Alright, so you find yourself with a rescued cat, maybe more than one. Happens. They show up, someone drops them off, you find ’em shivering somewhere. First thing after food and a warm spot? They need a name. Seems simple, but man, sometimes it really isn’t.
When I started taking in strays and rescues, the naming thing kind of stumped me at first. You look at this little furball, scared or maybe surprisingly bold, and think, “What do I even call you?” I didn’t want just any old name like “Fluffy” or “Tiger” unless it really, really fit, you know? Felt kind of lazy.
My Way of Doing It
So, what I started doing was just watching them for a bit. Like, really watching. Didn’t rush it. Took a few days, sometimes even a week. You gotta see what they’re actually like.
- Personality First: Is the cat super shy? Always hiding? Maybe something like Ghost, Shadow, Peekaboo. Or is it really brave right off the bat? Maybe Lionheart, Sarge, Bolt. I had this one tiny kitten, barely bigger than my hand, walked right out of the carrier like he owned the place. We called him Boss. Just fit.
- Looks Matter Too: Sometimes it’s obvious. Got a sleek black cat? Onyx, Jet, Midnight. A fluffy white one? Cloud, Cotton, Ghost (again, works for shy ones too!). Patches or calicos? Well, Patches works, or maybe Mosaic, Callie. Had a ginger one with these crazy stripes, looked like he’d been painted. Ended up calling him Rusty.
- Weird Quirks: Cats do weird stuff. Pay attention! Does it chirp instead of meow? Chirpy. Does it always knock things over? Chaos, Mayhem, Crash. We had one that loved, absolutely LOVED, dunking his toys in the water bowl. Named him Dunkin’. Simple as that.
- Where’d They Come From?: Sometimes the story matters. Found near a specific place? Under a specific car model? Might spark an idea. Pulled one out from under a big ol’ juniper bush, called her Juniper. Easy peasy.
Trying Them Out
Once I had a few ideas bouncing around in my head, I’d just start trying them out. You call the cat. See if anything clicks. Now, cats ain’t dogs, they don’t always come running. But sometimes, a name just sounds right when you say it out loud, looking at that specific cat. You just get a feeling. “Yep, that’s the one.”
Don’t overthink it, really. That’s the main thing I learned. I used to make lists, search online for hours. Waste of time, mostly. The best names just came from watching the cat and letting something pop into my head. Sometimes my kid would yell out a suggestion, and darn it if it wasn’t perfect.
So yeah, that’s my process. Nothing fancy. Just observe, think about their unique thing, try some names out loud. It’s part of getting to know them, really. The name becomes part of their story, part of them settling in. It just takes a little patience sometimes. Give it a go, you’ll find the right fit.
