A place where cats are bred, trained, boarded, or cared for, similar to a kennel for dogs.
From 'cat' with the suffix '-ery' (a place where something happens or is made), following the pattern of 'bakery,' 'brewery,' and 'pottery.' Emerged in Victorian England as cat shows became fashionable.
The word 'cattery' is surprisingly recent—it only entered English in the 1800s when cat breeding became a serious hobby, whereas 'kennel' is medieval!
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