NAME THIS CAT

February 26, 2012 3:10 PM

What should I name this cat?

I've just taken in an approximately six-month-old tortoiseshell cat (as yet unfixed and hopefully not pregnant). She is a doll and I have photographic evidence to prove it. I'm stumped for a name, though, so like many before me, I turn to the hivemind for help.

My only criteria is that she needs a name that would be unlikely to be given to a person. I thought about calling her Grendel, but it doesn't feel quite right. Past cats have been named Alexander Rozhenko (courtesy Beardman), Franklin, Stella, Perdu, and Matlock. (Stella and Matlock currently live with my sister.) Her personality is yet difficult to determine -- so far what I know is that she chirps instead of meows, she play bites rather than scratches, she likes to be picked up or sit on laps, and she is still terrified of the dog (but she'll come around, they always do).

posted by Felicity Rilke to pets & animals (90 answers total)

Brindle.
posted by sciencegeek at 3:11 PM on February 26, 2012

Mogwai?
posted by outlandishmarxist at 3:12 PM on February 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

Rhubarb. Best name for a cat ever.
posted by gwenlister at 3:12 PM on February 26, 2012 [3 favorites]

Quasar.
posted by tel3path at 3:15 PM on February 26, 2012

Mona. That cat's name is Mona.
posted by brownrd at 3:15 PM on February 26, 2012 [5 favorites]

Hmph just saw that you DIDN'T want to give it a person's name... but that cat just LOOKS like a "Mona".
posted by brownrd at 3:16 PM on February 26, 2012

Toast.

Cinna.

Crumpet.

Torte.
posted by limeonaire at 3:16 PM on February 26, 2012

Foot Foot
posted by Jehan at 3:17 PM on February 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

Kelpy
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 3:18 PM on February 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

Juniper! When we adopted our new cats in August, we thought we'd get a boy and a girl named Juniper and Pimm, but we ended up with boys named Pimm and Gimlet, so Juniper has been a name in search of a pretty lady cat.
posted by mostlymartha at 3:19 PM on February 26, 2012 [3 favorites]

Shadow.
posted by limeonaire at 3:19 PM on February 26, 2012

Turtle
posted by katypickle at 3:20 PM on February 26, 2012

gmail
posted by incessant at 3:20 PM on February 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

Daisy
posted by BlueMartini7 at 3:20 PM on February 26, 2012

Feliz
posted by bebrave! at 3:20 PM on February 26, 2012

Turtle. You know, because she's a tortoiseshell?
posted by primate moon at 3:20 PM on February 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

shnizzle.
posted by stagewhisper at 3:23 PM on February 26, 2012

Velveteen

Romy

Annie

Jenny
posted by timsneezed at 3:23 PM on February 26, 2012

Spandy.
posted by limeonaire at 3:24 PM on February 26, 2012

Friends of mine have a wonderful cat named Thermos. Relatedly, I have always wanted to name a cat Lunchbox.

You could go ironic and name her after a famous murderess from history, since it sounds like she might be sweet and playful.
posted by yomimono at 3:25 PM on February 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

"Motley" -- the variegated pattern, the band, etc.

Or "Moms," if you don't get her taken care of soon.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 3:25 PM on February 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

Rugburn.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:28 PM on February 26, 2012

Sepia

Maddy

Gretel

Addie
posted by timsneezed at 3:28 PM on February 26, 2012

Pixel.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 3:28 PM on February 26, 2012 [4 favorites]

default, swizzlestick, cocoa, mud, grrr, pony, or, boot.
posted by MT at 3:34 PM on February 26, 2012

Ralph Fiennes.

Or Patches.

Or Cleopatra (Cleo for short).

Or Cinnamon, Coriander (Cory for short), Chicory, Carrot, Caramel

Strophe, Iambic, Anapest,

Trapeze

Tulip

Medusa
posted by stray at 3:36 PM on February 26, 2012

'Lil Miss

Squeaky

'Lil Birdy

Principessa-Pessa for short
posted by snsranch at 3:37 PM on February 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

Tortoiseshell cats are the best cats ever. I have lived with three and I named all of them.

The first one, when I was 3 or 4 years old, I named Rainbow. (So many colors!)

After that, in my 20s when I started getting pets of my own, many of them started getting Star Wars names.

