Kitty takes in European writer (4)
I believe the answer is:
poet
'writer' is the definition.
(poet is a kind of writer)
'kitty takes in european' is the wordplay.
'kitty' becomes 'pot' (both can mean a shared fund).
'takes in' indicates putting letters inside.
'european' becomes 'E' (abbreviation e.g. EU).
'pot' enclosing 'e' is 'POET'.
(Other definitions for poet that I've seen before include "author" , "Burns was one" , "Ginsberg perhaps" , "Rhymer" , "Tope with a versifier" .)