Who's good at cat names?

[ginnyinWI]

Last edited Fri Sep 12, 2014, 10:05 PM - Edit history (2)

I have a mama cat and four kittens that I am fostering--just got them yesterday. She is a small-boned, all-black female, kind of quiet and sweet, and I know she won't attract much attention once she is on the adoption floor at my shelter. I need a classy, attention grabbing name that is still in character for a kitty like this. I will post a picture when I get one later today. Ideas?

Edited to add pictures! There are just the four kittens--some are shown more than once. All the kittens are male except for the black and white one.

[shenmue]

1. Awesome!

Mittens
Pookie
Squoodles
Fifi
George
Fluffy
Noodles McPie
Binky



Pics, we can has?

[Sanity Claws]

2. Don't necessarily aim for classy; memorable will do

I occasionally work with a cat rescue group that takes cats off death row. Death row refers to the local animal shelters' posting on FB photos and a little bio of cats who are scheduled for euthanasia.

One cat from death row had the name TunaPants. There were a lot of follow up inquiries about him. The only reason we could come up was his name. It was unique, memorable, funny but definitely not classy.
Cats with common names like Tiger don't get the same kind of hits.

[Voice for Peace]

6. Tuna Pants!!

[Sanity Claws]

7. Memorable, right?

Makes you smile, right?

I think those are the hallmarks of a good name to increase adoptability.

[Voice for Peace]

9. yup. I would have to have that cat.

[ginnyinWI]

11. great advice

A name that will stick with you.

[roody]

3. Mamacita

Dona (enye there) Gata
Noche
Midnight Love

[TygrBright]

4. Pick a theme first, then names.

For instance, your theme might be "Beatles tunes" and the names could be Michelle, Eggman, Sgt. Pepper, Flattop, and Rita.

Or your theme could be "Indian Food" and the names could be Masala, Aloo, Koolcha, Madras, and Chole.

Or your theme could be "WWII" and the names might be Lizzy, Winston, Eleanor, Ike, and Rommel.

Once you have a theme, the names come easy.

helpfully,
Bright

[Voice for Peace]

5. See what you find yourself calling them over the next hours and days..

their names may just pop out at you.

http://kamayojewelry.com/gemstone-colors/black-gemstone-names/
1 Black Opal
2 Black Diamond
3 Black Beryl
4 Black Pearl
5 Black Sapphire
6 Serendibite
7 Black Garnet
8 Black Zircon
9 Cassiterite
10 Black Onyx
11 Black Tourmaline
12 Black Spinel
13 Black Star Diopside
14 Black Moonstone
15 Jet
16 Obsidian
17 Black Jasper
18 Hematite
19 Black Fluorite

[ginnyinWI]

12. nothing comes to me for the mama yet...

The kittens will be easy. Moochie, Sporty, Minnie come to mind already. My fosters number in the 20s already (a little over a year) but this is my first mama cat. The kittens are a tabby, a tabby with white, a black and a black and white.

[Voice for Peace]

13. Obsidia

Knew a black momma cat long time ago named Obsidia.
(That's why I posted the list of black gems.)

My neighborhood feral momma (now spayed)... I tried
calling her everything but the only name that keeps coming
back is Little Momma. I think it's because she was pregnant
when the PACA came and trapped them.. and she also had two
kittens.

[ginnyinWI]

17. I think I have three kitten names so far

And they did just pop out. For the black kitten, Jelly Bean. For the black and white female kitten, Minnie Mouse. For the brown tabby male, Waldo (thanks to a poster), and I still have the mama and the tabby with white to go.

[Sanity Claws]

8. My attempt to combine a theme with memorable names

Mom: Lolly Pop
Kittens: Polly Wog, Jolly Roger, Bolly Wood, and Holly Hobbie.

or maybe make the last one in the series of names odd. For example, instead of a name ending -olly, say Waldo and parenthetically add, "we can never find him." Or maybe Egbert and add "Believe me, it suits him."

I'd love to see some photos when you get a chance.

[ginnyinWI]

18. I have done themes, and

also using the same first letter for all of them. This time I'm playing it by ear and will see what comes up. Thanks, though!

edited to add: I'm using Waldo for the tabby male--thanks!

[intheflow]

10. Small-boned and black? Eartha Kitt-ycat!

Meow!!

[Voice for Peace]

14. I'll take numbers 3 and 4. Can you send them parcel post to New Mexico?

[ginnyinWI]

19. sure!

[Voice for Peace]

20. The little gray and white one looks like my Oliver.

because he came with his little bowl to the door and said
'please.. may i have more"

[ginnyinWI]

21. It's a pretty good fit---

Oliver it is! So we have Waldo, Oliver, Jelly Bean, and Minnie Mouse for the kittens.

I am still dithering on a good name for the mom. Emerald? Elvira? Pandora? Minette? Camilla? Girlfriend? Pocahontas?

[Voice for Peace]

23. Something that honors the journey she has been on.

The little feral momma who showed up pregnant and
with two kittens.. I can only call her Mama. ma-MA

[okasha]

15. For Mama:

Sheba
Tiyi
Nefertari
Isis
Leila

[Voice for Peace]

22. Isis would have been good a few years ago

[ScreamingMeemie]

16. Mama: Stella

Girl: Blanche
Boy: Stanley
Boy: Marlon
Boy: Brando

[ginnyinWI]

24. Thanks to you all!

Sanity Claws for the "memorable" idea, and two others for "Oliver" and "Waldo" which I am using for two of the kittens.

Momma cat's will be memorable: "Tippi Toes". Tippi is a female name and I like the play on words. Makes you curious to meet her. She is a dainty little thing.

Tippi Toes and her kittens, Waldo, Oliver, Minnie Mouse and Jelly Bean. The fun thing about picking these names is that they are only temporary for use at the shelter. The adopters will likely change them, so they don't need to be perfect. Just "memorable".

[eridani]

25. If it was still 1976, you could call them

Madam Meow and her Gang of Four. Likely to go over everyone's heads these days.

Science fiction writer Jack Vance used to have a cat called Patterfoot.

[applegrove]

26. Lovebug, Monster

[ginnyinWI]

27. for a shelter name...

You don't want something like Monster. They ask themselves why are they called monster, you know? Like you don't want to name them Piddles, for example, or Meowy!

Once in a home and loved you can call them anything and it's okay. We have a tortie that was named Bear and I thought that was really unfortunate. I got them to change it to "Lady Bear" at least.

Comic names are good, and sweet ones. Anything positive.

[HeiressofBickworth]

28. The two kittes we got from a shelter

were part of The Vine Litter. Each kitten had a vine name -- Clematis, Jasmine, etc. We took the two females. Kept the Jasmine name but changed the other one to Coco.

My old cats, all gone now, were from various rescue situations. To give them a better standing in life, I named them:
Baron Reginald von Feline (Reggie - died at 18)
Sir Fredrick von Feline and (Freddie - died at 17)
Lady Alexandra von Feline (Alex - died at 18).