Conference misery::feline

    Chubs got his name because
    
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	    (( (  | || | ) ) )   of his chubby belly!
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                   m  m  
    
    
    When we adopted him, he was very, very round.  His nickname at the
    vets' office is "Holstein"!  Now and then we call him Bubba on
    occasions.  (what will we call Chubs IF he ever loses the extra pounds
    around the middle?)
    
    Zelda was named by a friend who once knew a black and white cat with
    the same name.  Zelda turned out to be a very appropriate name for her
    because she has a bit of "gazelle" in her.  We call her Zel the Gazelle
    or Zooming Zulu Zelda when she gets the cat crazies!
    
    Lea, well, she came as part of the package with my new husband.   Her
    "other" name for years has been Bumps.  I cannot put her nicknames in
    writing in here cause Mary T would delete the note.  :^) :^)  Speaking
    of Mary.... Hey Mar, how did Biff get his name?  Also, Huge Herman, was
    he Pee Wee Herman's brother?!

Let's see...every cat tells a story....

Honey was named after my best friend's husband, whom we all call Honey.  Then
it stuck cause I always came thru the door saying "Hi Honey, I'm home!!".  Poor
guy...everyone calls him "she" cause of the name.  His registered name is
Lotsofur's Hamilton Bates Farnsworth...

Chauncey just kinda looked like a Chauncey.  He's registered as Chauncey
Coleman Farnsworth.

Julie got her name at 4 weeks when she broke her paw.  The emergency vet asked
for her name, and since I had been calling her Number 3, from her birth order,
we decided that wouldn't do.  So, I named her Julie after my very petite, very
cute secretary.

Robin is named after my vet, Robin Porter.  Although, lately, we're thinking
of changing my kitty's name to Robin Porker....

Biff...ah, Biff.  There's name for you.  When I first held him after rescuing
him, I looked at him and told him he was cute.  He responded by swatting me
on the nose.  Biff....

Mikey got his name cause he didn't like any of the food I offered him when he
as a feral kitten.  Finally, he settled for Iams...He likes it!  Hey, Mikey!

Beth, my wonderful little baby, is named after my vet's receptionist.  She was
there when I brought this tiny baby to the vet the first time.  Beth just held
the little kitten and the poor baby stopped trembling.  It seemed like a good
name for her.  Of course, then there are the times I holler at her and Biff
when they're playing to hard and it comes out "BITH!!"

That's it!
Mary (who got the default name when she was baptized at birth in a Catholic
hospital)

    Tiki Sylvester Fahel II got his name for a variety of reasons, but it
    simmers down to the fact that he looked exactly like a cat that my
    husband's family had before, with a facial expression that looked like
    a Tiki statue.  Sylvester was his "birth name" (the name the girl we
    got him from gave him), because of his black and white markings, a la
    the cartoon cat.  We called him Tiki II, Tikums, Teeks, Tiki-Sly, and
    my all-time favorite, Tikimus-Twoimus.
    
    Ricardo Martin Fahel, because of his coloring, was named after the
    black character in Miami Vice (Ricardo Tubbs) and the Leutenant in the
    same show (Martin Castillo).  We had hoped being named after 2 such
    strong characters would give him a strong character...but he is
    literally a "pussycat".  ;^)  We call him Rico, Slick Rick, and Boo (as
    in "my sweet little baby-boo", not as in "boo-boo kitty").
    
    Alexandra Lynn Fahel.  My husband picked her name.  He wanted something
    strong, yet feminine, with a "kicky" nickname.  I picked Lynn, because
    it goes so well with the first name.  We call her Alex, Alex Lynn,
    Lynnie, ALF, Goombah (don't ask) and Princess.
    
    K.C.

    Nippa.....
    
    Well my ex named her, and we were together (the 3 of us) long enough
    for it to stick......But I always affectionatly call her `poopie kitty' 
    and `pretty'.
    
    So, when I got her she was abandoned, wormy and semi feral.  she was being
    fed fresh tuna and milk by the person I got her from.  Well let me just 
    say she could clear a room with her little expulsions.....or `nips' as
    my ex reffered to them....hence the name Nippa......poor thing..... :^)

    Well, I have no idea how Honey, Lila, and Marni got their names.  We
    got them when they were quite old.
    
    Tabitha - We got her at the beginning of October.  She was only about 4
    weeks old (although the shelter tried to convince us that she was 7
    weeks old.  NO WAY!  This baby fit in the palm of my hand!!).  Anyway,
    She's also completely black.  We decided that she needed a witch-like
    name, so we named her after Tabitha in Be-witched.
    
    Silver - Her name is Fogmagic's Sterling Silver.  In Korats, their
    color is called Blue/Silver.  She is very "silvery".
    
