by Christina Hope

Created on: February 07, 2009   Last Updated: March 09, 2009

Cat names: What makes a good cat name?

Good cat names are as subjective and vary as much as the individual cats and the folks they adopt. While some people may spend a great deal of effort in choosing a name, others may not. Like Shakespeare said, "What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Who says you have to name your cat? Most cats respond very well to "here kitty kitty", especially when enticed with some sort of food reward, say a big fish. So, why put yourself through all the work of coming up with a name?

Having said that, most of us want to select a name that reflects our commitment to our new cat. With that in mind, here are some helpful hints:

Names for a male cat:

You can use irony, such as naming a large cat "Tiny" or a smaller one, "Grande". Since cats don't really care what their names are, you could even venture into the foreign languages or classic literature. "Horatio", "Romeo", "Domino", and "Mario" all have a classic ring to them. "Bonne", "Bueno", or "Bella" would give your cat that "savoir faire" you're looking for.

Names for a female cat:

Like food? So does your cat. You could name her "Muffin" or, if you really like McDonald's, "McMuffin".

Do you drink coffee? "Mocha" is a popular name amongst the Starbucks crowd. Remember though, heavy, not light, on the cream.

Names that work for both genders:

If you paid a great deal of money for your cat, you might consider "Cash", or "Crash", as in what the stock market does these days. Or "Banks", soon your cat may be the only one in town.

Kitty have a twinkle in her eye? "Diamond" or "Star" would work very well.

What color is your cat? For an orange or red cat, you could choose "Fire", or "Flame".

Does your cat have special or unusual markings? "Boots", "Socks", and even "Spots" will work for either a female or a male cat.

At the end of the day, regardless of the name you choose, your cat will love you anyway. The names we give our furry friends are really for ourselves. They truly have more important things on their minds, like how to open every cabinet in the kitchen while you're sleeping. Or how to grow opposable thumbs so they can help themselves to the tuna.

Learn more about this author, Christina Hope.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.