Naming Your Cat

Naming Your Cat

Would you believe that over half of all pet names are actually people names? It seems that our furry friends have purred their way into our families in more ways than one!

Included in this section are the 20 most popular names for male and female cats. But before you actually name your cat, please read these tips – your cat’s name is more important than you think!

Tips for Naming your Cat

• First and foremost, your cat’s name must be easily recognisable. One or two syllables is best – your cat is much more likely to respond to “Felix” than to “Scarlett O'Hairy”.

• Keep in mind that you’ll be using your cat’s name a lot – for praise, for punishment, and undoubtedly to call him indoors after dark. Do you really want to be standing on your front doorstep calling out “Romeo, Romeo, where are you Romeo?”.

• If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to have your new cat around for a few days so you can gauge her personality, and then find a name that suits. This is usually where names like “Snuggles”, “Scratchy”, “Digger”, “Fang”, “Meow” and “Romper” originate.

• Another idea is to name your cat after her heritage – think of a Russian Blue named “Ivana”, a Scottish Fold named “Angus”, an Oriental called “Ling”, or even a Turkish Van named “Ali”. It’s a lot of fun to name your cat this way!

• If possible, avoid names that sound like the word you will use to discipline your cat. Names like “Mo” or “Joe” sound a lot like NO to your cat’s ears.

Top 20 Cat Names

Male
Oscar
Max
Tiger
Sam
Simba
Tigger
Smokey
Milo
Sooty
Monty
Puss
Kitty
Felix
Jack
Lucky
Casper
Charlie
Thomas
Toby
Oliver

Female
Tiger
Puss
Misty
Coco
Chloe
Lucy
Missy
Molly
Tigger
Smokey
Cleo
Kitty
Bella
Lucky
Ginger
Daisy
Muffin
Jessie
Sophie
Fluffy