# Changing a cat's name



## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

Do I still use the cat's old name so she comes and then reinforce the new name with food, treats, etc. I feel it's important for a cat to know their name so I want to be successful. It seems to me all of you who have adopted cats have been successful changing the cats name. Any suggestions are welcome.


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## Lana92 (Jan 8, 2014)

This is an interesting question. I successfully changed my cat's name without meaning to; I took in a stray who I named 'Kitty', and I found out a few months later that his name was actually Antonio. I changed his name without even realizing it! He knows his name is Kitty, he responds to it when I say it. I'm interested to see what other people have to say, though.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

Honestly never considered it before... I guess they used to have old names but I never knew them or dwelled on it at all. For Blacky I never even named her, it just came about because she was the black cat hanging about. I would just change their name and let that be that.


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

When you say 'successful', I guess it depends what you mean. I've never been sure that my oldest cat Penny really even knows her name. Maybe she does but just doesn't care lol. Sunny doesn't know his, I don't think, but we've only had him 2 months. Mystique definitely knows hers, and since she was a stray I would have had no idea what her name was anyway.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Most of mine never had names to start with...
Once I settled on a 'name' that would at least get a cat to look at me...lol!
The 'right' sound I guess to their ears!
I would just reinforce it by tying it in with all things good!!
Mine do know their names and even if they dont always come running, will at least acknowledge by a chirp or meow!! 
I've never thought to much about this either!
So, had to think about it!


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

It's funny, I did think about it with Pazu. He was 'Baloo' which was totally WRONG for him. On so many levels. Anyways I chose a name that suited his dapper, elegant self but sounded similar...I thought he'd learn it faster.
My other rescues were Bear and Batgirl...hmm. They quickly were changed to Pontormo (Ponty), and Cosette(Cosy). No soundalikes there,...
Teddy was aptly named, it just suited him, I had every intention of renaming him, but found I couldn't do it. I miss that baby...


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

And, I feel Skye's name is sweet for him, feels right, light and airy


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## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

Gizmo was originally Jersey.....but to me she looked like one of those gremlin characters. She took to her name right away...I was always talking to her. When I would treat or feed her....always said her name. Marshall on the other hand...is such a marshall so I decided to keep it. In the beginning he didn't respond to it, so I don't kow if the shelter named him? It didn't take him too long before he started to respond to it. Gizmo also knows marshalls name


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## Aerona (Aug 9, 2013)

Isa was originally Peanut Butter. She doesn't really respond to either of them in and of themselves. If I talk to her she will look at me but it doesn't matter what I say. Other people she looks at or ignores depending on mood.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Missy was Rihanna. Too many syllables. Missy just came natural to us. She responded to it right away even though she was a senior when we adopted her. I always try to keep the original name if I can unless it's just too stupid or awkward. Jack was Gigantor. Our current shelter caretaker normally picks out the names for the strays and usually they are eastern religion names like Mahatma or Shambavi or Kashi. Some names stick some get changed immediately at adoption. I don't think the cat cares much at all. 

My Lacey never had a name at the shelter. She was 1301-1126. Didn't have much of a ring to it.

Cats respond to love - I really don't think the name matters.


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## Penny135 (Apr 6, 2011)

Mia's name was Vanessa at the shelter. She was only 7 weeks when I got her though so I wasn't to worried about renaming her. She definitely knew her name within a month or so, even so young.


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## Kneazles (Nov 18, 2013)

Zeus's name was originally Hulk. He has two names in our home, Zeus and Jiji. (Ghibli fans will understand.) He answers to both. 

Athena's name was originally Sandy. She never had any problems with the name change either.

I would think it would be harder for an older cat to adapt because they are used to the other name. But that is just a thought.

Cats are smart, if you drop the original name entirely, they will figure out their new one.


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## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

Marcia said:


> Missy was Rihanna.
> 
> My Lacey never had a name at the shelter. She was 1301-1126..


Well missy would have been RiRi 
And poor lacey mae  not to have a name


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Cats don't care about an official name. All that's important to them is how YOU call them.