Tortie #2: Wampa

Tortie #3: Tosche (pronounced Tashie)

Tortoiseshell cats are agile, independent, and they love their person ... in my opinion, exactly the way cats should be. :) Enjoy your new little girl!
posted by iguanapolitico at 3:41 PM on February 26, 2012

Gamera

Galápagos

(Human name, but) Shelley
posted by Morrigan at 3:41 PM on February 26, 2012

Lisa Turtle.
posted by Sys Rq at 3:42 PM on February 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

She's so lovely! I think her name is Cinnamon.
posted by Pallas Athena at 3:44 PM on February 26, 2012

Pixie.

Or because of her golden eyes, Golda or Xenia (the villainess from GoldenEye).

Birdy is really cute, as per snsranch's suggestion, but without the "L'il".
posted by orange swan at 3:44 PM on February 26, 2012

Taffy
posted by timsneezed at 3:45 PM on February 26, 2012

Grand Margravine Tortoiseshell Tortuga

Cats love having titles.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:46 PM on February 26, 2012

(And, having now just searched youtube for Saved By The Bell clips, I see that there is already a kitty named Lisa Turtle, and she's not even tortoiseshell!)
posted by Sys Rq at 3:47 PM on February 26, 2012

Clementine
posted by carmicha at 3:49 PM on February 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

Running with the tortoiseshell theme:

Sheta is an ancient Egyptian word for turtle.

Morla is the swamp turtle in The Neverending Story.

Genbu is a turtle from Japanese mythology.
posted by mykescipark at 3:49 PM on February 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

Mica - for the mineral formation (pronounced MY-ka)
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:51 PM on February 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

Ceclia
posted by metahawk at 3:53 PM on February 26, 2012

I came to suggest Birdie and see that it's already made the list twice! It's the chirping, pecking and perching in your description that clinched it. Plus the idea of a cat named Bird is too sweet!

Other bird-related names might be cute too - Wren, Sparrow, Oriole...
posted by platinum at 3:54 PM on February 26, 2012 [3 favorites]

Tabitha Twitchett, please and thank you.

I also like Wren or Birdie.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 3:56 PM on February 26, 2012

Everyone has done so well with this.
Mona or Birdy
posted by ibakecake at 3:56 PM on February 26, 2012

What a nice cat. Gneiss!
posted by maudlin at 3:57 PM on February 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

There's a tortie in our neighborhood whom I call "Mix Flavor." Seems appropriate!

I also like to name cats after unrelated, non-human-name proper nouns. Like Monster Mash or Team Cheerios or Des Moines. That cat looks like a Des Moines to me.
posted by Metroid Baby at 3:58 PM on February 26, 2012

Horse Killer
posted by Burhanistan at 4:02 PM on February 26, 2012

I know cats like that named "Ember" and "Splatter".
posted by mermayd at 4:04 PM on February 26, 2012

Chirp
posted by sandra_s at 4:04 PM on February 26, 2012

I think Gateau would be such a cute name for a cat and she certainly looks like a tasty little treat!
posted by supermedusa at 4:07 PM on February 26, 2012

Lassymog!
posted by RollingGreens at 4:10 PM on February 26, 2012

Medea.
posted by arnicae at 4:16 PM on February 26, 2012

Puddin'.
posted by mr. digits at 4:18 PM on February 26, 2012

Nightengale or Mixed Biscuits
posted by a humble nudibranch at 4:22 PM on February 26, 2012

Rhubarb.
posted by sleepykitties at 4:25 PM on February 26, 2012

Rusty!
posted by constellations at 4:26 PM on February 26, 2012

This was a runner-up name for our tortie: Snickers
posted by jquinby at 4:29 PM on February 26, 2012

Madame Curie
posted by roosterboy at 4:30 PM on February 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

Khaki. Pumpkin. Nebula. Scooter. Bunny. Eartha. Taters. Googie.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:33 PM on February 26, 2012

Butterscotch
posted by The otter lady at 4:35 PM on February 26, 2012

Mrs. slkinsey likes Emmeline, so I suggest Emmeline Pankhurst as a name. She would be named after a famous 19th century british suffragette.
posted by slkinsey at 4:38 PM on February 26, 2012

Deja Vu
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 4:38 PM on February 26, 2012

Esmerelda.

or Duchess Esmerelda d'Tortie.
posted by easily confused at 4:39 PM on February 26, 2012

