How to Choose a Name for a Cat

When you adopt a new cat or kitten, one of the best parts of preparing for the addition to your home is choosing the perfect name for your pet. If this decision leads to squabbling among the kids, however, follow these tips to select a name that every member of the family can agree on.

Instructions

    • 1

      Create a list and contribute three suggestions each. If anyone needs ideas, browse through popular cat names online and even use a search function to discover what potential names mean. Consider names of famous duos if you've adopted a pair of kittens (see Resources).

    • 2

      Agree to live with your cat for a week or so before you make a decision. You may be able to scratch a few of the suggestions off your list once you get a sense of his physical attributes and personality. In addition, a cute character trait may emerge that lends itself to the perfect name.

    • 3

      Instruct the kids to steer clear of trendy names made famous by their current celebrity heartthrobs since they may not idolize the person over the life of the cat. If they protest, list the idols they used to love and are now too embarrassed to admit.

    • 4

      Tell family members that they can add a name to the list during the week if they think of a better one, but that they must also remove one of their previous suggestions if they do. At the end of the week, have each person vote for two names (that they didn't suggest) and tally the votes to determine what to name your cat.

    • 5

      Say the top vote getter aloud to ensure you won't be too embarrassed to utter the name in public, like when you call an outdoor cat or make an appointment at the veterinarian's office.