Nicknames For Cats: How Can You Call A Kitten-boy (red, Black, Gray, White, Etc.), Cool, Rare And Popular Names

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

How to name your favorite cat

A good choice of nickname, of course, is not the most important criterion in the relationship between a cat and its owner. And yet, it is worth approaching this issue with all responsibility, because the name once invented will accompany the animal for many years, and what is suitable for a small naughty kitten may turn out to be completely inappropriate in relation to an adult and solid cat.

Content

• 1 What to look for when choosing a nickname for a cat

  • 1.1 What sounds do cats respond to
  • 1.2 Why a cat doesn't respond to its name

  • 1.3 General recommendations when choosing a nickname

    • 1.3.1 Harmony
    • 1.3.2 Ease of pronunciation and repetition
    • 1.3.3 Ethical aspect
    • 1.3.4 Fashion is a bad advisor
    • 1.3.5 Secret meaning

• 2 What to put as a basis: variants of nicknames for cats according to different criteria

  • 2.1 Breed

    2.1.1 Color

  • 2.2 Nature

  • 2.3 Other

    • 2.3.1 Cartoons
    • 2.3.2 Photo gallery: famous cats from cartoons
    • 2.3.3 Cinema
    • 2.3.4 Table: names of cats from famous films
    • 2.3.5 Photo Gallery: Famous Movie Cats
    • 2.3.6 Literary
    • 2.3.7 In honor of famous people
    • 2.3.8 Table: real prototypes for the pet name
    • 2.3.9 Profession obliges
    • 2.3.10 Dreams come true
    • 2.3.11 Comic and original
  • 2.4 Video: how to choose a name for a kitten

• 3 Names of famous cats and celebrity cats

  • 3.1 Table: the names of the most famous cats in the world and the cats of famous people

    3.1.1 Photo gallery: famous people with their cats

• 4 Owner reviews

What to look for when choosing a nickname for a cat

By and large, a nickname for a cat must meet only one criterion: to please the owner. The animal is absolutely indifferent to what you call it and what meaning you put into this name.

By the way, it is worth dispelling several myths that cats react only to the "correct" names, that is, there are some special laws that a potential owner needs to know.

What sounds do cats respond to

We often hear that whistling sounds must be present in a cat's name, since it is their ear that the cat perceives best. It is for this reason, they say, that all street cats respond to the characteristic "Kys-kys!"

In fact, the claims that the animal will not be able to hear any nickname have nothing to do with reality.

More than once I had to see how the Abyssinian sleeping on the sofa suddenly raises her head, then crosses the whole apartment and sits down in front of the door. For me, this is an accurate signal: in about ten minutes my daughter will return, you can put dinner on the table. The cat simply adores its owner and, in an incomprehensible way for me, determines not only the sound of her steps on the staircase, but, it seems, unmistakably identifies the rustling of the tires of her car and even distinguishes the manner of driving.

So do not bother yourself with nonsense: the cat does not need the presence of "s" in the name to start responding to it. Let's say more: the animal may well ignore the appeal, consisting only of whistling sounds, pretending that it does not hear them at all. Don't be fooled: this is psychology, not physiology!

Why the cat doesn't respond to its name

The answer is, in general, obvious. A cat is an independent creature: it walks wherever it pleases, and walks by itself.

The cat walks by itself

Nature conceived cats as predators and great hunters. Moreover, if dogs, having found prey, begin its siege or pursuit, while showing wonderful abilities of "teamwork" and a very high degree of communication, then cats usually hunt alone. With this method of obtaining food, the ability to quickly respond to a subtle sound emitted by a potential victim, to calculate its origin and, silently sneaking up, wait until the prey is in maximum accessibility is vital for a cat.

Tracking a tiny mouse requires great hearing

But on the other hand, you can sympathize with the beast, forced, whether he wants it or not, to constantly analyze “personal perspectives” from millions of different sounds, especially when a not very tactful owner turns the TV on at full volume, and then starts shouting out the same word, believing that if you raise your voice, the deaf cat will finally understand that it is being addressed.

It has been noticed that many domestic cats refuse to respond to their own name, but they show an instant interest in communication, barely hearing the sound of the refrigerator door opening or the characteristic rustle of the packaging of their favorite food. This does not mean that the pet is dumb or deaf. We just have to admit that in the eyes of many cats we are just an appendix to free food, a feed dispenser.

My daughter's Abyssinian knows her name very well. But the hostess beckons her pet with a characteristic sound, invented by her specifically for such communication and, as far as I know, is not used in any language (the tongue pushes off the palate at the base of the upper teeth, resulting in a very soft and gentle smacking). The daughter categorically forbids someone else to address a cat in this way, and we treat such a fad with understanding: an unusual sound for a red-haired beast is associated exclusively with an adored mistress.

