Kitten Names
The selection of kitten names is as diverse and interesting as cats themselves!As such, choosing the right name for your kitten is not always easy. Despite what many have tried to say in the past, cats do learn their names. While some cats typically do not respond to their names as enthusiastically as dogs, many cats will at least react to their name in some way. Many cats will come when their names are called, although it may take some coaxing at first to get them trained. Whether it is a look, a flick of the tail, or even coming to you when called, most cats do react to their names being used. But, it may take several tries each time you want them to come to you, especially if they are wrapped up in a task. Some sources say that the best kitten names end in an "ee" sound. Supposedly, both kittens and adult cats respond best to names that end with this sound. Below are some rules and recommendations on kitten names, and how to get your cat to respond to the one you've chosen. I can tell you from personal experience, however, that a cat can and will learn a name that does not fit this mold. For example, my oldest cat, Priscilla, knows her name and always responds to it. "Smokey" or "Silky" or something like that would probably have been an easier cat name for her, but she seems to do just fine with the name she has. I know, Smokey is often used to name male cats, but you get my point. Try to keep cat names fairly simple. Shorter is usually better. No more than 3 syllables, and use long vowel sounds. For example, a not so good kitten name would be "kitten." Even though it is short (two syllables), it has short vowel sounds. Something like "Marty" or "Katie" would be better, since they have a long "a" and end in the "ee" sound.
- Be specific - choose a good kitten name that you think fits and decide how to pronounce it - then stick to it. Don't send your cat mixed signals about the sound of the name by pronouncing it differently each time.
- Don't truncate the name - if you name your cat "Smokey," then don't start calling him "Smoke" instead. Always call him "Smokey," or choose "Smoke" in the first place.
- Be consistent - once you choose "Misty," then "Misty" doesn't become "Maria" all of a sudden - once kitten names are chosen and the training starts, that's it. Again, no mixed signals.
- Be nice - always use a nice tone when saying the kitten's name - would you respond well to a strange word that someone always yelled at you?
- Use positive reinforcement - put your cat in a "feel good" mood by petting your cat for a while, then begin saying her name as you stroke her.
- Use Play - say your cat's name repeatedly during a light play session with a toy she likes.
- Use food - pet your cat and say her name while she's eating, or feed her a treat.
- Don't use negative reinforcement - this might seem like common sense given number five, but you might be surprised how many people will use kitten names in a harsh voice to punish their cats! If your cat is doing something you don't want her to do, use other sounds and words, like "no" or a loud noise as a behavior modification tool - not her name.
- Reward your cat - every time your kitten reacts to her name, praise her in a soft, high pitched voice, and reward her with lots of physical attention like petting, hugs, and treats.
- Never use punishment - when using the kitten's name doesn't produce the desired reaction, simply ignore your kitten's behavior and go back to using the techniques described here. Never yell at your cat or punish her for not responding to her name.
Remember, whether it's kitten names or litter box training, you are using a behavior modification technique.The basic rules here are to get your cat in a positive mood, ignore undesired behavior, and reward your cat whenever you catch her doing something you want her to do. Those are also solid tips to keep in mind when training your cat in any way. As a final note on the "rules" I would say to have fun with it, and do whatever works. House cats have proven over and over again that they're a pretty smart bunch, and will adapt to whatever name you choose. I've seen cat health experts name their cats in total opposition to the rules, so have at it!
The Naming Of Cats
Need help choosing a name for a new addition to the house?
Lists of cat names can help. The below pages contain lists of names as well as other resources with more lists. Female cat names
A list for girl cat owners. Male cat names
Owners of boy cats should check this list. Black cat names
An extensive list that includes some creative and unique black cat names, along with some history and explanation. Tuxedo cat names
These are good names for black and whites. Unusual cat names from VPI's annual list. Some fascinating cat names are contained in the works of T.S. Eliot, including a few in this famous poem, aptly titled, "The Naming Of Cats." You may recall that Eliot's work was the basis for CAT's the Musical, the famous play by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. Here's a list of the most popular cat names from a company in the cat ID tag business.
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Why or how did you chose the name, or was the name chosen for you?
Upload a picture of your cat, and optionally, share a cute or funny story about your cat and any other details as well if you like.
List Of Cat Names
Click on the links below to see the names submitted.
Cat Name Bella from Auburn
She was very fluffy and from behind she had a bell shape to her, so I named her Bella.
