Searching for unique cat names is an important first step for anyone who has brought home a new kitten.

Cat owners are a loving people, so naming their pet cat is usually not a snap decision - they strive to give the newest family member a very special name - a name that is meaningful to all parties..

On a personal note, we’ve had two cats – one past - and when we went searching for unique cat names it was the kitten who showed us the way - we named her Bonnie – from the name Bonita meaning Sweet and good - we still miss her - with us now, our faithful house companion – Toughie – because from the get-go she revealed a toughness of character while overcoming an early illness – lucky for her – later we were thinking of changing her name to Calamity - for the many early pet disasters she was responsible for in the early years – but as noted below, “toughie” stuck because changing a name is not a good practice.

Unique Cat Names Guide

Many pet owners give their pet cat a name that reflects its personality or appearance, others name their pet cats with human names or one that gives recognition to the cat's breed – examples:

• Midnight (should the pet be a black cat),
• Fluffy (obviously, if the cat is fluffy or has long, soft and bouncy coat)
• Whitey (of course, if the cat is white).

If you interested in statistics - a whopping fifty percent of pet names are those of persons. This primarily is because there are owners who are enamored with a certain name and actually desire to christen someone, or something for that matter, with that favorite name.

Although hardly unique cat names,one online survey reveals the top five names for male cats are:

1. Tigger – from the Winnie the Pooh stories.
2. Smokey
3. Sam
4. Tiger
5. Max

This same survey lists the following as the top five names for female cats:

1. Tigger
2. Smokey
3. Kitty
4. Sassy
5. Shadow

Also please remember to pick a name which will be appropriate when your cat is full-grown. A large tabby cat with a silly name like Mimi or Kitten seems ridiculous.

Tips for Unique Cat Names

• Keep in mind that the name that the owner chooses for his pet cat will not only reflect the cat's character but also how the owner views his relationship with his pet cat. Many cat names give either a positive or negative impression of the cat. So, it is important to choose a name which will best convey the proper image of the pet.

• A cat's name is for keeps. It is absolutely not fair to change the cat's name every time the owner finds another name they think sounds better.
  If the cat already recognizes the sound of its name it should not be changed.

• A name with two syllables will do best. The response of animals is better to two-syllable names.
• The cat's breed heritage may provide great ideas for names. For instance, if the cat is a Russian Blue, it would be nice to give it a Russian-sounding or Russian inspired name such as Sofia or Chekov.

• As was said earlier, the name the owner gives his cat will speak just as much about himself. So why not pick a name for the cat which is derived from the owner's likes, hobbies and favorites? If the owner were passionate about world history, maybe the names Isis, Genghis or Voltaire would sound very classy. If the owner were an avid fan of the Greek mythology the names Zeus, Athena, Hercules or Jason would be sure to make a good first impression on other people.

• Names of characters from favorite movies, cartoon series, TV programs or bands will do just as well.
  Huey, Louie and Duey would sound cute as well as Bonnie and Clyde.
  A more posh touch would be naming your cat after signature designers. Tommy, Donna, Karan, Calvin and Gianni would not sound so bad for cats--just as long as they are well groomed.

Searching for unique cat names can be a lot of fun if these considerations and suggestions are always kept in mind. Wouldn't it be great for an owner to call his pet cat a name which is close to his heart and a name he will be proud to call out no matter what time of the day?

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