- For other meanings of litter, see Litter (disambiguation). Kittens ( Old English Diminutive of Cat) are juvenile domesticated cats ( Felis catus) that are not fully-grown
A litter is the offspring at one birth of animals from the same mother and usually from one set of parents. A parent is a Father or Mother; one who sires or gives The word is most often used for the offspring of mammals, but can be used for any animal that gives birth to multiple young. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands In comparison, a group of eggs and the offspring that hatch from them are frequently called a clutch, whilst young birds are often called a brood. In most Birds and Reptiles an egg ( Latin ovum) is the Zygote, resulting from Fertilization of the Ovum. A clutch of eggs refers to all the eggs produced by one Bird or Reptile at a single time particularly In Biology, offspring are the product of Reproduction, a new Organism produced by one or more Parents Collective offspring may be known
Animals from the same litter are referred to as littermates.
Animals frequently display grouping behaviour in herds, swarms, flocks, or colonies, and these multiple births derive similar advantages. A herd is a large group of animals The term is usually applied to mammals particularly Ungulates. The SWARM Remote Weapon System (Stabilised Weapon And Reconnaissance Mount is a fully armored Remote weapon system designed and built by the Thales Group in In Biology, a colony (from Latin colonia) refers to several individual Organisms of the same Species living closely together usually A litter offers some protection from predation, not particularly to the individual young but to the parents' investment in breeding. With multiple young, predators could eat several and others could still survive to reach maturity, but with only one offspring, its loss could mean a wasted breeding season. The other significant advantage is the chance for the healthiest young animals to be favoured from a group. Rather than it being a conscious decision on the part of the parents, the fittest and strongest baby competes most successfully for food and space, leaving the weakest young, or runts, to die through lack of care. In a group of animals (usually a litter of animals born in multiple births a runt is a member which is smaller and/or weaker than the others
In the wild, only a small percentage, if any, of the litter may survive to maturity, whereas for domesticated animals and those in captivity with human care the whole litter might survive. Domestication (from Latin domesticus) refers to the process whereby a Population of Animals
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