oh no, now you have to look at kitten pictures, oops, sorry
August 21, 2018 1:05 PM Subscribe
Our house has been graced with the presence of a small kitten with a large backstory, and he has not immediately told us what his name should be. If you want to help us out, you will be rewarded with kitten pictures within.
Here is a kitten! He has been a member of our household for approximately 48 hours and I love him with all my heart. But he turns out not to be one of those cats whose name is immediately obvious. Help us brainstorm!
Possibly salient facts:
* He was brought in to the rescue because he had had a good chunk of his throat ripped out by something wild - feral cat? possum? vampire? I will definitely be telling people it was a vampire.
* He is well on the road to recovery but still missing a bunch of fur and with a big neck wound. What I'm saying is this cat is both lucky and a fighter, and his name could reflect either of those things.
* He was called "Timex" by his foster mother (he took a licking and kept on ticking, you see) and we are not keeping that name, but are not totally opposed to something that would reference time, if we liked it.
* I have been referring to him as The Goblin Kitten or The Gremlin Kitten on Twitter for several days leading up to meeting him - if you look at his initial Petfinder photos at that link you'll see why, this little guy was a bit of a hot mess at first. Gremlin is a possible name. So is Gizmo. We do tend toward people names for cats in this house, though, so I'm not 100% sold.
* He seems like when his fur grows back he will be black with reddish undertones and a sprinkling of white
* He is nervous but very snuggly and big on the purrs and kisses, and likes to play
* Our other cats are Gigi and Pascal (Cal). Another French name could be fun. Also he should NOT have a name that sounds enough like their names to get confusing.
* Pop cultural references are likely to be lost on my partner so they need to be good names in their own right. Much as I want to call this traumatized little guy Bucky, I'd have to explain the entire MCU to him and it's just not happening.
* I'm kind of liking "Sasha" for him for no real reason.
Do your thing, Metafilter: Help me name this small eldritch horror!
Here is a kitten! He has been a member of our household for approximately 48 hours and I love him with all my heart. But he turns out not to be one of those cats whose name is immediately obvious. Help us brainstorm!
Possibly salient facts:
* He was brought in to the rescue because he had had a good chunk of his throat ripped out by something wild - feral cat? possum? vampire? I will definitely be telling people it was a vampire.
* He is well on the road to recovery but still missing a bunch of fur and with a big neck wound. What I'm saying is this cat is both lucky and a fighter, and his name could reflect either of those things.
* He was called "Timex" by his foster mother (he took a licking and kept on ticking, you see) and we are not keeping that name, but are not totally opposed to something that would reference time, if we liked it.
* I have been referring to him as The Goblin Kitten or The Gremlin Kitten on Twitter for several days leading up to meeting him - if you look at his initial Petfinder photos at that link you'll see why, this little guy was a bit of a hot mess at first. Gremlin is a possible name. So is Gizmo. We do tend toward people names for cats in this house, though, so I'm not 100% sold.
* He seems like when his fur grows back he will be black with reddish undertones and a sprinkling of white
* He is nervous but very snuggly and big on the purrs and kisses, and likes to play
* Our other cats are Gigi and Pascal (Cal). Another French name could be fun. Also he should NOT have a name that sounds enough like their names to get confusing.
* Pop cultural references are likely to be lost on my partner so they need to be good names in their own right. Much as I want to call this traumatized little guy Bucky, I'd have to explain the entire MCU to him and it's just not happening.
* I'm kind of liking "Sasha" for him for no real reason.
Do your thing, Metafilter: Help me name this small eldritch horror!
Jareth, for the Goblin King?
He looks like Jim Henson was somehow involved in a few of those pictures.
posted by dilettante at 1:12 PM on August 21, 2018 [17 favorites]
He looks like Jim Henson was somehow involved in a few of those pictures.
posted by dilettante at 1:12 PM on August 21, 2018 [17 favorites]
He is totally Gremlin! I didn’t read beyond the jump until I was ready to post, and the name “Gremlin” spontaneously popped into my mind as I perused the pictures. Only then did I see you’re already contemplating it!
posted by Atrahasis at 1:21 PM on August 21, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by Atrahasis at 1:21 PM on August 21, 2018 [5 favorites]
He kinda looks like he's stuck his paw in an electrical socket. Maybe Nikola?
posted by phunniemee at 1:21 PM on August 21, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 1:21 PM on August 21, 2018 [6 favorites]
Van Helsing, Vampire Hunter Extraordinaire
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 1:21 PM on August 21, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 1:21 PM on August 21, 2018 [9 favorites]
I always instantly call any black cat Snowball just for the confusion factor. So, "snowball".
