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Each cat, it is said, has a true name only known to other cats and to God. But we mere humans have to figure out some name by which to call each of our feline companions. Living on a farm with a wide assortment of barn cats- resupplied often by those irresponsible city people who drop their unwanted pregnant cats on my doorstep- has given me wide experience in coming up with cat names.

One of my cats is a white tomcat with a neurological disability, so I named him after the lame Roman emperor Claudius. He was born in a flowerbed and falls down a lot when he walks, less when he runs. On the vet's advice he was taken into the house. He made special friends with a wild older kitten and with one of a litter of younger kittens. They were named Livia and Germanicus after the grandmother and brother of the historical Emperor Claudius.

Television characters are often the source of cat names. I've had cats named after Star Trek characters- such as Jean-Luc, and after soap opera characters, like Carlo Hisser, named after soap opera villain Carlo Hesser, and Jason, after Jason Morgan the enforcer on General Hospital. I've even named a few cats after characters in a Korean historical drama- Daejoyung, Jungsang and Biwu.

The names you give a cat may not stick. For example, one day I took a good look at Jason and noticed he wasn't the masculine mob hit-cat I had thought he would be. He didn't have the wider face male cats develop as they mature. I upended him and found out he was a she. I renamed her 'Sansengnim', a Korean word which can apply to both sexes.

Until recently I've never had a cat who knew his own name. But one day I was watching a Law and Order episode in which Mariska Hargitay from L & O: SVU was a guest star. I said as much and was surprised when Mariska the kitten came running and jumped into my lap.

Mariska is a clever girl. She not only knows her own name, but those of the other cats. One day Mariska was playing with the lampshade and wouldn't come when called. So I called for Livia, a cat Mariska is jealous of. Mariska came running along with Livia.

My cat Germanicus, on the other hand, doesn't know his own name. But he's such a constant companion to Claudius that when I call for Claudius, Germanicus comes running- he seems to think he's a Claudius, too. As for Claudius, he answers both to 'Claudius' and to 'pretty kitty'.

Some of the cats that live out in the barn are quite wild, and may not have a name for quite some time. In some cases they may have to share a name, as is the case with Hermione and The Other Hermione. Both of these orange female cats look identical, and neither is very keen on being handled.

The most recent cat-naming to take place on the farm happened when I noticed one of the unnamed barn-cats on election day, and I told her that her name was Palin. This name seems like it will take, since Palin the cat let me pick her up shortly after her naming- the first time she had ever allowed this. I think she likes it.

Learn more about this author, Nissa Annakindt.
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