Please help me name my cat!

[Lady Venom]

I've been wanting a cat for a while. Last night we went to the Humane Society after watching their website with intent of looking at a long haired orange tabby, but fell in love with a beautiful Calico.

She is 9 months old, orange, black and white. She was a stray and had no name. Soooooo...... this is where you guys come in.

On my list I have; Asia, Bali, Kali, Tango and Calypso. I'm leaning toward Calypso, Asia or Tango.

Anyone out there have any suggestions? Her personality is a true nutbar. She sat in the end of the tub this morning while I showered. She is playful, yet cuddly.

Also...does anyone have any advice about integrating a cat and dog? We have an 11 year old purebred Boxer who loves animals, but the kitty isn't too fond of him.

Thanks in advance!

[Casey1505]

May I suggest Hobbes?

[Dante]

I still maintain that the best name ever for a cat was from Stephen King's The Dead Zone:

Speedy Tomato

You're welcome:D

[Crusoe]

Chairman Miaow.

(copyright David Baddiel)

[odd-socks]

Nutmeg.

[krisolov]

well as far as letting them get to know each other, keep the cat in her own area for a few days and gradually let them each get used to the scent of each other. Then let'em mingle for a little while (until one of them gets really uncomfortable) each day, gradually increasing the time they're around each other. Or just let'em square off a few times and settle who's boss. My money's on the cat.
As for names, how about: Anthrax, Khan, Toad or Dreaded Feline Master?

[Johnny L.A.]

Eddie.

What? You've never learned "eddiecat"? :D

[X~Slayer(ALE)]

Tiger seems a nice name.

of course, with an 11 year old boxer around, you might call it tidbit or choking hazard.

Whats the dog's name? Since the cat hates him you might find a name that is an opposite for your dog.

[Honey]

Venus
Haley
Delilah
Hope

[Grasshopper]

Tango is really cute, and I think Toaster would be a neat name. The best name I ever gave a cat was Zinfandel.

[maralinn]

If you dog is bothering the cat, use a squirt guy or spray bottle to teach him to keep his distance. That worked wonders for me.

[Lady Venom]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I just talked to my fiance and he's had the dog and cat out all day together while he does housework. Apparently things are going well. Spike (our dog) doesn't seem jealous and is almost showing the kittie around. She was growling a little, but didn't swipe at him like she did last night.

We've pretty much decided on either Calypso or Tango.

Hobbes is cute, but more of a boy's name.

Speedy Tomato and Choking Hazard are hilarious! hehe

[Kalhoun]

Chairman Meow is the best yet. I'm using it for my next kitty. We just lost one and another one is looking rather punk these days.
:(

[Kat]

Female calicos must be named "Sealink"!

[greck]

You can call him whatever you want, he's still not listening.....

(ba dum bump!) :smack:

[BodiceRipper]

i always thought it would be cool to have a male and female and name them osiris and isis.

[GuyMontag]

how bout Mewlin' Rouge?

[Elret]

Originally posted by Lady Venom
She sat in the end of the tub this morning while I showered.
Heh. My cat does this all the time. His name is Henry, which I guess won't help you much with a girly cat. (It's actually Dr. Henry Scooby, but this embarasses him so we stick with Henry.)

Also...does anyone have any advice about integrating a cat and dog? We have an 11 year old purebred Boxer who loves animals, but the kitty isn't too fond of him.
Baby steps. If you push them too hard it will likely make things more difficult. Since your cat is so young (and will likely adjust to new stuff more easily than an older cat) and your dog is older (and presumably calmer than a younger dog) I'd say they've got a good shot at, if not a lasting heartfelt friendship, at least tolerance.

[mnemosyne]

We always just let the animals "fight it out" when introducing the dog to our 2 cats, or even much more recently, when bringing my kitten to my parents house when I'm home for Christmas/other holidays. She's a fearless kitty, and although she was nervous around the dog, and the other cats weren't too happy to see her, there were no actual problems. They just hiss at one another for a couple of days, and then settle down into some sort of "routine" around one another. We never did the whole "segregate them", or "slow introductions". One of the cats at my parents place plays with the dog, the other just ignores him, but he ignores her too. I have never seen one of those cartoon situations where the dog is always chasing the cat, and they're always fighting. Maybe we;ve (and my aunt, come to think of it) have just been lucky with our pets?!

