How to Name Your Cat: Five Tips for Choosing a Great Cat Name

Think fluffy is the most unorginal cat name ever? Tired of cats named Sprinkles, Cat, Kitty, Ginger, Tiger, Tigger, and Princess? Want to come up with a great name for your cat, but don't have the first clue where to start? You've come to the right place.

The obvious solution for naming a cat is to examine his or her physical characteristics. Is he abnormally fat? How about naming him Fatty or Chubs? Does he have stripes? Give him a related name like Stripes or Zebra, depending on his colors. Does she have orange fur? Ginger's the typical name, but how about Pumpkin, Creamsicle, or Sherbet? Patches of color results in a cat named Patches, but naming your cat based on his or her appearance is a little boring, let's be honest. Why do you think so many damn fluffies exist out there?

How about observing your new pet's personality in order to come up with a great kitty name? Shy cats can be Shy Guy or Shy Gal, or for a play on nature, how about Mouse? Super aggressive? Call him Bully. Loves to play? How about Pounce or Skipper or Clown? Make a list of adjectives that describe your cat and see if any of the words, or a combination of the words, will work as your cat's new name.

Name your cat after someone you admire. I once had a cat named Stipe because I was a big fan of Michael Stipe (of REM) at the time. Make a list of musicans and celebrities who rock your socks and see if a variant of that person's name would be a suitable pet name. A note of warning: I'd highly advise against naming your cat after your friend or family member. While it might seem clever to name your cat Harold after your best friend Harold, the resulting confusion will get old fast. And if you name your cat after your lover, your cat may serve as a painful reminder should the two of you ever break up!

Name your cat after a historical figure. Love Joan of Arc? Call your cat Joanie. A fan of Rasputin? Name your cat after him. Totally hooked on Boris Yeltin? Boris would be a great name for a fat cat! My new cat is named Copernicus, after the polish astronomer Nicholas Copernicus who produced the first heliocentric model of the solar system. Why did I choose that name? Copernicus was given the name "Nick" at the Woonsocket Cat Sanctuary where I got him. Although that name is fabulous, it's also the name of my boyfriend. Since two Nicks running around would be way too confusing, I decided that I wanted a name that was some variation of the name. We ran lists of names back and forth during the first day I had him, but it wasn't until I was lying in bed with the cat sitting on top of me that I came up with the name. I said, "Tell me your name, kitty" and the name "Copernicus" popped in my head. When I realized the the name had both the "Nick" sound embedded within it, and that the astronomer's first name was Nick, well, it was a no brainer. Does it matter that I'm not an astronomy buff? Hell no. That's his name. I knew it as soon as it came to me.

Your cat's name may very well work that way, too. Don't worry about trying to name your cat the first day you have him or her? My first cat, the most fantastic Sebastian, waited a week for his name! I tried out a whole series of names that week, but it was Sebastian that finally felt right.

Need more help?

For a list of almost 18,000 kitty names, visit I-love-cats.com. Although Copernicus hasn't made their list, this is a great resource for anyone who's truly stuck.

The Random Cat Name Machine will help you generate a more unusual list of cat names like: Sergeant Twinkle Tunamonger, Flying Pete, and Fuzzlebut Claws. An excellent choice for the more eclectic cat owner.

Got two cats? Purring Pairs offers a great selection of names for two, including Hansel and Gretel, Thelma and Louise, and Cheech and Chong.

If you are truly stuck, this Cat Name Quiz might help.