Why did my boyfriend name our cat ‘Meow’

Someone asked: Why did my boyfriend name our cat ‘Meow’?

There is one clear winner for the reason. Your boyfriend has a sense of humour and he asked your cat what he’d like to be named. Your cat responded by meowing. End of discussion. Also your boyfriend may have thought there was a hidden benefit. When he calls your cat to come he’d call out ‘meow’, the sound that cats make, and therefore a response should be more likely.

The truth is, though, that it does not work – at all. That hidden added benefit can be dispensed with.

I have discuss this topic a bit more otherwise the post is too short. Apparently many people call their cat ‘Meow’. It seems to lack imagination and also it is not a name. I remember my ex-wife’s mother calling her cat ‘Cat’. Come on, that really does lack imagination and any intimacy.

It is interesting to note that the Chinese word for cat (spelled in English) is Māo. You can hear it said using the embedded audio player below. It sounds a bit like ‘meow’.

Is your boyfriend Chinese by any chance!? I guessed not.

Some people are meticulous on choosing a nice name for their cat. Others are not. Calling your cat ‘Kitty’ or ‘Puss’ is not the greatest. We should try and find a name which suits the cat’s personality and appearance. I tend to modify my cat’s name. Some people call their cat various names. Mark Twain liked elaborate cat names.

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Comments

Why did my boyfriend name our cat ‘Meow’ — 2 Comments

Jane on December 12, 2018 at 9:11 am said:
I have generally waited for cats to tell me what name they would like. Usually their behaviour tells me, or they seem to respond to some words with more enthusiasm than others.
Of all the cats I have shared my life with only two came with names. One we rehomed from from the vets where he was dumped, near death, and one adopted from a rescue, who was so traumatised by his experience, that keeping the name he had and responded to, was a useful way of connecting with him when he was such a psychological mess. He is much happier now.
Our cat names mutate, contract, expand over the years. They all respond to these nicknames, whether spoken or sung. I think that maybe the individual human voice plays a part in recognition?
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Albert Schepis on December 11, 2018 at 7:43 pm said:
Yeah, I have a neighbor who named her dog Osa, which means dog in Spanish. She’s not Spanish either, but that would be worse for the lack of imagination. I struggle to name my cats, but I do try a little. For example I named one cat Scotty, because I found him on Scott street, and of course there was Lucky because I rescued her from dodging traffic on an extremely dangerous highway. I wish I were more imaginative but at least they are names, they are tailored and have meaning. I know I would feel pretty silly yelling “Meow” to call my cat or “Dog” to call my dog, so that’s a factor too.
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