If you see several cats together, what should you call them?
The traditional collective noun for a group of cats is a clowder.
You may also hear terms such as colony, glaring or kindle, but these words do not all mean exactly the same thing.
A clowder is the general collective noun for cats. A colony is commonly used for a stable group of free-ranging or feral cats, while a litter describes kittens born to the same mother. The traditional collective noun kindle can also be used for a group of kittens.
What Is a Group of Cats Called?
A group of cats is called a clowder.
English dictionaries recognize clowder as a collective term for a group or cluster of cats.
For example:
A clowder of cats gathered near the barn at sunset.
In everyday conversation, however, most people simply say “a group of cats.”
The word clowder is correct, but it is much less common in ordinary speech than collective nouns such as:
Cat Group Names at a Glance
| Term | What It Usually Means |
|---|---|
| Clowder | Traditional collective noun for a group of cats |
| Colony | A stable social group of free-ranging or feral cats |
| Glaring | A rare or playful alternative collective noun for cats |
| Litter | Kittens born to the same mother in one birth |
| Kindle | Traditional collective noun for kittens |
What Does “Clowder” Mean?
Clowder specifically refers to a group of cats.
The word is unusual enough that many native English speakers have never heard it, but it appears in modern English dictionaries and collective-noun lists.
Its history appears to be connected with older words describing a clustered or clotted mass.
Today, its meaning is much simpler:
clowder = group of cats.
How Do You Pronounce Clowder?
Clowder is generally pronounced roughly like:
CLOW-der
The first syllable rhymes with “loud.”
It should not be confused with “chowder,” although the words sound similar.
Is a Group of Cats Also Called a Colony?
Yes, especially in animal behavior, veterinary and free-ranging-cat contexts.
A cat colony usually describes a group of free-ranging cats living around a shared area where important resources are available.
Those resources may include:
food;
water;
shelter;
resting places;
and breeding opportunities.
So both terms can be correct, but they emphasize different things.
Clowder is a linguistic collective noun.
Colony describes a real social grouping of cats living in the same area.
Are Feral Cats Social?
Domestic cats are more socially flexible than the stereotype of the completely solitary cat suggests.
Free-ranging cats can live alone when food is widely scattered.
But when food and shelter are concentrated, cats can form stable social groups.
Researchers often describe this system as flexible or facultative sociality.
The core of a natural cat colony commonly consists of related females and their offspring.
Several generations of females may remain together when local resources can support them.
Do Cat Colonies Have an Alpha Cat?
Cat social organization should not simply be described using the classic “alpha pack” model sometimes applied to other animals.
Relationships among cats depend heavily on:
relatedness;
familiarity;
age;
sex;
available resources;
and individual temperament.
Some individuals may control access to particular resources or dominate specific interactions, but a cat colony is not simply organized around one permanent alpha leader.
Do Cats in a Colony Like Each Other?
Some do, and some do not.
Closely bonded cats may:
rest beside one another;
rub against one another;
touch noses;
groom one another;
and cooperate in raising kittens.
Other cats may merely tolerate one another because they are using the same food source.
Unfamiliar cats can also hiss, swat or avoid one another.
This is why the physical presence of several cats in one location does not automatically mean every animal belongs to one close social group.
Do Mother Cats Raise Kittens Together?
They sometimes do.
Related female cats living in stable colonies have been observed forming communal nesting groups.
Females may:
rest with one another's kittens;
groom them;
guard them;
and even nurse kittens that are not their own.
This cooperative maternal behavior is one of the strongest examples of sociality in free-ranging domestic cats.
What Is a Group of Kittens Called?
The everyday answer is usually a litter of kittens.
A litter refers specifically to offspring produced during one birth.
If one mother gives birth to four kittens, those kittens form a litter.
The traditional collective noun kindle can also be used for kittens.
So:
adult cats: clowder;
kittens: kindle;
siblings born together: litter.
Is a Group of Cats Called a Glaring?
You may occasionally encounter the phrase a glaring of cats.
It is a rare and playful collective noun rather than the primary standard term.
