Do Your Cats Have Human Names?

Do your cats have human names? According to recent studies, what you name your cat reflects your personality as much as your cat's. Experts say the reason for cats being given human names is because cats are more a part of our family than ever before. The more human the name, the more mother-child the relationship is.

I still remember the old days when cats had traditional names. The problem with naming a cat Smokey was I had at least four Smokey's over the years and now I get confused when I look at their old photos. Perhaps I'm getting old. If I'd named Smokey a feminine name such as Bella, maybe I could pick her out of a photo lineup.

Of course those who still enjoy traditional values also tend to stick with traditional names. Cats may be given the same name as a beloved pet who has since gone to the rainbow bridge.

My daughter is the one who got me into giving cats a human name. I'd never had a Lola until she picked out her first cat back in 2009. Lola is still with us and knows her name. Lola is a cool name by modern standards.

Knowing their name is one reason why it's important to stick to short names, whatever you choose. The cat should be able to recognize it's name when it hears it. Our little Renny the renegade is the best at remembering his name. Renny is short for renegade, which is what he was as a baby feral

Human names do make a cat more interesting. It tends to give a cat a broader personality. Many cats are named after the owner's favorite television or movie star. After the Twilight series came out in theaters, Bella became a very popular name for cats. We had a Bella, and we also have a Jasper, named after one of the cuter vampires in the Twilight saga.

A lot of the shelter cats I've rescued came with names I decided to keep. This made it easier to give updates back to the shelter on how the rescued cat was doing. There were a few I did decide to change. They were downright stupid or just didn't fit the personality of the cat.

One of my favorite cats is Gizzy. She came to me with that name. To see her during her first few weeks at my house, I believe Gizzy may be short for "Jezebel." Gizzy was a multitalented terror who could hiss, growl, spit and slap simultaneously. She's grown into one of the sweetest, most polite cats I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Our rescue Mia was named Abby at the shelter. One day she looked at me and telepathically told me she wanted to be called Mia. So I granted her wish (as crazy cat ladies are supposed to do) and changed her name.

Cocoa came with a horrible name. His shelter name was Tooth because he only has one tooth. I changed it to Cocoa because he's a chocolate Snowshoe mix. He know his name very well and seems to like it.

Laura enjoys renaming some of the cats. She'll look the cat over and say "this cat looks like a ________." Of course, it's always a human name....

I can't close this article without reminding people how Furby got his name. He was named after the popular children's toy. My ex who passed away from cancer had two Furby toys who would talk to each other during the night and scare him half to death. So every time I say "Furby," I'm reminded of those two Furby toys talking to each other at 3 a.m. and I laugh.

My friends tend to shake their heads at me as I call my cats by name and describe them as I would a human. I don't care. I name my cats what I want to call them. Or I leave them with the names the shelter gave them if I like the name.

Do your cats have human names? Did you name your cat after a special someone or a favorite movie star? Or do you prefer the traditional names of days gone by?

Associated page: Cool Cat Names