How To Name a Kitten

Bringing home a kitten is a special day. Naming your new kitten can be fun, yet it’s also a challenge. After all, your kitten will have this name for the rest of his or her life. You want it to be memorable and unique, and also fitting for the cat you have chosen. How will you ever decide on a name? Here’s how to name a kitten:

1. Choose a practical name. Sooner or later, your kitten will get into trouble. Do you –really- want to be yelling that name across the house? Remember that your kitten will grow up to be a cat, so don’t pick a name that will sound babyish in a year or two. A shorter name will be more practical; kittens will have a harder time learning to respond to a wordy name.
2. Consider your cat’s personality and appearance. Is your cat playful or quiet? Do they have a favorite game? Is your cat pure white, or tiger-striped? Many people base their kitten’s name on the color of the kitten. Are you looking for a name that is specifically for a boy or a girl? All of these facets can influence the name you give to your kitten.
3. Pick a theme. You can stick to ordinary names like Snowball or Tigger, or choose a name from a specific category, like historical names. Be imaginative! You can name your kitten almost anything you can think of. You can also name a kitten after an animal in your favorite movie or TV show.
4. Include all of the cat’s owners. If your kitten has multiple owners, be sure that everyone is included in this important decision. If the kitten is for your kids, let them pick a name, even if the one they choose sounds silly. Naming a kitten should be a group decision if your new pet is owned by the family.
5. Choose from popular names. At a loss for what to name your cat? Consult the yearly list of the top 50 most popular kitten names for both male and female cats. You can also look at a baby name book, but before you do this, consider whether you want to give your cat a “people name.” Many of these lists include the meaning of the name; if you want your new kitten’s name to be meaningful, read these meanings.

Naming a kitten is a very personal process, and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. You can select a name even before you pick the cat, or wait to see what name “fits” your new kitten before deciding on a name. As long as you can live with the name and you like it, then it is the perfect name for your kitten.