The image is easy to understand: several cats staring intensely at the same object can certainly look like they are glaring.
For clear general writing, however, clowder is the better answer to “What is a group of cats called?”
Is a Group of Cats Called a Pride?
No, not normally.
Pride is the familiar collective noun for lions.
Domestic cats and lions both belong to the family Felidae, but that does not mean they use the same collective noun.
A group of domestic cats is traditionally a clowder.
Is a Group of Cats Called a Pack?
Not in standard usage.
Pack is commonly associated with animals such as:
wolves;
African wild dogs;
and domestic dogs in certain contexts.
Domestic cats have a different social system.
They usually hunt small prey individually rather than cooperating in structured hunting packs.
Why Do Cats Hunt Alone if They Can Live in Groups?
Social living and cooperative hunting are not the same thing.
Domestic cats mainly hunt relatively small prey such as rodents.
A single mouse is generally too small to make sharing it with several cats useful.
As a result, cats can maintain social relationships around resting or feeding areas while still hunting independently.
This is an important difference between domestic cats and predators that cooperate to capture large prey.
How Many Cats Make a Clowder?
There is no scientifically defined minimum or maximum number required before cats become a clowder.
The term simply means a group of cats.
In ordinary use, if several cats are together, the word can apply.
Actual free-ranging cat colonies can vary dramatically in size depending on:
food availability;
shelter;
reproductive success;
human feeding;
and movement of animals into or out of the area.
What Is a Male Cat Called?
An adult male cat is commonly called a tom or tomcat.
The term is especially common for an unneutered adult male.
What Is a Female Cat Called?
An adult female cat can be called a queen, particularly in breeding and veterinary terminology.
A female raising kittens is also commonly described as a queen.
What Is a Baby Cat Called?
A young domestic cat is a kitten.
Kitten is the standard everyday term rather than a special zoological name.
Clowder vs. Colony: Which Word Should You Use?
| Situation | Best Term |
|---|---|
| Trivia or collective noun question | Clowder |
| Several pet cats together | Group or clowder |
| Stable group of free-ranging cats | Colony |
| Kittens born together | Litter |
| Traditional collective noun for kittens | Kindle |
FAQ
What is a group of cats called?
A group of cats is traditionally called a clowder.
What is a group of feral cats called?
A stable group of free-ranging or feral cats living around shared resources is commonly called a colony.
What is a group of kittens called?
Kittens born during the same birth are a litter. The traditional collective noun kindle is also used for a group of kittens.
Is a group of cats called a glaring?
Glaring is occasionally listed as a rare or playful collective noun for cats, but clowder is the more established answer.
Is a group of cats called a pride?
No. Pride is most strongly associated with lions. A group of domestic cats is called a clowder.
Is a group of cats called a pack?
No. Pack is normally used for animals such as wolves and dogs. Domestic cat groups are more appropriately called clowders or, in free-ranging social settings, colonies.
Do cats naturally live in groups?
They can. Domestic cats have flexible social behavior. When concentrated food and shelter are available, free-ranging cats can form stable social colonies.
What is a male cat called?
An adult male cat is commonly called a tom or tomcat.
What is a female cat called?
An adult female cat may be called a queen, especially in breeding contexts.
Do cats hunt in groups?
Domestic cats generally hunt small prey alone even when they live within social groups.
Final Answer
A group of cats is called a clowder.
That is the traditional collective noun and the best direct answer to the question.
However, a stable group of free-ranging cats is more commonly called a colony in animal-behavior and veterinary contexts.
Young cats have their own terms: kittens born together form a litter, while kindle is a traditional collective noun for kittens.
Cats are also more social than their solitary reputation suggests. They can form stable groups when food and shelter are concentrated, particularly groups centered around related females and their offspring.
So the simplest rule is:
Clowder for cats, colony for a free-ranging social group, and litter or kindle for kittens.
Related Reading
Sources Used for Fact Checking
Collins English Dictionary — Clowder
Collins English Word Lists — Animal Collective Nouns
Merck Veterinary Manual — Social Behavior of Cats
Crowell-Davis et al. — Social Organization in the Domestic Cat