[bettybad]

I suggest that you "try out" a few of the names you like for a few days....the right one will just start to fit in a short time. My second kitten came to me from a shelter where he was dubbed "spots" which was kinda cute, but just didnt roll off the tongue. I tried on "seven" (he has seven gray spots) just to be more "conceptual" and that didt fit either. It came to me all at once one day soon thereafter and he has been the most perfect little "Spike" ever since.

Cats have SO much personality....wait a little bit and your kitty's will come shining through and practically pick its own name!

[fizgig]

Cats have a way of naming themselves. I'm sure you'll start calling the cat by one of your choices quite naturally within a few days.

When I brought my second cat home, the lady I got him from suggested naming him Cleatus. I came up with Caspar, and tried to call him that for a week. Cleatus just took over and stuck, and turned out to be the perfect name for him.

[hyperjes]

I like Kali or Calypso, personally. Our kitties are named:

Samantha Marie Antoinette (Sam or Sammy)
Zoe Ignatious Helium (Zoe)
Stella Bella (Stella)

Sam and Zoe met Stella after d_redguy and I got married. I have had my two since they were a few hours old (They are now 5), and he has had Stella for just over a year. (She was a stray and has only four teeth, so even the vet isn't sure how old she is). We just let them fight it out. All are de-clawed (Not my choice) so we figured they really couldn't hurt each other.
It's worked out ok. Zoe and Stella just ignore each other. Sam and Stella HATE each other, but mostly leave each other alone. I guess some animals are like some people. You just aren't gonna like everyone you meet.
Besides, it's kind of funny to watch those two when they decide to have at it. It's all bats at the nose and posturing, in adittion to many amusing kitty sounds.:D

[hyperjes]

addition. :smack:

[DrLizardo]

Have to wing it on transmogrifying the cyrillic, but Russian for cat is Koska (kowsh-ka) and diminutive (e.g. kitty-cat) is Kosinka (kow-shing-ka)... Russian neighbors have a cat named Koska that they typically call Kosinka which I always thought was a very cool name.

Of course I have a dog named "dawg" (You gotta say it... I have a southern drawl) so I may not be the best one to suggest if you think that's stupid.

I'm trusting the Russian neighbors that this is all accurate. If not, then blame them...

[DrLizardo]

Have to wing it on transmogrifying the cyrillic, but Russian for cat is Koska (ko-shka) and diminutive (e.g. kitty-cat) is Kosinka (ko-shing-ka)... Russian neighbors have a cat named Koska that they typically call Kosinka which I always thought was a very cool name.

Of course I have a dog named "dawg" (You gotta say it... I have a southern drawl) so I may not be the best one to suggest if you think that's stupid.

I'm trusting the Russian neighbors that this is all accurate. If not, then blame them...

[Standup Karmic]

I am neither particularly fond of cats, nor of the name "Marcel". Perhaps the two go well together?

[InternetLegend]

Of the two you're thinking of, I think "Tango" is better because it flows more cleanly when you're screaming. This is an excellent test of children or pet names, by the way: try yelling it in context ("Tango! Get off that counter NOW!" or "Lillian Marie, you put that DOWN!").

bettybad and fizgig have a good point, though. Cats do tend to assume the names they should have. I once had a white cat with a black head, black tail, a little black spot on his rear, and a big white spot on his shoulder. He was the most ungainly kitten you ever saw, and the people who gave him to me called him "Freddie," I believe. I renamed him something more dignified - I can't even remember what at this late date - but after two days, my brother looked at him and said, "That's not a (name I'd chosen). That's a Ralph." And Ralph he was, for the rest of his eleven years.

Now I want a kitten. And I think I'll name him "Marcel."

[Crowbar of Irony +3]

Anyway I could see a picture of the cute kitten? I usually get inspirations by seeing something...

