What Does “A Nuisance of House Cats” Mean?
“Nuisance” is one of the more knowingly funny collective nouns on this list, and most multi-cat households will tell you it’s earned. Domestic cats living together, whether related or simply sharing a home, are known for knocking objects off shelves, shredding furniture, and generally testing the patience of their owners, all while remaining largely independent, territorial animals rather than a tightly bonded social unit.
Unlike dogs, cats didn’t evolve as a highly cooperative pack species, so a group of house cats sharing space is really more a loose arrangement of individuals tolerating, and occasionally squabbling over, shared territory and resources, than a coordinated group. That mix of independence and mischief is exactly what “nuisance” captures.
Example: “The foster family’s nuisance of house cats had redecorated the living room by the time anyone woke up.”
Related: Collective Nouns for Mammals · What Is a Group of House Cats Called?