在使用php接收mysql结果后,但在编码为json之前,如何按类型对其进行分组?

我对php和sql非常陌生,一直在尝试如何将数据库结果转换成漂亮的json格式。我的主要问题是不能按数据类型对结果进行分组。

下面是表格、php代码和结果。

这是桌子的样子。

+------+--------------+-------------+-----------+
|  id  |  type        | color       |  cuteness |
+------+--------------+-------------+-----------+
|  1   |  fluffy      | tricolor    |  10       |
|  2   |  shorthair   | brown       |  5        |
|  3   |  angry       | white       |  9        |
|  4   |  fluffy      | black       |  8        |
|  5   |  lazy        | white       |  10       |
|  6   |  fighter     | white       |  6        |
|  7   |  fluffy      | black       |  8        |
|  8   |  shorthair   | tricolor    |  9        |
|  9   |  fluffy      | transparent |  7        |
| 10   |  shorthair   | neon        |  10       |
+------+--------------+-------------+-----------+

PHP:

$query = "SELECT * from 'kittens' order by date DESC";  
$sendoff = execute($query, 1); 


if (num_of_rows($sendoff) > 0) {
    //number of rows 
    $conta = num_of_rows($sendoff);

    // kittens array
    $kittens_arr=array();
    $kittens_arr["kittens_data"]=array();

    //displaynumberofkittens
    $kittens_arr["count"]= $conta;

    while ($kittensori = fetch_array($sendoff)){  

        //used for future separations
        $kitten = $kittensori['category'];

        extract($kittensori);

        $kittenslist=array(
            "type" => $kitten_type,
            "name" => $kitte_nname,
            "color" => $kitten_color,
            "cuteness" => $cuteness,
        );
        array_push($kittens_arr["kittens_data"], $kittenslist);
    }
}

这些是有效的结果,但我想看看是否可以按类型对结果进行分组。所以,如果小猫是毛茸茸的,那么它们应该按这个分组。

 {
 "kittens_data": [
  {
    "id": "1",
    "type": "fluffy",
    "color": "tricolor",
    "cuteness": "10",

  },
  {
    "id": "2",
    "type": "shorthair",
    "color": "brown",
    "cuteness": "5",

  }
]
}

下面是json。有可能吗?

 {
 "kittens_data": [
  {
    "type": "fluffy",
    "box": [{
       "id": "1",
       "color": "tricolor",
       "cuteness": "10"
    },
    {
       "id": "7",
       "color": "black",
       "cuteness": "8"
    }]   
  },
  {
    "type": "shorthair",
    "box": [{
       "id": "2",
       "color": "brown",
       "cuteness": "5"
    },
    {
       "id": "8",
       "color": "tricolor",
       "cuteness": "9"
    }]   
  }
]
}

任何帮助,或指向正确的方向都会大有帮助。