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

Well "Mama" is going to be "Mandy." Calling mama outside and loud just seems wrong for a cat.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

MowMow was named Woody before I adopted him. It didn't take long for him to learn to come running to MowMow when I called him that whenever I fed him (meals and treats).

Book's name was Cinder. Same again, anything good (food/pets/etc) came whenever I calls his new name.


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

Kneazles said:


> He has two names in our home, Zeus and Jiji. (Ghibli fans will understand.)


Yep! Love that character. Pazu is a ghibli film name too. :razz:


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

I'm not a Ghibli fan, but I studied Japanese and had a sudden urge to figure out why the studio was called that when it's not how Japanese would spell anything. :lol: They pronounce and write it out in Japanese as "Jiburi", and the word spelled correctly as "Ghibli" in our lettering is an Italian word. That makes much more sense.

So, I've learned something today.


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## CatMonkeys (Sep 27, 2012)

cat owner again said:


> Well "Mama" is going to be "Mandy." Calling mama outside and loud just seems wrong for a cat.


I think that's nice a pretty name, and it helps the neighbors not to worry if you're yelling "Mama! Where are you? Come home for cat snacks!" outside 

I have never changed the names of my two cats, but I call them so many nicknames, they probably don't even recognize their own names anyway, just the tone of my voice when I want them to come to me.


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## Catmamma (Apr 18, 2011)

My cat started out Captain Jack (after Black Jack Pershing) but "he" turned out to be a she so I tried Capt. Jacky. She would never answer. So I called her "Pippi" one day and she meowed and came running. She still does. She decided she liked Pippi better than Jacky. ah, well. Pippi rules.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Marcia said:


> My Lacey never had a name at the shelter. She was 1301-1126. Didn't have much of a ring to it.


That's so sad! Celia was Mistletoe and Margaux was BJ (for "broken jaw," which is how she ended up at the shelter).

I just chose new names and started using them immediately. It took a while, at least a couple of weeks, but they figured it out.

And I agree with CatMonkeys that they respond just as much to tone of voice as anything else. 

I'd just go for it and start using the new name!


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## dseag2 (Nov 28, 2013)

Our 5 month old kitten was adopted from PetSmart, but prior to that he had been in 2 shelters. I visited a no-kill shelter and there were so many cats running around I doubt the volunteers could even remember their names.

He was named Morgan, and we immediately renamed him Toby. He looks more like a Toby, plus I thought that had a more distinctive sound that he would answer to. After just a couple of months, he definitely answers to his new name.

I don't think cats actually recognize names, but they recognize sounds you make when you are speaking specifically to them.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

I kept Coco because "CO-CO!!" in a high pitched voice has such a cute sound to it. She definitely knows her name, but presumably she has had it for 6 years. I like short two syllable names.


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## DaveMB (Jan 9, 2014)

Kneazles said:


> Zeus's name was originally Hulk. He has two names in our home, Zeus and Jiji. (Ghibli fans will understand.)


 Ghibli fan here, Yuki and Moon where amongst my first choice names but I somehow ended up with Gizmo as he looked like a Mogwai when I first got him.

Makes no difference as apart from a slight tail twitch and occasional chirp he pretty much ignores his name anyway.

To be honest I really don't think cats care what you call them.


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## grrawritsjordi (Dec 29, 2012)

Moosey's real name is Mitzi. It was spelled Mitzie at the shelter, but I spell my name with an "i" only, so I did the same for her. However, after a few short days I started calling her Moose or Moosey. Basically she comes to the sound of my voice. I don't know if she really knows her name because if she is not in the same room with me and she hears me talking, she will run into the room where I am. She always looks at me when I say her name and I also call her about 10 different things. So I really don't know if she knows her name, or she just goes to the people who usually talk to her. (My boyfriend and I) She doesn't really have anything to do with my dad, even if he calls her name a million times.


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

One of my cat's names evolved. The neighbors I rescued him from named him Buddha. 

That evolved to Boots (Too gay sounding for such a macho cat) and finally settled at
Mr B. Mr. B fits him perfectly.


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