Category: Animal House
So, I was reading something about wild animals and the thought came to me.
Anything in the dog family is considered a pup when it is born. A wolf pup. A hyena pup. A lab pup. You get the picture..
However, when a cat is born we call it a kitten (here in the U.S. I'm not sure about other countries but would be interesting to know!) A little cat is called a kitten.
But, when a big cat such as a lion gives birth her baby is called a cub.
Why can't we call little baby house cats cubs instead of kittens? I just think it is interesting when it comes to word terminology.
If I ever get a little cat, I'm going to call it a cub. Lol I'd love to see the reply I'd get! "Excuse me I'm here to pick up my cub scruffy."
"....What? Oh, your kittin?" Lol!!
I like it. Actually Spanish if I can't remember, just uses the diminutive form ito on the end to denote little or baby animal.
Some wild animals are called kits, rabbits for instance.
Interestingly all baby birds are called chicks, though most people think of a chick as a fluffy baby chicken.
I think that would be cool though. If you ever read The Jungle book as a kid, you remember the boy was called a man cub by the other animals. Lol I've called young boys man-cub, and for a time called my daughter a woman-cub but she would have none of that after a time.
I may considering calling kittens, cubs. Makes sense. Good thinking!
Blessings,
Sarah
Haha Sarah thanks!! :)
Lio, I do remember the jungle book! Haha woman-cub I like it awesome!!
I didn't know, "all," baby birds were considered chicks..and I forgot that about the rabbits being called kits.
Some animal is called a hatchling, but I'm not sure if related to birds..maybe reptiles? Though I've never seen a baby reptile.
Baby geese are goslings, and baby swans are cygnets. There are a few other specific ones I'm sure, but you can probably get away with calling basically any baby bird a chick I suppose.
The cub/kitten thing is confusing. Bears are cubs, foxes are kits technically even though a lot of people call 'em pups, and I think at least one large cat (cougar maybe?) is a kitten.
I think people associate kitten with weak and innocent little fluffy things, and while lion, tiger and bear cubs aren't exactly going to rip your face off, they're also not quite as innocent, tiny and helpless-looking as a kitten.
Yes that's all true.
All egg-laying species are called hatchlings when they hatch, and depending on
the species it depends for how long. Chicks may be considered hatchlings until
they are able to eat. Remember baby birds actually still have some of the yolk
inside their stomachs when they first hatch and so for a day or two don't eat,
depending on the chicks.
The hard thing is with birds is that goslings are technically chicks and so are
signets and squabs. I think that last one is baby owls.
The chick stage remains until they get their flight feathers at which point most
ornithologists and amateurs refer to them as fledglings, until they can properly
fly. That run-bouncing across the ground that you see and think is "sooo
cuuuuuute?" That's fledglings learning the difficult task of taking off. Flight is
not an instinct. From get go it's learned.
Baby fish are called fry, I think.
But UniqueOne you're right that among reptiles the babies are hatchlings for
some months or even years I think in some cases.
When is a cat not a kitten anymore? When is a dog not a puppy anymore? What
characteristics do you look for? I imagine among domesticated animals who
maintain a lot of neotenous traits -- being infantilized is what that means -- I
would think it would be hard to tell.
Domesticated birds are not neotenous in appearance or infantile in behavior.
You bring up a really interesting topic that brings out the bird nerd in me, but
makes me curious about other creatures. And so many people on here raise
creatures of their own that they have some way to decide when it's not a puppy
or a kitten anymore.
When is a kitten not a kitten? That, I wonder. My six-year-old kitty still acts like a kitten. Or, more like an unholy terror! LOL
Anyway, I have no clue, because all the cats I've had, 3, never stopped the kittenish behaviors till after ten years. Well, at least, the one that ever lived that long. My furrball now, still hasn't growed up, yet. She's six.
I love all this!
Blessings,
Sarah
Yes, called kitten here too which I'm taking home in 11 days; yay! :)
Sarah in the wild, your cat would have "had to grow up" just as children in
developing countries have to grow up a lot sooner than some 20-something
millennial today who thinks the world owes them respect.
Your kitten lives on the greatest welfare system -- you. It earns nothing, it finds
no food on its own, and it has no need to fear predators or temperatures or
anything else. You are the perfect socialist environment in which the kitten can
remain itself, a child. Animals, including human ones, who have to work for their
food and look after themselves, will grow up more quickly.
Now your kitten isn't biologically neotenous the way dogs are. Dogs "look" like
oversized children to wolves. Not just "act" like children, but maintain many of
the "help me, I'm a helpless victim" traits of a wolf cub.
