How to Name a Kitten

Bringing home a kitten is a special, memorable moment. Naming the lovable ball of fluff is even better. Cat names vary from pretty ordinary (Lucky, Snowball, Tigger) to literary or historical (Lancelot, Quaxo, Admetus). Just remember--your kitten will be stuck with this name for the rest of her life and you'll want it to be easy enough that the cat will respond to it.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Remember that a kitten will eventually become a cat. A name that is babyish or describes how tiny your feline is may not make sense in a year or two.

2. Study your cat's personality. Select a name that really goes with your cat. Try different possibilities aloud with your kitten.

3. Choose a short name. The fewer syllables, the better. Kittens respond by tone, not by specific word. They will recognize and respond more quickly to something like "Tess" than to something like "Sir Gawain the Green Knight".

4. Include all the owners. A family kitten has multiple owners, so get everyone's input on the name. If you have a roommate or close friend, get their take on your selection as well. The right decision sometimes comes from many opinions.

5. Avoid naming your kitten something that's similar to another pet's name in the household. The more different, the better. "Bess" and "Tess" would be very confusing for both cats and their owner.

6. Consider changing the name of your kitten if you adopted him or her from the pound or humane society. Shelters usually name the cats to avoid using numbers, but this does not mean you have to use the same name. Most cats will embrace the name change wholeheartedly.

Tips & Warnings

• Unless your kitten is the most well-behaved feline in the world, you might have to yell at them or call out their name on occasion. Don't choose a kitten name that will embarrass you (and the cat) in front of the neighbors!
• Have a name you absolutely love but could never bring yourself to name a child? Yep, this would be a perfect kitten name.