[brianmelendez]

Originally posted by InternetLegend
bettybad and fizgig have a good point, though. Cats do tend to assume the names they should have.
Yes, but the cat probably knows its name already, and they usually keep it to themselves:
The Naming of Cats
T.S. Eliot

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, or George or Bill Bailey -
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter -
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum -
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover -
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.
I assume that Lady Venom is asking about the cat's "sensible everyday name," which is the one that we, their human housemates, get any input into.

If one concern is harmony with the resident canine, have you considered a name for the cat that complements "Boxer"? (I would suggest "Rebellion" or "Shorts," but they don't seem compatible with the names that you are choosing from.) How did you go about naming Boxer?

[rumraisin]

How about Magnificat?

[No Disguise]

don't name it anything. it'll never know the difference.

[Sock Munkey]

How about jumbalaia?

[Lady Venom]

Wow, thanks for all the input!

My fiance has come up with his picks; Aries and Nova. I like Aries, means Lion of God.

So, we're going to just wait and see what she is. I'm sure it'll either be Tango or Aries. Better than his first pick of Shibby. For those of you who have seen "Dude, Where's My Car" you'll know why I ABSOLUTELY hate that name. LOL

We had them out together all evening and only 1 mishap. The dog wandered toward her and the basement door had closed, so she got backed into a corner. She didn't swat him this time, so I guess it's progress. After that we were watching TV, the dog in his bed and the kittie came up on the couch with us.

I think the integration will take some time, but I think it will all work out. They're home alone today, so we'll see how it went when we get home. We're seriously considering putting a kittie door in the basement door so she can go down any time she wants, instead of the marker taped to the door as a door stop so it doesn't get pushed closed.

We got the dog when he was almost 6, today is his 11th bday btw, and his name was already Spike. He is a Spike. His Breeding name is Wolfgang Amadeus. blah....

I will try and take some pictures and get them developed this weekend so you guys can see her.

Thanks again!

[Rubystreak]

No Disguise: My cats all know their names.

Lady Venom, your cat and dog will come to terms. I have 5 cats, none of them related, and they live together as an almost peacable kingdom. My tortie and white gets too excitable sometimes and growls or hisses, but no one takes her seriously.

I really liked Calypso-- what happened to that one?

[susan_foster]

Ralph. My dad always wanted to name our cats Ralph. Or Murray. Don't know why he was stuck on those names - we never let him name our cats.

<hijack>
My current cats are Sunshine and Jody. That's right - Jody Foster. And no, I did not name her - the shelter did, and I didn't even connect the names in my head until my vet mentioned it. It was too late to change it, I was used to it, and so was she. So - I just call her Miss Jody.
</hijack>

Susan

[Bippy the Beardless]

Why has no-one suggested Fido yet?

Bippy

[Raygun99]

Originally posted by InternetLegend
.

bettybad and fizgig have a good point, though. Cats do tend to assume the names they should have.

Case in point: One of our cats on the farm was mostly black except for white patches on his face that made him look as if he was wearing a cape and was trying to be the first kitty superhero. Catman served as a name for a little while, but fate intervened. Because he had longish curly fur and was an outside cat, his fur matted up to an amazing degree in the winter and it didn't do a lot for his looks. In the summer, the fur would loosen up enough that it would simply peel off in great long strips of matted fur (he rather enjoyed this, for those that would be concerned about this). His new name: Velcro.

This became further sealed when one time he came running out of the bush with a 6 inch pine branch stuck through the matted fur of his leg (not the leg itself). I figured it was some kind of evolutionary advantage, as he could probably just walk through the bush and have mice stick to him.

[ceyjen]

I named one of my six cats Holly because I got her the day before Christmas (and Bethle-her didn't sit well with the rest of my family). One is named Luke as in Luke Skywalker because I love Star Wars. One is named Sookie after one of the characters in The Witches of Eastwick. One is named Boo-boo (and he used to have a partner named Yogi, but he ran away). One is named Polaris because he purrs all the time and sounds like some kind of water craft motor (also, Evinrude was taken by a friend of mine who used it to name her cat for the same reason). And the last one is named Pencil because I had the absence of mind to allow my young son to name him (he looked around the room and decided to name the cat after the first object he saw).

I considered naming one of them Obi-wan and just calling him "Obi," but I didn't want to get too Star Wars.