By their very nature, creative cat names, have to be created. And this is best done by people nearest the cat emotionally because only people living with a cat are able to create a name that well suites the cat, that will be unique to the cat. Ideas for the creation of cat names can come out of the circumstances surrounding the adoption of the cat, the cat’s character and the cat’s appearance as three example of sources of inspiration. I’d like to look at one nice and clever example of this process of generating creative cat names and it concerns the first way, inspiration coming from the circumstances surrounding the adoption of, in this instance, two cats. The story is based on one courtesy the PetPlace.com website. Thanks Dr. Jon.
The background to the story is not unfamiliar – marital disagreement. She, the wife, likes animals and, perhaps, he the husband, does as well but not quite as much. The number of animals grow until he says no more. She wants more. He goes on a week long holiday leaving her the chance to pop down to the local animal rescue center where she falls for two tuxedo (black and white, less white than black) cats, brother and sister. The cats chose her as is usually. It’s the best way. They put their paws through the cage and snagged her shirt.
OK, the trouble begins! She buys kitten paraphernalia, which he sees on the porch on his return. When he walks inside and sees the two kittens together snuggled up on the sofa like bookends his heart softens and he accepts them (nice guy). He says something like, “OK honey, that’s fine but no more now, come on..” (he’s American). She, being creative names her two darling cats, “Okee” and “Dokee”. I love that process. Okee and Dokee are words (an extension) as you probably know of the short phrase, “OK”. I think these are two creative cat names, very suitable and fitting. They are also a marker and a reminder of how the cats were accepted by the husband, which must be good for the marriage to. Think about it, a constant reminder that he did good!
The origin of “Okee Dokee” and “OK”
Okee Dokee, or okay-doke, okey-doke, okee-doke (there is no fixed spelling) comes from the phase “OK”. It sort of rhymes and sings along better than plain OK. It sounds American to me, a Brit! It probably is an americanisation of “OK”.
The origins of “OK” are muddy. It appears to have become popular in America in the mid 19th century. It may originate from these sayings/countries:
- Scottish ‘och aye’
- Greek ‘ola kala’
- Choctaw Indian ‘oke’ or ‘okeh’
These are just three examples, see them all here if you’d like: http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutwordorigins/ok
That is the kind of way one makes up creative cat names. They are best created out of the circumstances of the adoption or other unique and personal factors associated with the cat or cats in question.
Creative Cat Names to Cat Facts
Sources for origins:
- www.phrases.org.uk
- www.askoxford.com
