays: a fever
• Storks: a mustering
• Swans: a bevy or lamentation, a wedge when in flight 
• Tigers: an ambush or a streak
• Toads: a knot or knab
• Trout: a hover
• Turkeys: a gang, posse, or rafter
• Turtles: a bale or nest
• Vultures: a venue
• Wasps: a pledge
• Weasels: a colony, gang, or pack
• Whales: a pod, school, or gam
• Wolves: a pack or route
• Wombats: a wisdom
• Woodpeckers: a descent
• Zebras: a zeal