A place where cats are kept or cared for, similar to a cattery; a facility for boarding or breeding cats.
From 'cat' plus the suffix '-ery' (a place where something happens or is made). This follows the pattern of 'eatery' (eating place), 'bakery' (baking place), and other location nouns.
While 'cattery' is the more common British spelling, 'catery' shows how English speakers naturally tried to apply the '-ery' suffix to cats, just like we do with other animals—showing the productive nature of English word-making!
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