    Pita - Well, she's actually got two names.  her registered name is
    Jaltari's Lady sings the blues.  It seems that all of the Jaltari cats
    are named after something to do with the theatre.  Her father is
    Jaltari's Jazz Singer and her mother is Jaltari's Chicago blues.  hence
    the name, lady sings the blues.  Her NICname is PITA.  Most of you know
    what PITA stands for.  Pain In the *ss!!  And boy was she ever when she
    was a kitten!
    
    Sweetie - My star.  His name is Tu-tone's sweet sixteen.  He got his
    name because he was given to my neice for her sixteenth birthday.  And
    boy, is he a sweetie!
    
    Kyra - well, there's really no reason for her name.  She needed a regal
    sounding name.  Kyra is the name of one of the seven meuses (sp??)  One
    of Zeus's daughters.
    
    PIMA - She's our newest one.  It stands for Pain in Mom's *ss!!  And
    yes, she IS registered with that name!  She got that after keeping my
    mother up half the night by biting mom's toes! (-:
    
    Holly
    

    How I named my cats?  Well first I have to figure out what *year* it
    is.  Birmans are named with a letter that corresponds to the year they
    were born.  1992 is the P year.  1993 will be the Q year, etc.  I then
    try to come up with a song title, or musical name that also begins with
    that letter, and then see which cat's personality fits it!  That isn't
    always so easy.  Some of my best names have never had a cat to go with
    them! 
    
    Right now, as I type, this little kitten Obidiah Jeremiah, is trying to
    climb my body to get to the terminal (I am home sick).  This kitten is
    a pet, and his new owners named him.   They wanted to call him Jerry,
    but then I explained about the the tradition and then came up with this
    name.
    
    Some of my more memorable names:
    
    No Surrender - a noter in this file offered this name to me for Surrey. 
    She was from the N year, and I had just gone through losing my favorite
    cat, who also happened to be my stud cat, and was considering giving up 
    breeding.  But this kitten changed my mind for me.  The name was
    perfect, it is also a song title.
    
    Oh-bli-de - a happy go lucky cat that let's nothing bother her.
    
    Opposites Attract - a lovely little seal boy who is the product of a
    complete outcross. :')
    
    
    Before I started with the musical theme, I used a lot of french words. 
    My first Birman was supposed to be named Joie de Vivre (Joy of living)
    but on the way to the airport to pick her up I was reading a breed
    newsletter and discovered there was already a birman with that name so
    I chose Jouissance, which is actually a verb, but it sounds good. :') 
    It means Delight, Joy, etc.  We call her Joui or Juby Ju.
    
    Jo

    Blaise was named after the French mathematician Blaise Pascal ( as in
    the programming language pascal - I was around a LOT of computer nerds
    at the time :-)! ).  At first, I didn't think it fit, and alot of
    people who saw his name written called him Blase (as in unexcited!),
    but his nickname - blazer-kitty - was perfect: he was definitely
    fiery-tempered.
    
    Along a different note (sort of), isn't it funny how our pets (and
    people) get nicknames that have nothing to do with their given names?
    I have a horse whose name is Cougar's Mischief, but because he was born
    on Abe Lincoln's birthday he has always been called Abe or Abraham. But
    he'll always be my Abey-baby-boo-bear!  ;^)

    Ooops... I forgot to add to my last note:
    
    When I was younger, we had a cat named Speedy Racer (after the cartoon)
    because he would race around the apartment, up the side of the couch,
    and right on up the wall.

    Let's see if I can remember how these names came about.
    
    Bailey's Irish Cream - She's a blue-cream colored cat, actually more
    cream than blue.  Jo Ann helped me pick Bailey out of the crowd.  We 
    thought about calling her Sadie Painted Lady but she really reminded 
    me of a tortie that Jo used to have.  She had alot of similar mannerisms.
    Her name was Bailey.  The Irish Cream part of her name came from the 
    fact that she has alot of cream coloring.  Besides, one must have a
    fancy name when one becomes the first ever cat in a non-cat household  
    and the first ever show cat to boot.
    
    Amelia Earhart - When I first brought her home I kept wanting to call
    her Amanda.  I don't know why.  However, I already knew someone with
    a cat named Amanda and the two cats looked very much alike.  Again Jo
    helped me with the name.  We decided on Amelia.  It was very shortly
    after that, as Amelia was flying through the house at the speed of
    light, that she became Amelia Earhart.
    
    Carrie Nation - I found this little waif wandering around my apartment
    parking lot crying her lungs out at 3:00am.  I brought her home and my
    then boyfriend began coming up with all these very lady-like names for
    her.  He wanted to call her Bonnie Blue or Lady Blue (she is a blue and 
    white maine coon-type cat).  It just didn't fit her.  She was (and still 
    is) a very rowdy cat.  I'm not sure how we finally came up with the
    name Carrie Nation but I knew immediately that it was perfect for her.
    
