cattery: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Neutral, formal in business contexts. More formal than 'cat boarding'.
Quick answer
What does “cattery” mean?
A place where cats are bred, cared for, or boarded professionally.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A place where cats are bred, cared for, or boarded professionally.
Any establishment or business dedicated to the breeding, showing, or boarding of cats. Informally, it can refer to a chaotic situation involving many cats.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is standard and equally understood in both varieties. The concept is identical.
Connotations
Neutral in both varieties. Carries no specific regional connotations.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in UK English due to historical association with cat breeding and showing societies, but the difference is minimal.
Grammar
How to Use “cattery” in a Sentence
We are leaving our cat at a/the cattery.The cattery has space for ten cats.She runs a successful cattery.Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in professional contexts for businesses offering cat boarding, breeding, or grooming services.
Academic
Rare; might appear in veterinary or animal husbandry studies.
Everyday
Used by pet owners discussing holiday plans for their cats.
Technical
Used in animal welfare regulations and licensing documentation.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cattery”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cattery”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cattery”
- Confusing 'cattery' with 'kennel' (for dogs).
- Using it to describe a person who loves cats (that's a 'cat lover').
- Spelling as 'catary' or 'catery'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A cattery is typically a commercial business for boarding or breeding owned cats. A shelter is usually a charity that houses and rehomes stray or abandoned cats.
It is unusual. The term implies a business or facility capable of housing multiple cats professionally. A home with pets is not a cattery.
It is a specialist term familiar to cat owners and those in related businesses, but not in the core everyday vocabulary of people without pets.
No, 'cattery' is solely a noun. There is no verb 'to cattery'.
A place where cats are bred, cared for, or boarded professionally.
Cattery is usually neutral, formal in business contexts. more formal than 'cat boarding'. in register.
Cattery: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkætəri/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkætəri/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's a regular cattery in here! (informal, for a chaotic, cat-filled house)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'battery' for cars; a 'cattery' is a battery or place for CATS.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONTAINER FOR ANIMALS (like aviary, apiary). BUSINESS IS A LOCATION.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the primary function of a cattery?