Who names a kitten "Roxbury," anyway?
October 9, 2017 11:11 PM Subscribe
It's time for another round of Name! Those! Kittens!
My partner and I recently bought the house we've been renting for almost six years, and when one owns a home, one must have cats (pretty sure that's how that works). We adopted a pair of rescue kittens over the weekend, and things are going marvelously other than the part where we need to call them SOMETHING. So, a little bit about them:
Both of them are originally from Hawaii, and while we originally thought they were three weeks apart in age, the vet says they're the same age based on their teeth--about 12 weeks. They are total lovebugs with vibrant personalities!
Big Guy (black and grey with white chest fluff) is extremely extroverted and enthusiastic. As soon as he notices you're in the room, he starts purring and doesn't stop until he gets distracted by something ten seconds later. Besides being a perpetual purr machine, he's also quite talkative--trilling and chirping if you're not paying enough attention to him, and if you persist in ignoring him, he'll come over and cram his head under your hand until you give him love. (He's currently orbiting back and forth between investigating the keyboard and sitting on my chest.)
Little Guy (white with brown tabby splotches and a half-tail) is smaller, quieter, and more reserved, although he's also a lover. He's more content to let Big Guy take the lead and make the dumb mistakes while he's sitting back and watching to see how Big Guy is gonna fall on his face. But he is quite content to curl up on your hip and snuggle into the crook of your arm while his brother is flitting from one hand to the other trying to get even more pets.
Since this question has already taken me more than half an hour to write due to kitten-based interference, I will post the obligatory kitty pictures with a bonus video and leave it to your expert suggestions! Thanks AskMe!
My partner and I recently bought the house we've been renting for almost six years, and when one owns a home, one must have cats (pretty sure that's how that works). We adopted a pair of rescue kittens over the weekend, and things are going marvelously other than the part where we need to call them SOMETHING. So, a little bit about them:
Both of them are originally from Hawaii, and while we originally thought they were three weeks apart in age, the vet says they're the same age based on their teeth--about 12 weeks. They are total lovebugs with vibrant personalities!
Big Guy (black and grey with white chest fluff) is extremely extroverted and enthusiastic. As soon as he notices you're in the room, he starts purring and doesn't stop until he gets distracted by something ten seconds later. Besides being a perpetual purr machine, he's also quite talkative--trilling and chirping if you're not paying enough attention to him, and if you persist in ignoring him, he'll come over and cram his head under your hand until you give him love. (He's currently orbiting back and forth between investigating the keyboard and sitting on my chest.)
Little Guy (white with brown tabby splotches and a half-tail) is smaller, quieter, and more reserved, although he's also a lover. He's more content to let Big Guy take the lead and make the dumb mistakes while he's sitting back and watching to see how Big Guy is gonna fall on his face. But he is quite content to curl up on your hip and snuggle into the crook of your arm while his brother is flitting from one hand to the other trying to get even more pets.
Since this question has already taken me more than half an hour to write due to kitten-based interference, I will post the obligatory kitty pictures with a bonus video and leave it to your expert suggestions! Thanks AskMe!
Yeah, Big Guy and Little Guy sound perfect, though based on the size of those paws, Little Guy may not end up so little after all!! (All the more reason to name him that anyway!)
posted by Hermione Granger at 11:26 PM on October 9, 2017
posted by Hermione Granger at 11:26 PM on October 9, 2017
My default for all tuxedo cats is Fred. Hello there, Fred!
Barney is a good companion name for your tabby and white dude.
Or for the literary-minded, the Ranger and Gandalf.
posted by TrishaU at 11:28 PM on October 9, 2017
Barney is a good companion name for your tabby and white dude.
Or for the literary-minded, the Ranger and Gandalf.
posted by TrishaU at 11:28 PM on October 9, 2017
Tiddlywink and Gordon.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 11:35 PM on October 9, 2017
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 11:35 PM on October 9, 2017
Walter and Gordon. Chicken and Noodle.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 11:48 PM on October 9, 2017
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 11:48 PM on October 9, 2017
I really like Big Guy and Little Guy. Maybe Biggie and Little?
posted by daybeforetheday at 1:00 AM on October 10, 2017
posted by daybeforetheday at 1:00 AM on October 10, 2017
Best answer: Do you like Elton John?
I don't usually have strong feelings about kitten naming questions but I'm getting a Benny and The Jet vibe from these guys.
posted by sacchan at 1:49 AM on October 10, 2017 [9 favorites]
I don't usually have strong feelings about kitten naming questions but I'm getting a Benny and The Jet vibe from these guys.
posted by sacchan at 1:49 AM on October 10, 2017 [9 favorites]
Big guy is Mr Bagels, Bagels for short, because he is lovable and round.