    Onyx O'Kitty - His mom was a feral cat that used to hang around my
    patio.  I started calling her the patio kitty which eventually evolved
    to Paddy O'Kitty.  When she had 3 kittens I found a need to distinguish
    between them with names (I name all the cats in my neighborhood, it
    makes it easier to relate to them).  I called the largest Domino, the
    2nd largest Onyx and the smallest/shyest Shadow.  When I decided that
    Onyx was going to be a permanent member of the household I attempted to
    Change his name to Davey Crockett (honestly don't know why, guess I was
    stuck in the historic name mode) but, it didn't work.  I was already
    too used to the name of Onyx and he told me he was comfortable with it.
    When I decided to show him, I added his last name.  His mother would
    have wanted it that way.  
    
    Jan

    When I was naming mine I was on a history kick so that's how I named
    mine.
    
    Cleo - her registered name is McGee's Cleoptra's Jewel of Bluestar. 
    The Bluestar is the name of my now defunct cattery.  I picked Cleo
    first, just because it fit her and then expanded from there.  I picked
    my cattery name Bluestar because Siamese eyes are like blue stars.
    
    Katie - she is named after Catherine the Great.  Kate or Katie is one
    of my most favorite names.  Again, I called her Katie and then named her
    Bluestar's Catherine the Great.
    
    Alex - Bluestars Alexander the Great.  We called him Baby for a long
    time, but Katie couldn't tell the difference between her name and Baby. 
    Alex was a pathetic baby.  At six weeks he was really scrawny, all skin
    and bones.  I thought I was going to lose him.  When I was trying to
    changes names, I dreamt about Alexander the Great one night and that is
    how Alex was named.
    
    Skeeters - Bluestar's Squeeky Skeet.  She got her name because every
    time I picked her up she squeeks like I am squeezing her, even though
    I'm not.  For awhile I called her Skeekers, but then changed it to
    Skeeters.
    
    Karen

    
    	Well Brandi was named by my husband before we met and I don't
    	know where it came from.
    
    	Sasha was my first kitten and I wanted a regal and feminine name
    	for her.  She just looked like a Sasha!  And since regality can
    	sometimes be synonymous with b**chy, it fits, believe me!
    
    	Chloe was named by my brother-in-law.  We adopted her from him
    	when he moved into a no pets apartment.  She's a blue/cream
    	point himmy so needed a very feminine name.  She's usually
    	pretty laid back and timid so Chloe fits her too.
    
    	Audrey...well we had her for two days before we came up with 
    	a name for her.  She didn't like any of the ones we came up 
    	with.  Then, while watching Twin Peaks one night, I thought
    	Audrey!  Audrey was a character on TP that had very dark hair
    	with light skin and blue/grey eyes.  Our kitty is a lynx point 
    	siamese with big blue eyes.  So she is light colored with dark
    	points.  And Audrey on TP was a trouble maker.  We didn't know
    	just how well *this* name was going to fit!  Audrey is the 
    	instigator of 90% of the fights, wrestling matches and chases
    	in our house.
    
    	Our dear departed Duke.  He was the runt of the litter and VERY
    	tiny.  Never got over 3.5 lbs at a year and a half old.  So we
    	decided he needed a big tough name.  He turned out to be quite
    	the fighter too despite the fact that we lost him in the end.
    
    	JJ
    

    Casey - Was actually K.C. for Kitty Cat, but it became the
            actual name....
    
    Rusty - Red tabby w/white...hence my third Rusty..... (:
    
    Pepper - Mack Tabby w/white....was and still is quite the
             Pepper Pot!
    
    B.K. - Short for Buffalo Killer - at the breeders, he was the
           kitten that wouldn't give up attacking the stuffed toy
           buffalo thrown out on the floor.  His name was chosen
           right then.....we had to choose from 11 kittens, and
           since all Korat kittens are lookalikes...it was hard
    	   to tell them apart.  The breeder said, "The one killing
           the buffalo is a male (we wanted 2 males)" hence B.K.
    
    Moochie - This red mack tabby face was noticed peering through 
              the side glass storm door.  She was begging for food,
              so I fed her.  Hubby asked what I was doing, and I said
              we had a moocher at the door..... (:  I'm a sucker for
              a hungry face!
           
    Dominique - Black w/white markings....a female, so Domino (B&W)
                became Dominique.  Her nickname is Nique (pronounced Neeki)
    
    L-

    Nikki:	Nikki was pre-named by the Framingham Animal Humane
    		Society.  They spelled his name Nicky, but I changed it.
    
    T.K.:	Short for Tabby Kitty.  T.K. is a brown tabby and white.
    
    Kelsey:	Well, the year I got Kelsey, a Ragdoll, I was also looking
    		into Birmans.  It was the "L" year for Birmans, so I bought
    		a baby naming book and began thumbing through it, searching
    		for names.  When I came across Kelsey, I just loved the way
    		it sounded.  I told the breeder to start calling him that
    		before his litter was even born!
    
