You’ve just brought home your new cat or kitten and you are so excited to just have them home, but you still need to find an adorable name to match their lovable personality. When thinking of the perfect name for your cat there are a few common-sense rules to follow. The most important thing to remember is to not try too hard, your cat will love you regardless of how fancy their name is.
Try to stay away from names that would be offensive to others as calling out controversial names in the garden to get your cat back inside could cause a stir with the neighbours. A top tip is to try out the nickname game. Even though we go to the trouble of picking a great, we usually end up calling them one, or many, variations of it. If you like the nicknames associated with your cat’s potential name then it will probably be a good fit for you.
Hints and tips on how to name your pet
Finding a pet can be a lengthy process, but, choosing their name can sometimes be even more overwhelming. Here are our top tips on how to uncover your cat’s name:
Think of names with a double syllable
Double syllable names can be easier for your cat to understand and maybe less tedious to say over and over again when you’re calling them inside.
Make your life easy and choose a name that is going to be comfortable for you and your pet! There are plenty of names out there that will fit your lifestyle and will still be able to be understood by your pet whilst being trained.
Pick a name that ends in a vowel
Choosing a name that ends in a vowel can make it easier for your pet to recognise their name. tone changes when calling a name ending in a vowel. Using words that end in a vowel tends to change the tone of our voice, helping our cats to pick their name out from the other words we use.
Think about how you’d feel calling out the name
When choosing a name, first imagine calling it out into your garden for your cat to come in. If you’d feel silly calling the name, or think that, out of context, calling that name might cause a stir with the neighbours then it is best to avoid it.
Choose a name that’s unlike any of your other pet or family members names
Similar sounding names may confuse your pets. Although cats have fantastic hearing, they may find it difficult to tell the difference between similar names and words. If two names are similar, then you may confuse them and make them.
For example, Jill and Jack would be fine, but Bob and Rob may be difficult for them to tell apart.
Take your pet’s personality into consideration
If you’re struggling to find names you like then try writing down which aspects of your pet’s personality make you smile. If they are curious you could go with George (the monkey cartoon). These names will be able to tell a story about your pet.
Try out different names on different days in the early stages
If you have a few favourite names for your cat but are unsure on which one would fit best then try out a different name each day. This way you will see which one suits them best and rolls off of the tongue easiest.
Be inspired by your favourite character
If you’re struggling for inspiration, then there is always plenty of characters from books, TV programmes and films to choose from. Finding a character that you love and represents your pet is always a good choice.
Avoid choosing a name that sounds like a command you plan on teaching your pet
Before naming your pet think about the commands you may want to use to teach and train them. To avoid headaches later down the line of your pet’s life, try to not choose a name that sounds similar to those commands. For example, Bo sounds similar to no and this could lead to your pet not fully understanding the command.
Try to not pick a name that sounds complicated
Picking long unusual names often sounds great but is not always the best idea as it could take them longer to learn. Names such as Prince Ollie von tickleson are often too wordy and can also be a mouthful for you to say. You should only choose a name like this if you intend to shorten it to Prince or Ollie.
Avoid changing an adult pet’s name if they already know it
Changing your pets name could be quite confusing for your pet, but if you must change it go with something similar for example Hailey to Bailey as this will make the switch easier for your pet to understand.
For more inspiration to find your perfect pet name here are 2021’s most popular cat names.
Top 20 popular cat names 2022
- Luna
- Milo
- Simba
- Loki
- Coco
- Nala
- Bella
- Willow
- Oreo
- Leo