We come to an interesting point: cats react not only to the specific combination of sounds that make up their name. For the animal, the voice of the one who pronounces this name is also important. But even that is not all.

Cats are excellent at distinguishing voices

If we speak in the language of jurisprudence, then the relationship between cats and people is not administrative (built on the principles of power and subordination), but civil, that is, equal. About nine thousand years ago, when our ancestors began to engage in agriculture, cats themselves took the initiative to "converge", starting to hunt rodents threatening grain reserves, which ultimately suited both sides.

Hunting for mice is a cat's personal initiative, not the result of training.

But these independent animals are genetically and evolutionarily not tuned to obey human orders, and this is the fundamental difference between cats and dogs. It is due to the fact that the cat, in the words of Japanese scientists, “domesticated itself”, she builds her relationship with a person according to one pattern she understands.

Researchers have shown that without seeing the owner, the cat does not respond to his call. Even if the animal sees perfectly well the one who feeds it, it can “ignore it” in the most impudent way. And it has nothing to do with the chosen name.

General recommendations when choosing a nickname

So, from what name the cat will be easier to remember and easier to hear, you can safely abstract away. When choosing a nickname for a pet, it is much more important to be guided by completely different criteria. Let's try to formulate them.

Euphoniousness

Dissonance is a violation of harmony. There are a large number of scientific works devoted to the euphony of speech. Of course, it is not necessary to study them just in order to choose a nickname for a cat, especially since in a certain sense euphony depends on subjective perception.

But when coming up with a name for your pet, it is still recommended to avoid:

• not typical for the Russian language, and therefore difficult to pronounce combinations of sounds (for example, the Japanese male names Ioshikezu, Keiichi, Mazeki are difficult for us to pronounce);
• frequently repeated vowels (uo, auo) or consonants (vdr, vzgr, vsk, bssh);
• excess whistling and hissing sounds;
• unaesthetic combinations of sounds (tra, lice, wood, hra);
• too short or too long variants of the name.

Ease of pronunciation and repetition

We will have to repeat the chosen name several times, until its owner deigns to pay his precious attention to us. Therefore, you need to think in advance about not breaking your tongue when inviting your pet. The easiest way out of the situation is an abbreviated, petting name, but it also needs to be thought out in advance (Benjamin - Benya, Boniface - Bonya, etc.).

Ethical aspect

I do not share the position that it is unethical to call cats with human names. But such a point of view exists, which means that it must be respected.

You should not give the cat the name of the neighbor (especially if you are in conflict), the boss (he may be at your house or simply learn about it from colleagues, and a harmless joke will cost you your career).

Choosing the name of a relative or family member for a cat, even if its owner has a great sense of humor, is simply inconvenient: all sorts of misunderstandings can begin.

Fashion is a bad advisor

I would advise owners to avoid, when choosing a nickname for their cat, buzzwords or names that are popular at this particular stage of people's lives: domestic cats can live twenty years or more, and fashion, hobby, falling in love are things that pass.

Of course, a name for a cat is not a tattoo on its own body, but still, it is supposed to be chosen once and for all life. Therefore, try to focus on something neutral or, conversely, eternal. The momentary impulse when choosing a nickname is a bad criterion.

Secret meaning

When coming up with a name for a cat, it is important to understand the meaning of the chosen word. And not only because, not knowing a foreign language and not being interested in the translation of a beautiful combination of sounds heard somewhere, you can find yourself in an awkward situation (such nicknames for a cat as Moron, Fak or Ass will sound ambiguous).

When choosing a name for a cat, avoid words whose meaning you do not know

It should be borne in mind that, for example, in Japan any name, male or female, carries a certain meaning. Let's say the original and very nice-sounding Toshi is the emergency, Jero is the tenth son, Akuma is the devil, etc.

What to base: variants of nicknames for cats according to different criteria

I don't want to stoop to writing a list of recommended names. There are a great many of them, if you wish, all this can be easily found. But in my experience, such checklists are rarely useful. The most successful nicknames appear in the head by themselves when you look your pet in the eyes. If this happens, the maximum that can help is a general idea thrown by someone.

For example, when choosing a name, you can focus on the color, character, habits of your pet or its breed. Another option is to go from the opposite: to be guided not by the cat, but by its owner, that is, guided by one's own tastes, interests, knowledge. It is only desirable that the name chosen in this way meet the above-mentioned criteria of euphony, semantic load and "durability", and also, if possible, at least a little in harmony with the personality of the cat.

Let's try to add some specifics.

