Topic: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Since the shelter assigned my cat a random name recently that I don't like (Pentagon) and to which he doesn't answer anyway, I figure now's the best time to rename him (I get him back in about a week after some medical follow-up at the shelter):

Favorites among my family members so far:
Jaws - because he's the world's sweetest cat, likes to nibble my forearms ever so gently
Phantom - because he has an amazing stealth mode; either that or he can teleport at will

A few of my favorite fictional characters:
Gandalf - best Tolkien character
Connor - 14-year-old supernatural character at the heart of my Apocalypse trilogy
Apollo - my favorite character from Archangel Syndrome, my demented space opera; also 14 years old; heir to the violent, galactic Imperium Romanum; the neurotic but likeable son of Nero, a murderous psychopath
Professor - the Archangel Syndrome genius who created a sterilizing vaccine that caused the collapse of Earth's population to keep the planet from running out of trees for toilet paper; last seen time traveling to 1964 for a 3-hour cruise with Gilligan, where (ironically) there was no toilet paper

Suggested by Gemini for a really sweet cat (tongue in cheek):
Vlad the Impaler - really nasty piece of work from history
Cujo - Stephen King's rabid Saint Bernard
Shredder
Slasher
Killer

Other possibilities:
Furball
Sweet Pea

Quote Post 1

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Dirk B wrote:

to which he doesn't answer anyway,

He's a cat. That's their thing. Get used to it.

Dirk B wrote:

I figure now's the best time to rename him

Over the years, my cats have been named:

  • Jinx

  • Bandit

  • Smokie

  • Whiskers

  • Odysseus/Odie

  • Nostradamus/Nos

  • Hel

  • Esmeralda Weatherwax/Esme

  • Greebo

  • Blue

  • Broccoli

  • Hope

  • Sam

  • Elliott

  • Prince

  • WB (pronounced Wub)

  • Crowley

  • Castiel

  • Rayne

  • Beans

  • Ajax

Yes, most were indoors only.
No litters, though three pairs were/are siblings.
Most I've had at one time was 7. Current is 5.

Quote Post 2

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Here's the cat names we've had over the years:

Hope (she's still with us and is 15)
Tommy (he's 10)
Alfie (he's 10)
Timmy
Erik
Tiger
Princess
Oliver (Ollie)
Sootie
Zanda
Charlie
Elvis

Quote Post 3

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

A few decades ago, when I was precollege, my family had two cats:
Nino (little boy in Spanish - the 'n' is pronounced like the 'ny' in canyon)
Puff - okay that's perhaps a little weak.

How about - Three or Third, since this is perhaps his third life out of nine lives. The first was pre-shelter, the second was at the shelter and the third is with you.

Jaws? Naw. How about Nibbles?

Elvis? Hey Randall, that's interesting.

Quote Post 4

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Tamsin Liddell wrote:
Dirk B wrote:

to which he doesn't answer anyway,

He's a cat. That's their thing. Get used to it.

Dirk B wrote:

I figure now's the best time to rename him

Over the years, my cats have been named:

  • Jinx

  • Bandit

  • Smokie

  • Whiskers

  • Odysseus/Odie

  • Nostradamus/Nos

  • Hel

  • Esmeralda Weatherwax/Esme

  • Greebo

  • Blue

  • Broccoli

  • Hope

  • Sam

  • Elliott

  • Prince

  • WB (pronounced Wub)

  • Crowley

  • Castiel

  • Rayne

  • Beans

  • Ajax

Yes, most were indoors only.
No litters, though three pairs were/are siblings.
Most I've had at one time was 7. Current is 5.

You and Marilyn should compare notes if you haven't already. She's probably had dozens of cats over the years in her animal sanctuary.

Quote Post 5

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Dog

Quote Post 6

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

George FLC wrote:

A few decades ago, when I was precollege, my family had two cats:
Nino (little boy in Spanish - the 'n' is pronounced like the 'ny' in canyon)
Puff - okay that's perhaps a little weak.

How about - Three or Third, since this is perhaps his third life out of nine lives. The first was pre-shelter, the second was at the shelter and the third is with you.

Jaws? Naw. How about Nibbles?

Elvis? Hey Randall, that's interesting.