    Taja:	When Barbara Ives first saw this cat and described how
    		lovely and unusual he looked I decided he needed a regal
    		sounding name.  I had heard the name Taja before, and loved
    		it.  My husband hated it though, and tried to talk me out
    		of it but I wouldn't budge.  So, he said, let's name him
    		Taj.  I said, fine, but still call him Taja :^) anyway.
    
    Herbie:	He was named this by his former owner.  If I had any say
    		in the matter it would have been different!!
    
    
    -Roberta
    

    Charlie:    Charlie's original name at the animal shelter was Bruno.
                It should have stayed that, since he's real long, but
                weighs close to 15-16 pounds! Anyhow, he got his name
                because he has a black moustache, just like Charlie
                Chaplin!
    
    Shanti:     That was her name when we got her at the animal shelter.
                The only change I made was the pronounciation "Shawn-tee"
    
    Gracie:     Gracie got her name because of how graceful she was when
                we got her -- when she'd jump from my arms to the floor,
                she'd land on her side, or head -- anywhere but her feet!
    
    P.A.        P.A. got her name due to her personality. Her littermates,
                Murphy (just cause the name fit), Baby (cause she was the
                runt of the litter) and Legs (cause she had long legs)
                were named the same way. P.A. was always the trouble maker,
                so P.A. is short for (No offense, anyone) Piss Ant.
    
    Cheryl

      My there ain't very 'original', but......
    
    (1)
      "Stormy", A.K.A. Stormette, was found during a terrible storm. It was
    during the month of November, cold and raw, snd the cold rain was
    coming down in buckets, and the wind was blowing so hard it was more of
    a horizontal than vertical rainstorm...and there was this little black
    cat with a white spot on her nose and a white belly....trying to become
    "road pizza" in front of Bldg 22 at the Mill...A couple of my
    co-workers---knowing I'm a soft-touch---took her in and when I arrived
    at work the had her in a back room...so my lunch was spent that day
    taking her home...and since I didn't have a carier, I carried her to
    the car on the driver's side of the car, with her four legs wrapped
    around my left leg, fast asleep...
    
    (2)
      "Cookie" A.K.A. The Cookster, is so nmaed because of her very unique
    coloring. She was brought to my attention by a friend who runs a cat
    rescue and shelter.. Cook had been brought to her because she tested
    FeLV+, and the owner was afraid to keep her because she was the only
    positive in her litter. I had a FeLV+ already, so she called me. I went
    to see her that evening, and she was in an isolated room alll by
    herself....When I saw her I knew that this was a "special" lady. She was
    in this huge cage, sitting very serenely in the very center of the
    cage, calmy looking around... I immediately opened the door and carried
    her around in my arms for the rest of the tour of the shelter. This
    time I DID have a carrier, but as soon as we were in the car this
    little white paw began to come out of the door and work at the latch to
    the door. Not one sound from her, but it didn't take a genius to figure
    out that she was having MUCH distress with being confined. So...since I
    knew there was nothing in the car to harm her, I opened the door. She
    came slowly out, made a grand tour of the car, and decided that the
    best place for her traveling was to stretch out on top of the driver's
    side seat, between my neck and the headrest...facing the door so she
    could see the sights... Within a mile or two she was fast asleep. Well,
    by the time we drove 45 miles with my head motionless and gently
    holding her so she wouldn't slip down my back, I had a very stiff
    neck... Many other drivers in other cars did a double-take when they
    saw this little girl sleeping on that seat back..
      Cookie is all white except for a black spot on the back of each ear
    that's about the size of a quarter, a black strip down the back of each
    back leg, and a black tail. The name comes from the fact that she looks
    like an opened-up "Oreo" cookie...
    
    (3)
      "Smokey" is not very original...he's a smoke-grey handicapped boy.
    Smoker got caught in a car's fanbelt when he was a small kitten, and
    the injuries resulted in him losing one of his front legs. He has no
    idea that he's handicapped though...and he gets around just fine. He is
    as quick on those three legs as the girls are on 4...although he looks
    more like a bunny than a cat when he hops along at high speed. He was
    raised with a litter of Bassett Hound pups after his traumatic
    experience, so he sometimes thinks he's a dog...and crawls up into the
    tangle of sleeping canines for a snooze. All my pups love cats anyway
    though, so they welcome Smokey into the pack as if is just another
    strange looking mutt...
    
    John McD  

This is one area where we do not rush to make a choice...we
usually spend sometime with the kitty to understand the
personality and find the right name that matches.

Poco:      My only kitty I actualy bought at my vets!
           She was named after the old Country Rock group
           that my hubby and I use to love.  They were
           making a comeback when we got Poco.

Barkley:   He was named after Charles Barkley the basketball
           player because when he walked into my house he
           just took charge and pushed everyone else around.
           He is built strong and sturdy just like the 
           basketball player.

Chloe:     Chloe was my neighbor's cat that they threw out
           when she was only 7 weeks old.   She came with
           her name...but we like it because it is dainty
           just like she is.