Breed

I will say for myself: the easiest way is to give names to mongrel cats. In this case, however, I would advise not to come up with anything pretentious, it will break the harmony. For example, I named a hefty ginger cat living in our summer cottage village Prokhor - simply and at the same time not beaten. But for another handsome man, I could not find a suitable name in any way: different options came to mind, but none seemed harmonious. In the end, I began to call the beast simply Cat, and he responded perfectly to such a semi-proprietary semi-noun name.

A simple name is suitable for a mongrel cat

Choosing a name for an animal of an unusual breed, you can "beat" its origin or build on the features of appearance.

For example, a Thai cat can be called Rama or Chakri (the king of Siam and the dynasty ruling there), Bangkok or Chang (cities in Thailand), Tom Yan or Massaman (popular Thai dishes).

A Thai cat is a good name associated with Thailand

For a Briton, something English is suitable: Sherlock, Chester or Chelsea, and a Scottish cat will be quite comfortable living under the name of the national drink - Scotch.

The name of Scotch whiskey can be a great name for a Scottish Fold

Sphinx, developing the theme of Egypt, you can pick up something from the names of the pharaohs: Ramses, Cheops, Tutankhamun, Akhenaten.

To choose a name, Sphinxes should look for something from the history of Ancient Egypt

Color

When I was little, they gave us a black kitty. We named her Nochka. After some time, the cat turned out to be a cat, and the name had already stuck. I had to transform Night into Night. Once I had to pick up a desperately screaming ginger kitten on the street. When the baby was washed and the numerous fleas were combed out of his fur, I looked at the arrogant round muzzle, and a clear association came to my mind: Omelet.

A name that matches the color of the cat is a popular option

Smoke (gray), White or Umka (white), Blackie or Coal (black) - this is, in general, trite, but if the owner likes it, then why not.

Character

An overly mischievous cat can be called a Bandit or a Gangster, and too arrogant - a Count, Caesar, Duce, etc. only babies at the age of two to three months.

The character of a kitten is difficult to predict

Such kittens are always a little stupid, hyperactive and funny, so you can not guess with a nickname.

Other

If you distract from the personality of your pet and focus on your own hobbies, the field for creative search can be significantly expanded.

Cartoons

Naming your cat the name of your favorite cartoon character is a great idea. Moreover, it is not at all necessary that this hero was the cat.

The partner of our Abyssinian cat is called Simba. This is a luxurious wild-colored cat, a multiple European champion.

Simba is a fitting name for a handsome wild color

For those who cannot remember a single suitable character from cartoons, we can suggest the following options: Woof, Boniface, Leopold, Garfield, Felix, Sylvester, Tom and, in the end, the famous Matroskin.

Photo gallery: famous cats from cartoons

Garfield is a red-haired bully who loves to eat.

Woof kitten from the cartoon is associated with a Siamese or Thai cat

Tom is an active but stupid cat

Leopold is a good name for a ginger cat

Matroskin the cat is a suitable nickname for a minke

Cinema

The idea of giving the cat the name of a movie hero looks a little more serious.

Table: names of cats from famous films

Cat name	Movie title
Bean	"A street cat named Bob"
Orangey	"Breakfast at Tiffany's"
Payvaket	Bell, Book and Candle
Tonto	"Harry and Tonto"
Jonesy	"Alien"
Ulysses	"Inside Lewis Davis"
Blixter	"Gone Girl"
Orion	"Men in Black"
Jay	"Cat from Space"

Photo gallery: famous movie cats

The movie "Bob the Street Cat" tells a very touching story based on real events

A galaxy in Orion's belt almost caused the death of the Earth

The cat from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's name was Orange

However, no one bothers to give the cat the name of a "human" movie hero: Zorro, Flint, Darth Vader, Frodo, Snow, House, Drogon, Dexter, Lector, Castiel, Crowley, Lightman, Terminator, etc.

Literary

Perhaps the most famous cat in world literature is the Behemoth from The Master and Margarita.

For some reason I remember Churchill, Stephen King's Pet Sematary, but I would not give the cat the name of this character for superstitious reasons (those who have read will understand why).

The fate of Churchill from the movie "Pet Sematary" was not very good

But in general, world literature is a huge selection of the most diverse and original names. Take one of them to your pet and earn the glory of a well-read person.

As a hint, we can advise you to turn to ancient Greek mythology (look through the "Iliad" and "Odyssey"), in it you can find very beautiful names of gods and heroes.

In honor of famous people

When choosing a name for a cat in honor of a famous person, we can be guided by various considerations:

• the desire to emphasize certain features of the appearance or character of your pet;
• the desire to demonstrate their own erudition;
• beautiful sounding of the name.

The most successful is the first option, when the name of a real person given to the cat carries a certain semantic load. Here are some examples.