For some reason, birds are a bit different. They don't infantilize as a response to
domestication the way humans and other mammals do. Instead, they will get
bored and adopt neurotic behaviors like feather pulling. Which is why bird
keepers who are responsible always introduce risk and challenge into the bird's
environment. Not "play time", but risk and challenge.
So, if your kitten continues to act like a child cat into its adult and senior years,
that's probably a testament to the soft living you provide for it. No alley cat
behaves like this, you can count on that. And even feral dogs no longer wag
their tails, whine, or bark often.
Kind of an interesting situation we have with mammals, at least.
I imagine if domesticated mammals didn't properly infantilize, we wouldn't have
been as successful in domesticating them.
squabs ar Cornish game hens.
Ah thanks for that Turricane. I must have misplaced the term for baby owls, I thought it was squabs but apparently not.
Actually, she has to get on me about some things, cause my memory's short-term ability is a bit on the gone-side. But you are right. Actually, Rachel had to grow up cause some loser abandoned her, and that's how I got her. She was great at making sure I kept up on stuff she needed.
Miracle, my cat now, wouldn't probably kill a bird. However, Rachel, having been forced to live in the wild for a couple of weeks, had no problem eating my parakeet, when he flew too low. I dsure didn't scold her, as she was doing what instinct told her to do. I also gave up keeping smaller pets, and let the cats do their thing.
Blessings,
Sarah
Very interesting question. In the cat fancy, i.e showing, a kitten becomes a cat at 8 months with TICA and at 9 months with GCCF. We are discouraged from kittening the girls until 12 months of age, and for me, that's when I really start to evaluate their traits in terms of whether they are psychologically equipped enough to kitten and look after young. Biologically, if you look at a kitten/pup becoming an adult when sexually able to reproduce, then for some kittens, that can be as early as 14 weeks in some of the more precocious breeds believe it or not. But I think there's more to it than that. For me, a kitten becomes a cat when they psychologically mature, and for my breed, that can be anywhere from 10 months to 2.5 years. I will not breed them until they have met standards in this area, hence I have an almost 4 year old girl who, despite her line being important, her being the last entire cat in it, and me having worked for 6 years to get to this point, I will spay without kittening, because I feel it's not in her best interests to have babies herself. She still displays too many kittenish behaviours. She is anxious and uncertain when she is left alone, needing reassurance when we return. She vocalises a lot, something on ly the very young do. She still tries to suckle. She has to be on or near you no matter what, even to the detriment of eating sometimes. She is still very enthusiastic about everything, not in an adult way, but imagine a grabby toddler who is so inquisitive and full of life that they have to be into everything! Now! No waiting!
For me, a kitten becomes a cat when they are self contained enough to understand that the world is table, that they don't need to depend on others (there's a difference in wanting and needing, and that's crucial for me), when they stop shrieking like a baby and start talking instead, when they are content in themselves. Many people say that their cats still act like kittens, but for me, having watched and raised so many, there is definitely a finite difference between the two. Kittenish behaviours show that a cat is happy and relaxed. Playing like a kitten does not mean that the cat still thinks it is a kitten. Acting like one, needing constant input on a grand scale from you, needing you to be almost a surrogate psychological mum, means that cat is still probably a kitten. For me, in all my years of breeding and cat contact, I have seen very, very, very few who are still kittens after the age of 3.
With feral colonies, the boys are driven off by mum at 4 months old so I guess this is the time they really grow up. Girls are retained until sometimes 7 or 8 months old before they are expected to go it alone.
Hope this helps somewhat.
Oh my, what insight. And very nicely done.
i like what i have read here and i must say that it was very educational and interesting too, smiles.
A good question you have asked and i like the answers that have been given here, smiles.
Apparently a group of kittens is called a kindle. And a group of cats in general is a clowder.
Odd.
I'm sorry to be knitpicky here. And off subject too, but hyenas scientifically speaking are part of the weezle family, like otters, mink, mongeese etc.
Ok back on topic now.
Baby owls are called owlets.
Most baby insects are called nymphs, haven't really seen any spacific type have it's onw baby name.
Baby coons are also kits.
Whales, cattle, elephants and I think a few others have calves.
Love this topic btw!
awe, this topic is very educational! thanks!
I've read somewhere that a puppy and a toddler may have similar behaviors. having been around many, I see similarities and differences.
Wow, I'm back on the site after being away for some time and I'm surprised that this topic is still going! Amazing!
Moonspun, thank you for your post I found it really interesting and educational! This is great!
I've been staying with my parents for a bit and they have a lot of animals. 2 big dogs, 2 rabbits, chickens outside and 4 cats who're indoor/outdoor. To say I'm learning a lot is very true!
awe how cool, smiles.