Angus:     This is Chloe's brother and also came with his
            name.  He was named after Angus Young from
            the group ZZ Top.   It truly fits his personality...
            he's the wild one that likes to roam.   

Dewey:      He was my very sick stray from Worcester who
            was found on Dewey St.   We also consider
            him named after Dewey (Dwight) Evans from
            the Red Socks.

Abby:       Abby was the prego stray from Marlboro and
            for the longest time we called her Momma
            Kitty...but when she lost her babies we
            had to rename her.   She is named after
            Abigail Adams.  (I believe someone in this
            file chose the name...and we liked it!)

Bogart:     aka..Bogie.   He was named after Humprey
            Bogart because he has the saddest, sexiest
            eyes that will eat your heart away.  We
            also use to know a dog named Bogie...and
            this cat is almost as big! 

Van Gogh:   Well VG was originally named this because
            of his missing ear.   But I really believe
            his life has been as rough as the real
            Van Goghs...so the name fits even more.

J.C.:       Poor J.C. went the longest without a name...
            we had a tough time with him because he
            was a feral that never let us see his
            true personality.  But he was named J.C.
            after Jesus because he has two stripes
            on his back shaped just like a cross and
            also because he needed help from god!

And last but not least both me and my hubby are nicknamed
"gophers" because we spend so much time going for this
and going for that for all our kids!

Sandy from Kitty City!!

 

    Loki:  	Named for the Norse god of mischief - he sure lived up to
    		this in his younger days, although we see a streak of it
    		every so often!
    
    Bigfoot:	Named by my husband for his *big* double-pawed feet (5 toes
    		in back, 7 in front).
    
    Midnight:	Also named by my husband - she's jet black with gold eyes!
    
    Re. .0:	We have a "Tommy" too, but this Tommy is Tom Turkey
    		(really!) 8-) .
    
    					- Andrea

    
    Well!  I'm glad to see I've started a topic of interest to many!
    
    Here are some more I thought of:
    
    	Hershey
    
    	The family of a friend of mine from high school named their cat
    	"Hershey" because (according to my friend) when they first got him
    	they didn't know if he was male or female (a "he" or a "she").
    
    		he-or-she ==> he-'r-she[y] ==> hershey
    
    	George
    
    	My brother-in-law's cousin named her female cat "George" because
    	being an all-gray short-haired cat, she reminded her of her Uncle
    	George who was also all gray (hair, clothes, personality, etc.).
    
    Valerie

>    Onyx O'Kitty - His mom was a feral cat that used to hang around my
>    patio.  I started calling her the patio kitty which eventually evolved
>    to Paddy O'Kitty.  When she had 3 kittens I found a need to distinguish
 

	Jan, shouldn't that be Patty O'Kitty (since Paddy is is usually a 
	guy's name ;^)


	I've had biblical names for my critters since highschool...

	Adam and Eve Gerbil and their kids Candy, Abel and Seth.
	Mary Gerbil.
	Abraham and Sarah Mouse, along with Rachel, Laban, Haggar (sp)(later
	renamed Vanessa)

	Joshua G(uinea) Pig.

	Amos the horse (he actually came with this name - it's better than 
	his registered name - Foggy Clyde, and besides, how could I pass up
	a horse that fit into the naming scheme) 

	Then the cats...Joshua (I know, a repeat, but I had forgotten about
	J. Pig), Rebecca, Hannah and now Simon.  Simon was almost Caleb.  I
	couldn't decide which.  He doesn't seem to respond to anything 
	unless he wants to!

	Of course, all cats had their other names, used only in the privacy of
	the home...

	Joshua : Joshy Buns, JayBaloo, Jock Cat, JayBoo
	Rebecca : Beebs, Becky, Beebles, BeeBeeLou
	Hannah : Hannakit, Buglet (cuz she's little), Baby Cat/Girl, DwarfKitty
	Simon : Simonkey, Bratcat, Black Boy, Monkey Boy



	I had a real problem with Hannah's name cuz there aren't too many
	girls names in the Bible, and I really don't like to reuse them 
	(Josh was a mistake, but the name _did_ fit him), and I cousins 
	with the names Elizabeth and Ruth....

    #1 - Pippin got her name because her eyes looked like two gigantic
    pippin apples when we got her.  She weighed so very little when we got
    her from the shelter and she has such a tiney face any way that these
    eyes looked like two headlights coming down a dark highway.  Even today
    she's got the most expressive eyes, they truly can make you quite
    emotional when you catch here with certain expressions.  
    
    #2 - When my first Siamese, Ting Ling was with us, my grandmother, very
    italian lady who did not speak much english, would ask me from time to
    time "what kind of name is this TingLing - why didn't you just call him
    Gino?"  Well, after we lost Ting and were bringing this new, & very large 6
    week old Siamese kitten home via Vet, Dr. Scott asked if we had decided
    on a name (paper work and all) and this little kittie looks up at me
    and I swear I could hear my grandmother saying, "why don't you call him
    Gino".  So, Gino the Cat it is.
    