posted by bbqturtle at 1:22 PM on August 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by bbqturtle at 1:22 PM on August 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
He looks like one of the Soot Sprite characters from My Neighbour Totoro. As Wikipedia has it:
posted by seanmpuckett at 1:22 PM on August 21, 2018 [11 favorites]
Susuwatari (Japanese: ススワタリ, 煤渡り; "wandering soot"), also called Makkuro kurosuke (まっくろくろすけ; "makkuro" meaning "pitch black", and "-suke" being a common ending for boys names), is the name of a fictitious sprite that was devised by Hayao Miyazaki, drawn by Studio Ghibli, known from the famous anime-productions My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away...Makkuro Kurosuke for long, or Mac for short.
posted by seanmpuckett at 1:22 PM on August 21, 2018 [11 favorites]
I love him and I think he looks like a Fritz.
posted by Occula at 1:29 PM on August 21, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by Occula at 1:29 PM on August 21, 2018 [5 favorites]
Since he's a foundling, and clearly extraordinary, perhaps D'Alembert? (You can call him Al...)
He kinda looks like he's stuck his paw in an electrical socket. Maybe Nikola?
Or name him after Coulomb or Ampère if you want to keep the French theme.
posted by halation at 1:32 PM on August 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
He kinda looks like he's stuck his paw in an electrical socket. Maybe Nikola?
Or name him after Coulomb or Ampère if you want to keep the French theme.
posted by halation at 1:32 PM on August 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
Toomey.
posted by BostonTerrier at 1:35 PM on August 21, 2018
posted by BostonTerrier at 1:35 PM on August 21, 2018
Seconding Van Helsing.
posted by Faint of Butt at 1:37 PM on August 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Faint of Butt at 1:37 PM on August 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
If you want to justify Sasha and retain a reference to time, this might be of interest. (I make no claim the description is accurate or that it's culturally appropriate to use as a name. Everything I know about it is, I think, vaguely remembered from having read Lies My Teacher Told Me a long time ago.)
Best wishes to you and the new cat!
posted by eotvos at 1:38 PM on August 21, 2018
Best wishes to you and the new cat!
posted by eotvos at 1:38 PM on August 21, 2018
What I'm saying is this cat is both lucky and a fighter, and his name could reflect either of those things.
Partner might not get the actual reference, but Shadow is a perfectly traditional name for a black cat.
posted by Sequence at 1:44 PM on August 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
Partner might not get the actual reference, but Shadow is a perfectly traditional name for a black cat.
posted by Sequence at 1:44 PM on August 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
His fur reminds me of my infant nephew's hair. I would call him Oliver in reference to Oliver Twist and my own Oliver who also had the same startled expression for the first three months of his life.
posted by Constance Mirabella at 1:46 PM on August 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Constance Mirabella at 1:46 PM on August 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
Felix. Which means lucky (as in felicitous), is also a human name and a black cat of certain renown.
posted by Athanassiel at 1:54 PM on August 21, 2018 [11 favorites]
posted by Athanassiel at 1:54 PM on August 21, 2018 [11 favorites]
I think he looks like Pete the Cat or Luci from Disenchantment
posted by artychoke at 2:05 PM on August 21, 2018
posted by artychoke at 2:05 PM on August 21, 2018
Pop cultural references are likely to be lost on my partner so they need to be good names in their own right. Much as I want to call this traumatized little guy Bucky, I'd have to explain the entire MCU to him and it's just not happening.
Then I guess Frederick Chilton is out?
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:16 PM on August 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
Then I guess Frederick Chilton is out?
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:16 PM on August 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
Also resembles Sid Vicious, Siouxsie Sioux, and Edward Scissorhands.
posted by vunder at 2:20 PM on August 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by vunder at 2:20 PM on August 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
A totally metal cat needs a totally metal name: may I suggest Mictlantecuhtli? Call him Mickey for short!
posted by orrnyereg at 2:45 PM on August 21, 2018
posted by orrnyereg at 2:45 PM on August 21, 2018
I thought the same thing as seanmpuckett (re: Totoro). Maybe Soosoo (pronounce susu, short for susuwatari; susu means soot)?
posted by typify at 2:52 PM on August 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by typify at 2:52 PM on August 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
I thought Fritz upon looking at the pictures, so seconding that.
posted by neilbert at 2:53 PM on August 21, 2018
posted by neilbert at 2:53 PM on August 21, 2018
Hibou! (pronounced eee-BOO) It means "owl".
