So you've brought your new kitten home, but still can't decide what to call him/her? Here are some things to bear in mind when making your choice.
- To make life easier, choose a name that is simple to pronounce
- Think about how your choice of name reflects on you. It might reveal clues about your personality, or likes and dislikes.
- Similarly, the name may reflect how you see your cat. A cutesy name won't make the same kind of impression as a human one.
- Also consider if your kitten will be able to learn to easily recognise the name. Short names work best, and some research suggests that cats respond especially well to words ending in an "ee" sound.
- Remember that your cat will hopefully be around for many years to come. Can you live with the name for 10 or 15 years or more? What seems like a clever or cute name now could lose its novelty quite quickly, and it would be unfair to rename your cat after it has got used to the original name.
- If you have more than one kitten, choosing paired or otherwise related names could be a nice idea
- There are many sources of inspiration that you can use for finding a kitten name. These include history, popular culture, famous and fictional cats, mythology, human names (both familiar names and those from other cultures) and nature.
- Friends and family might also have some good suggestions that you wouldn't have considered, so ask around
- There are also lots of sites that specialise in providing suggestions to help with naming your kitten. Pet Names World is a good starting point, and Google will turn up plenty more!