    #3 - Stitch was abandoned at the tender age of 24-48 hours and was
    probably attacked by a tom before we got to the litter.  There was a
    gash on this throat which required sutures.  Here was this little black
    and white pink nosed baby, eyes closed, ears flat with these 3 big
    sutures on his throat - He was named Stitches of Lombard Street Gardens
    - aka StItCh, and has definitely lived up to every letter of his name.
    
    
    Giudi
    

    Hi,
    
     I figured I could contribute to this one.
    
    
    E.T.  -  He was named this because we found him when we were camping
             one weekend. He was all black, but when the sun would shine on
             him you could sort of see stripes, which made him look
             wrinkly. He had a really long thin neck, big blue eyes, and
             after he had slurped down a whole can of food, he had a big
             belly! He was also really friendly. So, as I had just recently
    	     seen the movie E.T., he reminded me so much of the little E.T.
             that I had to name him that. Of course as he grew, his eyes
             turned green, but I ended up calling him The Bum, because he
             was a bum. It really did fit him though! He was a great kitty.
    
    Feendoonie  - aka Doonie, Doonoo, Noo Noo, Oonoo, Oonie Doonie, Doonski.  
                  She got her name from my mother-in-law. When we first got 
                  her, we were waiting to see what her personality was, so 
                  we could give her a fitting name. In the meantime, she
                  was calling her Feendoonie, because I guess that's what  
                  my Brother-in-law called all of his cats when he was a
                  kid.  Since this Brother-in-law passed away, we decided  
                  that it was a nice way to remind ourselves of him, so the 
                  name stuck.
    
    Furby -  This one is my husband's fault. When I brought her home she
             was always purring, so I was calling her a "purr" ball, and a
             "purr" bucket, which my husband, being a little hard of
             hearing interpreted as "Fur" ball. So he took the word fur,
             and the first letter of ball or bucket and put them together.
             Furby! It worked for me! Her nicknames are Doo Doo, cause she
             sometimes gets a doo doo bum because of her long fur back
             there. Besides, she acts like a doo doo! She's really funny.
             I also call her just Doo, or Furble Erble!
    
    Y
                    

well, Hannah is a flame-point domestic shorthair with aquamarine eyes (I
know, not a breed, but quite lovely, anyway)...and I have always associated
the name Hannah with red hair.  I also found out that the same name spelled
in the Japanese, Hana, means pretty flower...and, because her coloring is so
exquisite, I felt that was quite appropriate.  Besides, she is also a vocal,
inquisitive, clever cat - and somehow, Hannah always seems to fit those
characteristics as well.  She is "Missy Hannah" when she is ordering me
around or acting fussy.

Sam started life as Samantha, a name I have always favored...then, when he
was taken in to be spayed, the vet and I realized we had made an error...
under all that black fur, he was a boy...so, he quickly became Samson...and
he remains Sam.

The "Flash", aka "The Jersey Flash", aka "Amanda", aka "Manda Dammit!"..
She came to me from a breeder in New Jersey, as a 10 week old bundle of
bluster...and her nickname was immediate.  When she calls, The Flash sounds
like Edward G. Robinson in a gangster flick...you know, "Nyeah"....I'm 
serious, the cat has a New Jersey accent.  I was charmed - her breeder also
has a very strong accent so it seemed appropriate, somehow.  The Flash is
a very active, fast-moving, curious bundle of trouble, so her nicknames
continue to evolve over time.  I love Javanese cats - but I'm not sure I'd
survive living with two of them.

Dilly, aka Delia, aka Odile (black swan from Swan Lake)...Blue-point Birman
with violet-blue eyes...well, we had to have an "O" name because she is part
of an "O" litter....I knew Dilly was mine the minute we met - she ran right
up to me and plopped down next to me - obviously, I was her person...so,
I had to name her.  It was hard - I'm not big on "O" names, but thanks to
Steffi, I named her Odile - but didn't want to call her "Odie" - Garfield's
stupid dog-friend - so I decided her house name would be Delia, which I
then shortened to Dilly.  It fits her - she is one of a kind....and has the
whole house wrapped around her paw...oh, her other nickname is "blue-toe"...
she has one blue toe on her front foot - for which I am eternally grateful,
because if that toe was white, I'd have not been able to afford my Dilly...

Sadie (a dog) - Dilly's dog, actually...they are very close.  Sadie's name
came to me the minute I saw her...it was immediate and very certain.  I
think Sadie told me her "true name".

    Okay, this sounds like a good way to spend a few minutes in the middle
    of a busy day.
    
    Actually, my daughter Margaret has named most of our cats.  She does so
    well with names that she has been given the official cat-naming title.
    
    Bitser	Came upon her name over time.  She was the only one that
    		Margaret didn't name - she was only 4 when we got the cat.
    		She was soooo tiny when we got her that she was just a 
    		"little bit of a kit".  This gave way to Bitser over time.
    
