Kittening

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of a female cat bringing forth offspring occurs during this phase, which also includes the nurturing of the feline young while they develop into adult cats
2. The act of giving birth to young cats encompasses the time when a female cat cares for her newborns until they reach maturity
3. The phase in which a female cat gives birth to and cares for her young includes nurturing and raising the kittens until they are independent

Etymology: Kittening is a plain formation: the noun "kitten" with the suffix "-ing" added, which turns it into a verb form describing the act of giving birth to kittens. The suffix does the grammatical work, so the word's meaning comes almost entirely from the base. A cat's "kitten" is itself a noun whose ancestry runs back through Middle English and Anglo-Norman forms, and the verb built on it is simply the process of producing and raising those young. The useful thing to notice is how the noun is used. "Kittening" describes the whole stretch of time, from the birth itself through the period of nursing and care, until the young are able to fend for themselves. Its meaning therefore covers an entire season of a cat's life, not a single moment of delivery.

Synonyms: breeding kittens, giving birth to kittens, whelping, kitten production, feline reproduction