Table: real prototypes for the name of a pet

Name of a famous person	Who is it for
Che Guevara	a black cat with a restless character and leadership habits
Banderas	black fertile cat, slender and well-groomed
Byron	well-groomed cat with a calm character
Nelson	a cat that loves to splash in the water
Nero	redhead impudent cat who does not recognize the rules

The similarity with Hitler in this cat is striking to everyone, the question is whether you want to emphasize it, calling the pet after the name of the fascist leader

Profession obliges

My friend, who took a Thai kitten from us, worked in a large insurance company and really wanted the pet's name to be associated with her profession. Fortunately, the dictionary of specific insurance terms is quite long, as a result, the choice was made in favor of Notis (the options were considered Addendum, Polis and Covernot). Another friend of mine, an inveterate fan of preference, took two Thai boys from me at once and named them Mizer and Totus, respectively. Those who understand will confirm that both are not bad at all.

It is not difficult to find an original name for your pet and programmers. I know an IT specialist who named the cat BASIC. User sounds original and significant, from my point of view. Slightly less meaningful ones are also offered: Gadget, Virus, Google, Yandex, Traffic, Trojan, etc.

The programmer can find the name of his cat among the many computer terms

In a word, it will not be difficult for a specialist in his field to recall a sonorous and interesting professional term that can be used as a cat's name.

Dream come true

Imagine: you are raving about an expensive car, bike or at least a prestigious smartphone, but you know for sure that such a luxury is beyond your means.

In order to somehow get closer to your dream, you can easily become the owner of a Hummer, Lexus, Harley or iPhone, calling your pet cat with a similar magical name.

Comic and original

Some funny people like to come up with cool nicknames for their favorites, such as, for example, Pate, Shashlik, Aspirin, Zephyr, Gingerbread, Screw and the like. Sometimes there are more offensive options - Scum, Glutton or Cattle.

The matter, of course, is personal, but such humor is not very close to me. A friend of mine named his pet Ivory Coast - this, in my opinion, is really stylish and original.

Video: how to choose a name for a kitten

Names of famous cats and celebrity cats

If we ask what names the stars of show business or politics give to their favorites, we will see that, with rare exceptions, the powers that be are not particularly original. Judge for yourself.

Table: the names of the most famous cats in the world and the cats of famous people

Cat name	Owner's name
Sox	Bill and Hillary Clinton, President and US Presidential Candidate
Moak	Ian Somelholder, American model
Elvis, Tim, Sam, Teach, Major and Minor, Salt and Pepper	John Lennon, musician
Abner, Bambino	Mark Twain, writer
Boyzie, Wolfer, Deegee	Ernest Hemingway, writer
Dorotheus	Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
Mister jinx	Robert De Niro, American actor
Chess	Alexey Alekhin, world chess champion
Mississippi	Joseph Brodsky, poet, Nobel laureate
Winnie	Whoopi Goldberg, American actress
Oscar, Goliath	Freddie Mercury, musician
Scout	Sheryl Crow, American guitarist and singer
Templeton	Drew Barrymore, American actress
Norman	Jennifer Aniston, American actress
Philosopher	Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Russian actor
Georges	Anastasia Volochkova, ballerina and socialite
Schumacher	Victoria Bonya, socialite
Wilberforce	Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of Great Britain
Jock, Nelson	Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain
Don Piero De Navarra	Théophile Gaultier, writer
Doctor	Alexandre Dumas Jr., writer
Stroller	Nikas Safronov, artist
Mamrysh	Daria Poverennova, Russian actress
Chubby	Evgeni Plushenko, figure skater
Llama	Leonid Brezhnev, General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee
Casper	Irina Dubtsova, Russian singer
Lewis	Nicolas Cage, American actor
Rubarb	Audrey Hepburn, American and English actress
Babu	Salvador Dali, artist
Musik	Sergei Makovetsky, Russian actor
Fred	Brooklyn police cat known for helping to expose several criminals
Orangey	Ginger cat, Hollywood star in the 1950s and 1960s, winner of two Patsy awards
Oscar	The famous cat, during the Second World War, lived alternately on three ships, a German and two British, survived after their death and died on land ten years after the end of hostilities
Humphrey and Larry	Cats serving at the residence of the Prime Minister of Great Britain

Photo gallery: famous people with their cats

Robert De Niro's cat is called Mr. Jinx

Freddie Mercury named the cat Oscar

Outrageous Salvador Dali had a wild ocelot cat named Babu

The Clinton family has a cat named Sox.

Owner reviews

Sometimes the name of a cat speaks more about its owner than about the animal itself: about taste, sense of style or humor, and sometimes - about the level of mental abilities, hobbies and even secret complexes of a person. If you don't want to reveal your secrets to others or look funny, give your pets neutral names, strive to stand out from the crowd - come up with something original. But in fact, and in another case, remember: you are trying for yourself. The cat doesn't care what his name is.