    Bob		As in Bobcat.  It just fit.  He was this funny little tiny
    		furry ball that sort of ended abruptly (his shape was
    		really funny as a kitten - sort of normal cat that was
    		cut off on the end - he did grow out of that).  So Bob
    		seemed to fit.  It still does even though he is a most
    		elegant adult.
    
    Zelda	Named by my ex.  What else do you name an all black witch?
    
    Esmarelda	A most regal gray who needed a regal name.  Margaret
    		thought this one up and it stuck.  No real reason that
    		I know of.
    
    Madison	An elegant stray with long blond hair who discovered us.
    		Margaret figured she belonged on Madison Ave. in NYC.
    
    Juliette	A calico that now belongs to a dear friend.  Also named
    		by Margaret.  She had just finished reading "Romeo and
    		...."
                     

    Sidney - She's named after Sid Fernandez, a pitcher for the NY Mets.
             (I'm an avid baseball fan.) Mr. Fernandez is the fifth
             starting pitcher on a 5-man rotation.  When I went to the
             animal shelter to adopt a kitty, two of Sid's littermates
             had already been adopted and were on their way out the door
             with their new owners.  When I went into the cats' room, 
             poor little Sidney was all by herself in a cage just
             screaming her lungs out.  It reminded me of Sid F. - the
             last to be picked.
    
    Nymets - See above.  Pronounced "Nimitz" like the battleship.  I
             couldn't think of who on my favorite baseball team to name
             him after so I named him after the team.  It fits him, though.
             He really is a nimitz - not very bright but a loveable and
             affectionate son of a gun.
    
    Hoover - Hoover spent a long time in a shelter before I adopted him.
             As a result, he learned at a very young age that when you
             get food you'd better eat it before someone else does.  He
             also would attempt to eat anything that remotely resembled
             something edible.  He was just like a little vacuum cleaner -
             sucking up everything in sight.  Voila! Hoover.
    
    Mike - Mike is a beautiful grey tiger with exquisite markings,
           including a great big "M" on his forehead.  I named him after
           my friend and co-worker, Mike Sawtelle, who was killed in a
           traffic accident while on a business trip in Taiwan last
           year.  I wanted to honor his memory in some way.  A lot
           of people don't understand but I know all of you do.
    
    Terry
    

      Re .19
    
      HEY!! I had a cat when I was a kid that I named "George", and it also
    was a girl.....but I did this because it really aggravated my little
    sister when I called the cat "George"....she had name all the cats and
    my brother and I would re-name them weird names just to get her goat...
    
    JM

    I love this note!  Here goes:
    
    Mousemeat:  My first cat, and a gorgeous short-hair calico she was.  Of
    course I named her Koshka (Russian for "Cat"), but pretty soon her TRUE
    personality led me to FIND her TRUE name ... when she was angry or
    impatient with things not going her way, she would crawl under the bed
    and do poops, glaring right at me the whole time.  Well, I'd pick her
    up (post-poops, of course), and scold her.  One day I said to her,
    "You're nothing but mouse meat, you know that?" ... And she licked my
    face and got really excited (her way of letting me know I'd discovered
    her name).
    
    Joseph:  A soft, calm, contemplative charcoal tiger who really reminded
    me of the Biblical Joseph, as well as my brother Andrew Joseph.  He
    really lived up to the name.
    
    Mr. Jones:  He was a hanging-out kind of cat, and we called him "Jones"
    for a while.  Then my very proper little old Russian grandmother came
    for a visit, and Jones just fell in love, and sat by her side on the
    rocking chair the whole time she was there.  Well, she was not about to
    address him by anything other than his formal name, which then became
    "Mr." Jones.
    
    Safeway:  She was in a box being offered up for a home at the local
    California Safeway supermarket. 
    
    Charlie Crapcloset:  ..... somewhat self-explanatory .....
    
    Rocco:  My former husband's name for our first cat together.  He had
    never had pets, and didn't know that not just any old name would do,
    nor that cats require names that FIT.  I think he really WANTED Rocco
    to be a tough tomcat -- but he wasn't; he was a cuddler.
    
    Mr. Kitty and Ms. Kitty:  I got these two from different places within
    a month of each other, and they were lifelong companions.  I tried
    finding "real" names for each of them, but because they were so
    inseparable, I usually wound up calling "Here, Kitty" anyway.....
    hence the gender prefix...
    
    Wumpkin:  She was just a little fuzzy furball of black and white,
    demure and sweet.  She loved/loves to be cuddled, and coo-ed to.  In my
    baby-talking to her, I got to calling her "Kitty-Witty-Wumpkin," and
    the rest is history.
    
    Harry (The Rat):  Well, he came into the house like a tornado, eight
    weeks old and already the size of a three-month-old.  I called him
    Kitty and Baby Kitty for a while, until it was obvious he was
    outgrowing Wumpkin quickly.  He is also mischievous as all get-out, and
    one day I just KNEW that Harry was his name.  ("The Rat" came later, as
    he continued to search-and-destroy anything not firmly hidden.)  I
    think there was a book or movie called "Harry The Rat With Women," and
    that name always stuck in my mind.

