How to Name Your New Kitten

Bringing home a little kitten or a new cat is an exciting experience, but what will you call your new furry friend? Naming a pet can be a difficult task and many pet owners aren't quite sure where to begin, particularly when there's other family members who are involved in the naming process. So read on for an overview of how to select a great pet name for your new cat or kitten!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Notebook
• Pen
• A baby name book
• An internet connection
• A nameless cat!

1. Determine what sex your cat will be. Knowing the gender of your new kitten or cat will make the pet name selection process much easier. If you don't know what gender your new cat will be, in the following steps, you can make two separate lists - one for male cat names and the other for female cat names. Or you can opt to create a list of gender neutral names.

2. Go through a baby name book or a baby name website and write down names that appeal to you. And don't forget to check out the nicknames and variations listed under each name, as not all of these names are listed separately, so you may overlook the perfect name if you ignore the nicknames and name variations.

3. Go through the list of possible kitten names and star your five to ten favorite cat names once you have your list compiled.

4. Ask other family members who are going to have input in the cat naming process to create a list of appealing cat names. Once the list is compiled, they too should star their five to ten favorite names.

5. Compare kitten name lists of top cat names with other family members who are involved in the naming process. Write down any names that are present on both lists, in addition to the each person's five or ten favorite names.

6. Discuss the list with the names common to both lists and each person's top five to ten kitten names. Go down the list, and debate each name. Through this debate process, you should cross off names that you cannot agree upon.

7. Write down the top five kitten names and list pros and cons of each name. Once this is complete, you'll be ready to make your final pick.

8. Develop a final list of the top names. Each person is entitled to add one cat name to the list, even if the other family members to not favor this name.

9. Wait until you bring your new cat or kitten home and select the most fitting name from the list. If you still cannot agree on a name, there are two possible courses of actions. One possibility is to select one of the finalist names at random. The other option is to wait a few days and repeat the process. Sometimes, once you have a better idea of your pet's personality, different names will stand out and generally speaking, the process is much easier when one has a particular pet in mind.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't forget to consider the origin and meaning of names!
• Consider nicknames and the possible evolution of the name. Do you like the possible nicknames that other people may call your pet?
• Go through your baby name book twice. You may miss a great name the first time around.
• When debating a kitten name, ask questions like: What attracts you to a particular name? Why do you dislike a particular name? What associations does a certain pet name conjure for you? Does a particular name remind you of something or someone?
• In many cases, it's advisable to hold off on a final decision until your new pet arrives, so that the name you select "fits" your new kitty.
• Some names simply don't "fit" a particular animal. So instead of changing a pet's name a few days after you've brought him home, consider waiting for several days to allow you and your feline friend to get acquainted. Once you have a better idea of your cat's personality, the naming process can be much easier.
• Try to avoid names that have more or less than two syllables. Two-syllable names are ideal for pets. A one-syllable name can be difficult for the cat to "hear" since commands and negative words like "no" tend to have one syllable. Names with more than two syllables can be difficult for the cat to "hear" and comprehend as well.

Resources

• Top 100 Cat Names
• Top 100 Dog Names

[vintage]

on 9/22/2009 great article and info

[xbacteriagir89]

on 10/27/2008 i also know that cats respond better to names that end in an "ee" sound -- that's why i named my new kitten Frankie :)

[wytetyger059]

on 8/26/2008 Great article. On naming cats, check this out: http://coral.lili.uni-bielefeld.de/Classes/Summer97/SemGS/WebLex/OldPossum/oldpossumlex/node2.html
Poem by TS Elliott