It was our son's cat. He found him wandering around a parking lot at a shopping mall and adopted him.

Quote Post 7

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Feline -- that says it all. Good luck. Take care. Vern

Quote Post 8

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Dirk B wrote:

You and Marilyn should compare notes if you haven't already. She's probably had dozens of cats over the years in her animal sanctuary.

In the hundreds in 30 years of rescuing!

He looks like my Mikey. Ginger cats are wonderful!

Quote Post 9

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Turns out he's actually beige. It's the weird lighting that makes him look orange.

Quote Post 10

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Tommy and Charlie were both ginger cats

Quote Post 11

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Kdot wrote:

Dog

In English? Pffft!
Canis!

Quote Post 12

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Dirk B wrote:
Kdot wrote:

Dog

In English? Pffft!
Canis!

Or Diogie or Siatie

Quote Post 13

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Or Kedi (turkish)

Quote Post 14

15 Reply by dagny (edited by dagny 2025-08-28 21:39:06)

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Dirk--
Name him anything. You'll probably have a nick for him, and that will be what he responds to. Our cat Lilah will also answer to Princess and pretty girl. And don't let him fool you, he knows his name. I can call our cat Freddy from upstairs to bring me his ball, and he'll arrive with ball...in 30m...

Anyway, I am so excited for you and jealous too!

dags smile

Quote Post 15

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

LoL. Thanks, Dagny. Great to hear that cats will answer to several names. Most humans won't even do that. smile
I'm definitely leaning toward Phantom, though I may call him Jaws when he's nibbling on someone. tongue
My niece likes Jaws, so I'll keep that as a nickname.

Quote Post 16

17 Reply by Marilyn Johnson (edited by Marilyn Johnson 2025-08-29 02:24:14)

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

I’ve  always found that cats learn their names faster if they’re more than one syllable. That steady two-beat call will whip their little heads around like they just heard a can opener. Of course, they’ll immediately ignore you afterward, but at least you’ll know their necks still work.

I usually wait to see which name actually fits the furball. Because what you name him as a calm, angelic ball of fluff won’t work when he’s hanging from your curtains like Spider-Man at a crime scene.

I once named a cat Sweetie. Seemed perfect—gentle, affectionate, sugar-pie vibes. But after the third midnight ambush on my toes, the new name became Satan’s Spawn.

Usually, it’s not the name you chose, but the one he earned!

MJ

Quote Post 17

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

>>when he’s hanging from your curtains like Spider-Man at a crime scene
That sounds like Gumdrop, the cat I originally intended to adopt until he wore me out in a fifteen minute meet and greet. LoL. I would have had to rename him E=mc^2 because his energy level was so crazy high it was bounding, leaping, shedding proof of Einstein's equation. Oddly, though, Gumdrop regularly defied the laws of gravity. smile

Quote Post 18

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Dirk B wrote:
Kdot wrote:

Dog

In English? Pffft!
Canis!

I raise you an "Anubis"

Quote Post 19

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Guardian of the Dead? Only if he hordes dead mice.

Quote Post 20

21 Reply by njc

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Allie ?

Quote Post 21

22 Reply by Tamsin Liddell (edited by Tamsin Liddell 2025-08-29 11:52:42)

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Kdot wrote:
Dirk B wrote:
Kdot wrote:

Dog

In English? Pffft!
Canis!

I raise you an "Anubis"

Don't piss off ancient gods, they don't like it.
If you're going Egyptian, stick to Bast.

Quote Post 22

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

We have a winner: Gandalf the Beige

You folks have some cool cat names. And the sheer number of cats you've owned or own is impressive.

Thanks to all for the suggestions.
Dirk

P.S. Saw a video last night of a cat running up a screen door. Another tried running up a wall. Those are some serious zoomies! Things to look forward to. smile

Mine got the zoomies, although he went into hunting mode and started stalking/pouncing on non-existent prey. This is after I thought I had worn him out with a laser pointer. He went nuts for the little red dot.

Quote Post 23

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Good name. What is the shortened version? Beige? Gandalf? The?

Now you need another pet and name it Balrog.

Quote Post 24

Re: Suggestions for the name of a cat?

Gandhi? tongue

Quote Post 25