Little guy is Watson because he looks dignified and concerned.
posted by nerdfish at 3:50 AM on October 10, 2017
Little guy is Watson because he looks dignified and concerned.
posted by nerdfish at 3:50 AM on October 10, 2017
I’m not sure why, but the first names that came to mind were Banjo (for Big Guy) and Fiddle (Little Guy).
They are adorable! Congratulations on your new family members!
posted by bookmammal at 4:43 AM on October 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
They are adorable! Congratulations on your new family members!
posted by bookmammal at 4:43 AM on October 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
Lilo and Stitch (because Hawaii)
Jeeves and Wooster (because one of them is in a tuxedo - that one is Jeeves)
posted by bile and syntax at 6:36 AM on October 10, 2017
Jeeves and Wooster (because one of them is in a tuxedo - that one is Jeeves)
posted by bile and syntax at 6:36 AM on October 10, 2017
One thing I've learned from cat-pair naming experience is to make the names sound different. We chose Freyja and Frigg, and while I still think those are good names, both starting with an F caused a lot of confusion when trying to tell cute cat stories. Another tip I heard from a cat behavioralist is to avoid names with sounds that make you sound like you're hissing at your cat when you talk to them- so for example "Sassy" might not be great.
Muad'Dib and Duncan
Dracula and Lestat
Finn and Jake
Menger and Cantor
But I don't know if you should trust me, I named a perfectly good cat Boaty McBoatface.
posted by Secretariat at 9:21 AM on October 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
Muad'Dib and Duncan
Dracula and Lestat
Finn and Jake
Menger and Cantor
But I don't know if you should trust me, I named a perfectly good cat Boaty McBoatface.
posted by Secretariat at 9:21 AM on October 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
They are precious. Cats are the best! I had a tuxedo cat called Penguin, she was very feisty! How about George and Archie?
posted by poppunkcat at 11:26 AM on October 10, 2017
posted by poppunkcat at 11:26 AM on October 10, 2017
Gene and Mungo. Kenneth and Tyrone. Hieronymus and Championus Northtonus.
I have a list...
posted by theweasel at 12:28 PM on October 10, 2017
I have a list...
posted by theweasel at 12:28 PM on October 10, 2017
I'm sure I speak for many when I say I would like to know what happened to the other half of Little Guy's tail before essaying a suggestion.
posted by scratch at 12:31 PM on October 10, 2017
posted by scratch at 12:31 PM on October 10, 2017
Big guy looks like a "Snicker" to me. This would make the other one "Doodle."
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 1:45 PM on October 10, 2017
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 1:45 PM on October 10, 2017
Should keep Big Guy and Little Guy.
[I've given this example partially before.]
We used to have a cat, which was called the Cat for her first year of life (although it had an official name as well). We then got another cat, so the Cat became the Big Cat and the new cat was called the Small Cat.
The Big Cat died some 12/13 years later, and slowly the Small Cat became the Cat. This summer, about year and half later, we got yet an another cat. The Cat (previously known as the Small Cat) became the Big Cat, and the newest cat became the Small Cat.
This hereditary titling system works very nicely. No-one confuses the various cats and this doesn't mean that they are/ were mutually exchangeable. It just means that these are the cats that matter to us.
Last night I asked my youngest son what is the Small Cat's official name. He was the one to name the kitten maybe 8 weeks ago, but it still took him close to five minutes to remember it.
posted by zeikka at 2:53 PM on October 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
[I've given this example partially before.]
We used to have a cat, which was called the Cat for her first year of life (although it had an official name as well). We then got another cat, so the Cat became the Big Cat and the new cat was called the Small Cat.
The Big Cat died some 12/13 years later, and slowly the Small Cat became the Cat. This summer, about year and half later, we got yet an another cat. The Cat (previously known as the Small Cat) became the Big Cat, and the newest cat became the Small Cat.
This hereditary titling system works very nicely. No-one confuses the various cats and this doesn't mean that they are/ were mutually exchangeable. It just means that these are the cats that matter to us.
Last night I asked my youngest son what is the Small Cat's official name. He was the one to name the kitten maybe 8 weeks ago, but it still took him close to five minutes to remember it.
posted by zeikka at 2:53 PM on October 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Well, it was somewhat of a surprise to learn this...but they are totally Benny and Jet! (For the record, the vet thought that Benny's tail was like that when he was born--he has the regular kitty tail stripe pattern, just kinda compressed by half.)
Thanks AskMe!
posted by Vervain at 4:42 PM on October 10, 2017 [2 favorites]
Thanks AskMe!
posted by Vervain at 4:42 PM on October 10, 2017 [2 favorites]
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But I need to tell you that there's someone's scalp on your cat scratcher!
posted by janey47 at 11:19 PM on October 9, 2017 [5 favorites]