posted by pseudostrabismus at 2:55 PM on August 21, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by pseudostrabismus at 2:55 PM on August 21, 2018 [5 favorites]
Sacha suits him well, and adds another French name to your clan. Other good French names are Enzo, Felix, Victor, or Jules. He is an absolute treasure.
posted by missmary6 at 2:55 PM on August 21, 2018
posted by missmary6 at 2:55 PM on August 21, 2018
My fluffy black kitten is Susu or Susu-chan, after the soot sprites, so I agree that it would be a good choice: susuwatari and Susu.
posted by mogget at 3:10 PM on August 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by mogget at 3:10 PM on August 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
Oh, such a sweet, sweet baby!
Another vote for Boo here. Congratulations on your new family member!
posted by bookmammal at 3:17 PM on August 21, 2018
Another vote for Boo here. Congratulations on your new family member!
posted by bookmammal at 3:17 PM on August 21, 2018
I would call that little guy Snape.
posted by janell at 3:34 PM on August 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by janell at 3:34 PM on August 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
His name is Rufus.
posted by AugustWest at 3:34 PM on August 21, 2018
posted by AugustWest at 3:34 PM on August 21, 2018
You know the wound better than I do, but it kind of reminds me of the hole left by a warble (don't look this up if you're easily grossed out).
Griswold because he's grizzled and is black like a beautiful well seasoned cast iron pan!
posted by Bistyfrass at 3:42 PM on August 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
Griswold because he's grizzled and is black like a beautiful well seasoned cast iron pan!
posted by Bistyfrass at 3:42 PM on August 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
He doesn't have red hair but for some reason reminds me of raggedy andy.
posted by brujita at 3:50 PM on August 21, 2018
posted by brujita at 3:50 PM on August 21, 2018
Joining the survivor and goblin themes, maybe Maia (from Katherine Addison's The Goblin Emperor)?
posted by metaquarry at 3:56 PM on August 21, 2018
posted by metaquarry at 3:56 PM on August 21, 2018
Widget
posted by sciencegeek at 4:42 PM on August 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by sciencegeek at 4:42 PM on August 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
Vincent.
posted by LaBellaStella at 4:43 PM on August 21, 2018
posted by LaBellaStella at 4:43 PM on August 21, 2018
I have no reason for this, but I looked at his pictures and thought, “That kitten’s name is Bosley.”
posted by coppermoss at 4:51 PM on August 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by coppermoss at 4:51 PM on August 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
Lucien.
posted by juliplease at 4:54 PM on August 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by juliplease at 4:54 PM on August 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
What an absolutely fantastic little guy, omg.
Some possibilities to match his siblings: Anatole, Armand, Dorian, Georges, Marcel, Zola.
posted by notquitemaryann at 5:18 PM on August 21, 2018
Some possibilities to match his siblings: Anatole, Armand, Dorian, Georges, Marcel, Zola.
posted by notquitemaryann at 5:18 PM on August 21, 2018
Salem
posted by lunastellasol at 5:38 PM on August 21, 2018
posted by lunastellasol at 5:38 PM on August 21, 2018
Modo. Quasi Modo.
What? It's French.
posted by evilmomlady at 6:18 PM on August 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
What? It's French.
posted by evilmomlady at 6:18 PM on August 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
Tralfaz or Slagathor. I think he kind of looks more like a Slagathor, TBH.
posted by briank at 6:21 PM on August 21, 2018
posted by briank at 6:21 PM on August 21, 2018
French name + mysterious vampire backstory = Le Fanu
posted by miles per flower at 6:29 PM on August 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by miles per flower at 6:29 PM on August 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
Griz. And you can call him gris en francais because he is that color.
posted by jessamyn at 6:46 PM on August 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by jessamyn at 6:46 PM on August 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
Sebastien/Sébastien
posted by lazuli at 6:51 PM on August 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by lazuli at 6:51 PM on August 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
Hi first name is Marty, his last name is Feldman (you get to pick the middle name).
posted by forthright at 6:54 PM on August 21, 2018
posted by forthright at 6:54 PM on August 21, 2018
St. Sebastian
From the Latin name Sebastianus which meant "from Sebaste". Sebaste was the name a town in Asia Minor, its name deriving from Greek σεβαστος (sebastos) "venerable" (a translation of Latin Augustus, the title of the Roman emperors). According to Christian tradition, Saint Sebastian was a 3rd-century Roman soldier martyred during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian. After he was discovered to be a Christian, he was tied to a stake and shot with arrows. This however did not kill him. Saint Irene of Rome healed him and he returned to personally admonish Diocletian, whereupon the emperor had him beaten to death.posted by lazuli at 6:57 PM on August 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
I had a dog named Griswold. His name was Gremlin in the shelter, but I felt that was a little too on the nose... being a scruffy, predator-bitten, survivor outcast... who was also a bit of endearing trouble.
