We’ve probably all heard of a Clowder of Cats… but what is a clowder, anyway? Apparently, “Clowder” originates from the term, “clodder.” Clodder is a Middle English term that originated in the late 1700s, and was used to describe a “clotted mass. Not very nice, is it? Certainly not befitting our fine furry friends.
Somewhat less often used are the terms “clutter” and “glaring.” 
Well, I suppose cats can seem rather cluttering when there are a lot of them and they are all trying to trip you as you bring food to their bowl! They certainly do glare if you are late with that bowl, so that makes sense too.
However, I have another, somewhat more polite term for them that reflects the beautiful, graceful, wild nature of our feline friends. Since I call cats “house tigers” as so many of them act that way, and are just as beautiful, how about “A Stripe of House Tigers?”
The new term is, of course, more accurate if you have tabbies, but the majority of cats have some sort of tabby markings – somewhere – if you look closely enough. For example, my old man Orion was solid black, yet if you looked at him on a sunny day you would see the faint shadow of stripes. So he wasn’t just a black cat, he was a Melanistic House Tiger!
How about it? Do you have your own names for a group of cats?
(If you want to see more of my writing, follow the adventures of my own cats and see some of my art, feel free to come on over to https://mind-flight.org.)
If one is to be cloddered by anything, what could be more fascinating than being surrounded by felines?
Oh, I quite agree!
How about a minefield of cats. Watch out if you step on one. 🙂
LOL, that’s so true. Why, oh why, do they use their natural stealth and camouflage when sleeping in the middle of the floor?
Well…on a particularly bad day when they’re being annoying and fussing with one another and being demanding, you probably don’t know what I call them LOL (Not really, they’re my babies even when they’re being ornery.)
I just LOVE your drawing of the sleeping kitten. Beautifully done!
Well, we all get frustrated with family members at times, furry or not. I’m glad you liked my drawing! I had fun making that. 🙂
I have my gorgeous house panther which a lot of people call they’re black boys or girls I would love to have a house full of little Panthers.x????
Oh, house panthers are the best! Especially the ones with golden eyes that almost seem to glow. They are the best cuddlekitties.
So my initial punning response is probably on the ball: clowder shares an origin with chowder, a thick soup.
Stripe doesn’t for me convey what’s happening when cats crowd. How about STRUMMLE?
Oh, that’s a lovely one – even if it isn’t alliterative. However, neither is stripe. So how about a stripe of house tigers when there’s a few of them in one house, a clowder when there’s more, and a strummle when there’s just oodles of them?
haha brilliant!
And sorry I am in the process of fixing random comments ending up in junk atm >,<