Also in form kettle Cai.1 [ki'tl.] 1.
Also in form kettle Cai.1 [ki'tl.] 1. v. To bring forth young, used gen. of cats, but also of other small animals, fish, &c. Also used fig. of persons. Cf. kindle, v.
Joseph Wright, English Dialect Dictionary (1898–1905)
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UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
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A Scottish idiom for people or things that are unpredictable, tricky, and hard to manage — the human equivalent of livestock that won't stay in their pen. 'Kittle' means ticklish or difficult in Scots, and cattle were historically the ultimate test of patience. Together, kittle cattle perfectly captures that exasperated shrug when dealing with a group that refuses to cooperate, behave, or make any sense whatsoever.
(Scotland) , unmanageable people or things.
An archaic or dialectal English adjective meaning bothersome, tricky, or hard to deal with — something that requires careful handling because it is unpredictable or difficult. Related to 'kittle' (ticklish, awkward, hard to manage) found in Scots and northern English dialect.
(UK, puerile, or, endearing) A cat.