Griswold popped up as a name for the reasons mentioned above, and *also* as a reference to the Family Vacation movies, seeing as the premise of the series was always “an adorable yet funny disaster.”
And yep, his nickname was The Griz.
Highly recommended!
posted by functionequalsform at 7:08 PM on August 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
Griswold popped up as a name for the reasons mentioned above, and *also* as a reference to the Family Vacation movies, seeing as the premise of the series was always “an adorable yet funny disaster.”
And yep, his nickname was The Griz.
Highly recommended!
posted by functionequalsform at 7:08 PM on August 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
Gizmo or Dobby
posted by cabingirl at 7:18 PM on August 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by cabingirl at 7:18 PM on August 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
Seconding Felix and you can nickname him Lucky and if your pet nicknaming is anything like mine that might morph into Bucky over time.
That is a very lucky cat.
posted by bilabial at 7:51 PM on August 21, 2018
That is a very lucky cat.
posted by bilabial at 7:51 PM on August 21, 2018
Chupacabra or Smeagol
posted by a humble nudibranch at 9:52 PM on August 21, 2018
posted by a humble nudibranch at 9:52 PM on August 21, 2018
My little black kitty was Susuwatari, I called her Susu. Soot sprite for a black furball is indeed quite cromulent :)
French names could be Grigri (from "gris" for "grey"), Grisou (likewise, also sounds like Zizou), or a double word-language play, Grizzly :) sounds like "gris" and relates to his survival skills!
posted by fraula at 2:54 AM on August 22, 2018
French names could be Grigri (from "gris" for "grey"), Grisou (likewise, also sounds like Zizou), or a double word-language play, Grizzly :) sounds like "gris" and relates to his survival skills!
posted by fraula at 2:54 AM on August 22, 2018
If he’s an eldritch horror, then how about Lovecraft?
posted by scratch at 6:02 AM on August 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by scratch at 6:02 AM on August 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
If you like Bucky, name him Bucky! He bucked the odds.
Or maybe Van? (As in Van Helsing.) Or even Bram.
Here's an article that collects orphan characters from the folklore motif index.
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:53 AM on August 22, 2018
Or maybe Van? (As in Van Helsing.) Or even Bram.
Here's an article that collects orphan characters from the folklore motif index.
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:53 AM on August 22, 2018
I'm seconding Lestat, actually. I think it's neat.
posted by Thistledown at 7:58 AM on August 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Thistledown at 7:58 AM on August 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
Balderdash! Dash for short.
posted by ancient star at 8:41 AM on August 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by ancient star at 8:41 AM on August 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
Neuf! French for nine, as in nine lives.
posted by *s at 9:07 AM on August 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by *s at 9:07 AM on August 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
What about Mogget (the free magic spirit in cat form) from the Garth Nix novels? He looks like he might grow up to have a very Mogget-ish disposition.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 11:05 AM on August 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by WalkerWestridge at 11:05 AM on August 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
If you wanted to get real Catholic, you could do Blaise. St Blaise is a catholic martyr who is honored through a blessing of the throats because he saved a child from choking on a fishbone. At mass the priest crosses two candles and touches you on the throat with them. I remember it vividly as a child growing up in Boston, because it takes place in February, which seems like a good time to have the priest try to cure your sore throat or cough.
posted by vunder at 11:30 AM on August 22, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by vunder at 11:30 AM on August 22, 2018 [4 favorites]
Lincoln, after the famous vampire hunter.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 2:31 PM on August 22, 2018
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 2:31 PM on August 22, 2018
The Goblin Kitten, you say? His name is Jareth.
posted by bile and syntax at 4:57 PM on August 22, 2018
posted by bile and syntax at 4:57 PM on August 22, 2018
Don't need to look any further than the pictures.
Grimalkin (Gremlinkin, Grimmy, Greeeee!!!)
posted by TrishaU at 5:27 PM on August 22, 2018
Grimalkin (Gremlinkin, Grimmy, Greeeee!!!)
posted by TrishaU at 5:27 PM on August 22, 2018
That is very clearly Scruff.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:33 AM on August 26, 2018
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:33 AM on August 26, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Medieval Maven at 1:10 PM on August 21, 2018 [12 favorites]