WHAT SHOULD I NAME MY CAT?
It’s time for a list of the best cat names. Why? Because it’s kitten season, which means lots of litters coming into shelters. And all those litters need names. Mom cat also needs a name. And, when you adopt one of these furry bundles of activity, you might not like the name the shelter gave them. Need some ideas for a name for your new pet? Keep reading!
Recent scientific research shows that cats do recognize their names, even when similar sounding words are used. That they don’t necessarily respond, except by a slight tilt of the head or tail swishing, has more to do with attitude than capability.
Pet names, like children’s names, are heavily influenced by popular culture. I have included some of these under the TV/MOVIES category. If you want your cat’s name to be unique (or at least unusual), you’ll have to move beyond the popular names. Your feline friend is not a child – no need to abide by the “normal” names. Do some brainstorming.
In this post you’ll find a food categories, literary categories, categories for mythology, and categories based on the primary colors of your cat. Feel free to share them with your local shelter. Shelters often struggle to come up with new names during kitten season, since they are usually swamped with tons of teeny rescued litters. And, if you adopt one of these kitties, feel free to change the assigned name for something you like better. Cats really don’t care what you call them, as long as you feed them on time!
Below are some of the best cat names both individual and for litters. Some of these are my own, some come from literature, and some I’ve heard during my years as a shelter volunteer. Enjoy!
LITTER NAMES
Kittens often come into shelters in groups – below are some of the best kitten names for litters:
FOODS
WINES
- Pinot
- Chablis
- Chardonnay
- Cabernet
- Champagne
- Syrah
- Merlot
CHEESES
- Camembert
- Brie
- Havarti
- Colby
- Cheddar
- Stilton
TV/MOVIES
THE CHIPMUNKS
- Alvin
- Theodore
- Simon
- Dave
THE BRADY BUNCH (for cat owners of a certain age)
- Marcia
- Greg
- Cindy
- Jan
- Peter
- Bobby
THE VIKINGS
-
- Aslaug
- Porunn
- Gyda
- Torstein
- Kalf
- Bjorn
BLUE BLOODS
- Linda
- Danny
- Jamie
- Erin
- Henry
- Nikki
- Frank
BIG BANG THEORY
- Sheldon
- Amy
- Penny
- Leonard
- Howard
- Bernadette
- Raj
WILL AND GRACE
- Will
- Grace
- Jack
- Karen
LITERARY
THE BRONTES
- Emily
- Anne
- Charlotte
- Branwell
HARRY POTTER
- Harry
- Ron
- Hermoine
- Ginny
BEST INDIVIDUAL CAT NAMES
FOR ALL WHITE CATS
- Avalanche
- Blizzard
- Casper
- Cotton Ball
- Ghost
- Whipped Cream
- Powder
FOR ALL BLACK CATS
- Inky
- Midnight
- Dementor (if you believe that pets live up to their names, you might want to avoid this one)
- Velvet
- Tuxedo
- Licorice
- Onyx
FOR BLACK AND WHITE CATS
- Tuxedo
- Panda
- Penguin
- Zebra
- Barcode
- Domino
- Orca
FOR ORANGE CATS
- Tangerine
- Marmalade
- Flame
- Dorito
- Cheeto
- Garfield (pretty obvious, I know)
- Cheddar
- Kumquat
- Candy Corn
- Pumpkin
BEST GENERAL CAT NAMES
BASED ON MYTHOLOGY AND LEGENDS
Below, these are all gods, goddesses, or creatures depicted with distinctly cat-like features.
- Bast or Bastet – The Egyptian goddess of pregnancy and fertility
- Barong – The Balinese god – King of the spirits and leader of good.
- Chinthe – The Burmese guardian of pagodas and temples
- Hombre Gato – The feline equivalent to a werewolf. The story is popular in Argentina and other South American countries.
- Wampus (or Wampus Cat) – from Native American folklore – a mythological creature said to be descended from a young woman cursed for her curiosity by the native elders and turned into a cat-like creature.
- Zouyu – from Chinese literature. Said to be a feline creature but vegetarian. Some scientists think this animal was actually the Giant Panda.
BASED ON TV AND MOVIES
- Orion – from Men in Black – the cat who wore an entire world on a bauble on her collar.
- Sassy – from Homeward Bound – she had attitude!
BASED ON BOOKS
- Amber – from the Phryne Fisher mystery series, as written by Kerry Greenwood
- Horatio – from the Corinne Chapman mystery series, a personal favorite of mine, as written by Kerry Greenwood
- The Hunger Games – Buttercup
- Harry Potter Series – Crookshanks and Mrs. Norris
- Austin Powers – Mr. Bigglesworth
THE BEST CAT NAME I’VE EVER HEARD
And now, the best cat name I’ve ever heard. This one is not original to me, I met this cat while working at a veterinarian’s office. It was a gray, scruffy sort of cat – the kind that wasn’t quite long-haired, but certainly not short-haired. And its fur stood up in all directions without any obvious planning. Sort of Albert Einstein meets Sideshow Bob. This cat’s name? Lint. What could be more perfect?
As much as we like to anthropomorphize our animals, they are still animals. A goofy name will not embarrass them. They aren’t particular about what they’re called – the fact that you’ve given them a name at all is a token of love. If you like the name, even if it’s something completely off-the-wall, use it. You can’t be quite as creative with a child’s name because you want to protect your kids from being made fun of. But a cat doesn’t care, and his friends won’t tease him about an unusual name. So have fun with picking the perfect name for your cat.
What’s the best cat name you’ve ever heard? Or what creative name does your cat have? I’d love to hear your opinions.
Photo of Woman writing in book Photo by Cathryn Lavery on Unsplash
Hello My Name Is Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Photo of Tabby Cat by Ramiz Dedaković on Unsplash
Picture of tabby kittens by Q’AILA on Unsplash
Photo of white and gray kittens Photo by nccmrm97 on Foter.com / CC BY-SA
Scruffy gray cat photo by jon_a_ross on Foter.com / CC BY-ND