Editor's note: Thank you, Stacy, for submitting Bella's name ...
Cat Name Chalmer
I started a new theme with my cats' names: TRACTORS! So far I have had an Allis, currently have a Chalmer (after Allis-Chalmers) and I named the neighborhood ...
Cat Name Carlee
Carlee was abandoned by his mom. My little sister saved him and bottle fed him. At about 4-6 weeks old she gave him to me, and we absolutely adore him!...
Cat Names Coco And Tyger
My cat Tyger had just past. It might sound cruel the way I'm about to say this but my cat Tyger was MENTAL.
He'd bite everyone except for me and he ...
Cat Name Boo Bear
Had a hard time finding a name for this little black kitten. He looks just like a little black bear.
He is a handful and he loves playing with my other ...
Cat Name Shadow
I named my cat Shadow for 2 reasons. 1) He's all black with amber eyes, so it's very hard to see him in the dark, like an outline, or a shadow. 2) He always ...
Cat Name Felix
I adopted Felix from From the Heart Rescue, he was about 3 years old. We have now had him 3 years. He is beautiful and such a good kitty cat.
He never ...
Cat Name Oliver PomPom
This is terrible, but my Ragdoll cat has typical markings, making his points darker than the rest of his body. My 8 year old niece was looking at him ...
Cat Names Kita, Bandit, Deuce, and Izzy
In March of 2002 we got our first kitten, Kita. He came from a litter of four. He rode home in my purse-how cute!
A week later my husband came home ...
Cat Name Bowtie
We had first moved to Boston in January 2009. In November I saw a pregnant feral cat hanging around outside the building. I left the back door open so ...
Cat Name Kit Kat
We got Kit Kat from my mom's dad when he died. Her name was Kat, so we kept thinking of something to call her. My sister thought of a couple- Mystic, and ...
Cat Name Mr Slippers
Mr Slippers arrived into my garden one morning, he was so tiny you could only just see him amongst all the plants. He saw me and just walked into the house ...
Cat Name Punkin
Punkin, like Pumpkin, but slang and sweet. :) How you would end up saying it everyday anyway.
Editor's note: Thanks, Karen, for adding to our list of ...
Cat Name Cinko
I found a stay cat a couple of days ago. My parents told me that it belonged to a person up the street. So I called it by the name my parents told me to ...
Cat Name Zenda
My brother got this kitten at the SPCA in Largo, FL.
Very smart and fetches toys you throw to her and then brings them back. Very smart and friendly. We ...
Cat Name Liberty
Liberty, a Siamese mix, showed up on July 4th of 1999 and had four kittens 10 days later. None were Siamese marked and we kept mom and two kittens, Noot ...
Cat Name Magick
She's white on belly, with black stripes on her back mixed with brown fur, Norwegian Forest mix. The name was chosen as the wiccan spelling of magic. She ...
Cat Name Nellie
All of my cats have the same middle name: goodheart. It all started with the first cat I got as an adult. His name was Pumpkin.
Right after getting ...
Black And White Cat Name Sir Boots
A young, skinny male cat showed up in our yard one day, about 2 years ago, and my son's girl friend put some dry cat food out for him. It took a while,...
Cat Name Woof
My poor Cat!!!
But it does amuse me and my neighbours when I call him in!!!
Cat Name Cricket
Cricket is a doll - he loves everyone to include the other cats and dogs in the house. He enjoys exploring the woods around our house during the day and ...
Cat Name Mister B
Mister B was a stray a friend brought to my attention and I adopted. He was a whopping ten pounds, under a year old, intact, black and white male. I went ...
Cat Name Moon Sugar
Once I had named my black cat Skooma I decided that my next cat would be Moon Sugar. It was interesting to see her personality come through as Moon Sugar ...
Cat Name Skooma
When I first played the game Morrowind I thought to myself how fitting the drug Skooma would be as a cat name. I didn't get to implement it until years ...
Cat Name Spooky
Spooky was long hair, tortoise shell in color, having a very distinctive line down her head making it half black, half red. She was so named because when ...
Cat Name Wyatt
Wyatt is a funny little man I got when he was 6 weeks old. He has turned out to be one of the smartest cats I've ever owned.
He can open almost any ...
Cat Name Lovely
My daughter chose her name because she said she is cute and beautiful.
Cat Name Binx
Binx was a long haired gray tabby mix, he looked like a Norwegian Forest cat. He was one of those cats that you can fling across your shoulders and he ...
