What Animals Form a Clowder?
One of the oldest and strangest words in English for a simple idea: a group of cats.
Which Animal Forms a Clowder?
“Clowder” describes cats — specifically domestic cats gathered together. It’s not a term for two different animals: “Munchkin,” which sometimes appears alongside it, is a breed of domestic cat, not a species of its own, so a group of Munchkins is still, technically, a clowder of cats.
Where Does “Clowder” Come From?
“Clowder” is a variant of the older word “clutter,” both descending from a root meaning “a clotted or clustered mass.” It first appears in English cat-fancying and etiquette literature from the 19th century as one of several whimsical, semi-invented collective nouns coined for elegance rather than everyday use — much like “murder” of crows or “parliament” of owls. It survives today mainly in trivia and cat-lover circles rather than common speech.
Clowder vs. Glaring vs. Pounce
Cats collect an unusually large number of collective nouns for one animal. “Clowder” is the standard, most-cited term for a general group. “Glaring” specifically describes a group of cats being wary or aggressive toward each other — cats don’t reliably form peaceful groups the way dogs or horses do, so this more tense-sounding alternative exists for a reason. “Pounce” refers to a group of kittens specifically. All three are correct in different contexts; “clowder” is simply the safest default.
A Note on Munchkin Cats
Cats: The Munchkin is a domestic cat breed defined by a genetic mutation causing unusually short legs, first standardized as a breed in the 1990s. Because it’s a breed and not a separate species, a group of Munchkin cats doesn’t get its own collective noun — it’s still a clowder, the same as any other group of domestic cats. If you’ve seen “Munchkins” listed as a separate animal elsewhere, that’s a data error worth flagging rather than a genuine second term.
🧠 Test Your Knowledge
Three quick questions. See what stuck.1. What is a Munchkin?
2. What word is “clowder” a variant of?
3. What is a group of specifically wary or aggressive cats called?
Frequently Asked Questions
What animals form a clowder?
Cats form a clowder. Munchkin cats are included in this, since Munchkin is a breed of domestic cat, not a separate species.
Is Munchkin a different animal from a cat?
No. Munchkin is a cat breed defined by a genetic mutation causing short legs, first standardized in the 1990s. It’s still a domestic cat.
Where does the word clowder come from?
It’s a variant of “clutter,” both from a root meaning a clotted or clustered mass, first used for cats in 19th-century etiquette literature.
What is the difference between a clowder and a glaring?
A clowder is the general term for a group of cats. A glaring specifically describes cats being wary or aggressive toward one another.
What is a group of kittens called?
A pounce, distinct from a clowder, which typically refers to adult cats.