Veranda Malibu Jinglehopper Malcontent Zuckerby III, Esquire.
posted by Mizu at 4:43 PM on February 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

Felicity Rilke. or just Rilke. (FeliKitty Rilke for amusement.)
posted by barnone at 4:46 PM on February 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

Toffee
posted by SugarAndSass at 4:50 PM on February 26, 2012

I used to have a cat that looked like that, her name was Tundra.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 4:51 PM on February 26, 2012

My tortie is named (surprise, surprise) Esmerelda Jenkins, so I like the Emmine suggestion above; I think these gals do well with full, human names. Otherwise, you should name her Nibbles. Or Wicket.
posted by esmerelda_jenkins at 4:52 PM on February 26, 2012

Dang ipod, meant to endorse Emmeline.
posted by esmerelda_jenkins at 4:53 PM on February 26, 2012

My daughter says... Scruffles
posted by mrgroweler at 5:00 PM on February 26, 2012

Pie.

(I think it's her angular-ish facial features that took my mind there.. I have two torties, littermates named Texas and Trixie. Torties ftw.)
posted by Kronur at 5:10 PM on February 26, 2012

Mocha. Because she is the EXACT color of the cookie dough for the mocha cookies I just made, right when I was JUST starting to swirl the chocolate in and it was all marbled-looking.

(Also, that's not a name a person could have.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:11 PM on February 26, 2012

Turtlecat.
posted by Doofus Magoo at 5:14 PM on February 26, 2012

My tortie (still living with the parents but I have moved out) is named Pudding, because, well, she looks like a Christmas pudding.

Unfortunately she is now also the size and shape of a pudding.

Food names are the best cat names, especially for a tortie.
posted by belissaith at 5:21 PM on February 26, 2012

Nature, because she will probably abhor vacuums.
posted by daisystomper at 5:22 PM on February 26, 2012 [3 favorites]

Coquina-

It is a lovely little shell which comes in a variety of colors. The name is derived from the Spanish cockleshell.

The name sounds girly and delicate, but the crushed shells over the eons become a stone, strong enough that the colonial Spaniards used it in N. Florida/coastal Ga. and there are still buildings standing.

Soft enough for a girl, strong enough for a woman!
posted by cat_link at 5:25 PM on February 26, 2012

Alcina
posted by tinamonster at 5:32 PM on February 26, 2012

Some names that strike me as good tortie names....

Pixel (or Pixie)
Aurora
Zodiac
Stormy
Dusty
Smokey
Brook
Rain
River
Splash
Galena
Mica
Opal
Thistle
Hazel
Paprika
Freya

Good luck finding the right name, and very beautiful kitty!
posted by Squee at 5:35 PM on February 26, 2012

Turtle
posted by timsneezed at 5:39 PM on February 26, 2012

Cozy
posted by timsneezed at 5:42 PM on February 26, 2012

I seem to have developed a trend of naming cats after small towns in Saskatchewan. Qu'Appelle, RIP.

However, Flin Flon, Outlook Beach, Wawota, and Battleford are probably free to nab as a cat name.
posted by spinifex23 at 6:21 PM on February 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

Jigsaw or Puzzle
posted by jaimystery at 6:25 PM on February 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

Peanutbutterchocolate
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 6:54 PM on February 26, 2012

As I always say, wait a few days and you will know. You will just know.
posted by puddinghead at 7:02 PM on February 26, 2012

Willow
posted by Sal and Richard at 7:13 PM on February 26, 2012

I like Birdie, so we're going to try that out for a few days and see if it sticks. Thanks everyone!
posted by Felicity Rilke at 7:52 PM on February 26, 2012

Dulcinea and then you can sing about how she is The sweet sovereign of your captive heart. What a cutie!
posted by Maisie at 7:53 PM on February 26, 2012

She makes me think of brown sugar and chocolate. I'd try to think of a sweet dessert or coffee drink that combined those two delicious flavors.
posted by aryma at 10:22 PM on February 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

saffron
posted by stormpooper at 6:43 AM on February 27, 2012

or tiger lily
posted by stormpooper at 6:43 AM on February 27, 2012

I've always wanted to name a cat "Fido."
posted by curtm at 7:42 AM on February 27, 2012

Cacao!
posted by timsneezed at 8:36 AM on February 27, 2012