Cat Name Tsunami
Nami, for short. She used to run through the house full speed, jumping on & off furniture, us, the dogs, and just generally stirring up trouble. We would ...
Cat Names Mickey & Minnie
Twin tuxedos we adopted years ago. We had to adjust Minnie's name because we had another cat named Winston whose nickname was Winnie and they were both ...
Cat Name Baby
Baby (male cat) was abandoned by his mother and other sibling. (They were street kitties -- small babies when I found Baby -- maybe 2 months old). The ...
Cat Names Fishsticks & Porkchops
We acquired fishsticks from a friend whose cat had a litter and for some reason my husband somehow thought of fishsticks. She was really aggressive so ...
Cat Name Figaro
Was inside the engine of a car for about 2 hours before he was found and has never left my side ever since.
Cat Name Paisley Sweets
She just looked like a Paisley, and she can be sweet when she isn't terrorizing!
Cat Name Tickaboo
I was given Tickaboo by an ex girl friend. I was not too sure about taking in another cat since my last ex took custody of the three we had together. But ...
Cat Name Menta
When she was just a kitten, my cat had eyes the color of peppermint... hence her name... Menta (Italian version of Mint)! XD
Cat Name Lucky
One time my family and I were driving to the store. Then suddenly all the cars stopped. A women picked a cat up and told us "I have two dogs I can't take ...
Cat Names Squire and Maggie
Squire was christened Wee Squee the Squire Boy by my son when we got him 10 yrs ago. My son was 3 and a half yrs old at the time.
Maggie Mayhem is ...
Cat Name Lola
I am a Barry Manilow fan.
Cat Names Pharoah, Egypt, and Nile
Well It all started with Pharoah's father who was my first cat and he was a tuxedo cat that had a black triangle on his face. That made me think of the ...
Cat Name Nightshade
Simply put, I loved the name "Nightshade" at the time, and named him even before I saw him. All I knew was that he was solid black; he was a kitten that ...
Cat Names Lola and Lucy
Lola and Lucy (two cats). They are my girls. They are sisters and very smart. They have two distinct personalities. My girls are 5 years old and are indoor ...
Cat Name Milly from Ireland
Not rated yet
Sister of Monty the rescued cat, Milly on the other hand loves to be cuddled. Her favorite toy is a roll of aluminum foil.
Editor's note: Thank you ...
Cat Name Monty from Ireland
Not rated yet
Is my boy. He is a champagne ginger, 8 months old and a rescue cat, he doesn't like to be stroked that much but that's fine, I love him just the way he ...
Cat Name Kirby, Nickname Kirbalicious, Kirmudgeon or Mudge
Not rated yet
Kirby is a black and tan tabby and he is eating strawberry yogurt here. He prefers strawberry over vanilla. He was a 5 or 6 week old stray who had lost ...
Cat Name Tony
Not rated yet
My husband brought home four feral abandoned kittens at 2 weeks old. I decided after bottle raising them, to keep two. The only little girl and the smallest ...
Cat Name Bella
Not rated yet
My husband brought home 4 feral abandoned kittens when they were only 2 weeks old. One was a little black and white tuxedo girl. She is so beautiful and ...
Cat Name Sunshine
Not rated yet
This is my cat Sunshine and her first (and only) litter. She is a very small American Shorthair .
She was a barn cat that was rescued and forgotten ...
Cat Name Tayling
Not rated yet
A small Siamese kitty who I feel in love with ten years gone that passed away. Nickname was Tay Tay.
Editor's note: Thanks, Betty, for adding to our ...
Cat Name Sven
Not rated yet
Sven was adopted into a loving Swedish family. Sven is a boy, and Sven translated to English means boy. :)
Editor's note: Thank you for adopting a kitty ...
Cat Name Pingu
Not rated yet
Squeaks like Pingu when playing with her friend goldenboy. He is 2 months old.
Editor's note: For those who aren't familiar with Pingu, Pingu is a ...
Here are some more cute cat names submitted by our visitors. These submissions didn't have any pictures submitted with them, and were each too short to demand a full page on their own.
Cat And Kitten Name Links
Cat Names - Cat-Names.us - Looking for cat names? Search over 5,000 cat names in seconds.
Bow Wow Meow - list of popular cat and kitten names based on pet ID tags issued. Includes meanings too.
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