    My first cat was Samuel Charles Aaram.  We didn't know if he was a boy
    or girl, so Sam was safe.  I got him just after I was confirmed, hence
    the 3 names.  Sam is now in kitty heaven.
    
    My present cats are:
    
    Gonezalo Aloyicious Oscar, or "Gonezo"
    Gonezo got his name because he was a daredevil kitten and was almost
    "gone" a few times from some high place.  Aloyicious is after an
    outdoor cat we once had and Oscar fits him.  
    
    Barneybus Alfred Theodore, or "Barney"
    Barney was named by my neighbor because he was a barn cat.  I don't
    know where Alfred came from and Theodore is after Ted Williams (a
    friend of my father's).  His initials are BAT and this cat is truly
    batty.
    
    Benjamin Frederick.   I am Ben's third owner but have had him for 9
    years now.  He was just Benjamin but after having him many years, he
    developed into such a loveable kitty that he "earned" the middle name
    of Frederick, after another outdoor cat I had as a kid (actually,
    Freddie was Al's brother mentioned above).
    
    Mary

    
    I have found out I'm not the first one to have thought of this burning
    question!  There is a note in the old file with 67 replies on this same
    issue (note 3252).  Lots of cute stories there too, I'm sure.
    
    Valerie

    Re:  Paddy O'Kitty
    
    When I named her it didn't matter if Paddy was a masculine or feminine
    name.  I never could get close enough to her to tell.  It took me 
    months to be able to sit quietly 3 feet away from her while she ate
    the food I provided.  Besides, when I say patio it more or less sounds
    like padio anyway.  It wasn't until she disappeared for a couple of 
    weeks and returned with 3 kittens in tow that I realized she was a she.
    
    Her new owner changed her name from Paddy O'Kitty to Paddy Paws the day
    she moved in.  Paddy is very happy there and doesn't seem to mind that
    she was given a masculine name.
    
    Jan
       

    OK!  Here goes:
    
    Charlie (aka Chuckie)	Started as Charlemangne, then Charlie,
    Ginger tiger		Chuckie, Chuckie-cheese-ball, the all 
    				American Chuckster
    
    Miss Kitty Moffet		She looks like a little Boston Irish lady
    Mushie/money color  	from the turn of the century, Victorian 
    				bustle and all. 
    
    Guido Tiggerini		Boston Mafia cat.  Enforcer and all-round
    Sleek and silky gray	good time lad.
    tiger
    
    Robbie			Robinson Cruso, because he had been
    (missing in action)		stranded on the shore of a New Hampshire
    White short hair		lake.
    
    Christopher			Don't quite know why Christopher, but in the 
    We don't know what		beginning he had an innocent look like 
    he is - mostly gray 	Christopher Robin.  He lost that fast, I think 
    tiger with something	Spider Man would be more appropriate as he has
    else that lets him 		found that climbing on the room gets him
    him jump 15 feet from 	lots of attention from passers by (and we
    a sitting position		live on a busy road)
    -- kangaroo maybe?
    

    Munchkin was so named because he was the runt of the litter - and now
    at 19 1/2 years old, weighs 15 pounds, and is our resident "geriatric
    brat"!
    
    Kali Mutu - that's an interesting story.  My husband and his family
    spent 10 years abroad - 5 in India and 5 in Pakistan.  Peter went to
    high school in India, at a school called Kodikanal, which was a
    missionary school, but is now an international school.  No, my
    husband's folks weren't missionaries, but this was one of two schools
    which offered an American curriculum - all the rest offered an English
    curriculum, which meant that the course work was not accredited for 
    American colleges.  Tamal was the language spoken in the state where
    the high school was located.  Mutu was the name of the barber in the
    bazaar, and means black-faced.  Kali is the Indian goddess of destruction. 
    Remember "Indiana Jones & and Temple of Doom"?  Well, the only thing in 
    that whole movie which was true was the statue of Kali.  She's ferocious, 
    and demands human blood sacrifices!  
    
    Since Kali Mutu was half blue-point and half seal-point, her points
    were very dark.  Peter thought of Mutu, and then added Kali for her
    first name, and yes, she was the "black-faced goddess of destruction"
    in here early years!
    
    It will be interesting when we have kittens to try and give them names
    which will fit as well as M & M's do/did!
    
    

    Trouble		Came pre-named and I couldn't see changing her name of
    (black & white	6 years.  She used to get the dogs she lived with in
    shorthair)		trouble.  
    
    Becky 		My husband named her before he ever saw her.  He wanted
    (Brown mackeral	a female and he wanted her named Becky.  
    tabby)
    
    Velcro		He and Becky are siblings, and when we got them, their 
    (Silver spotted	nails had not been clipped.  He kept getting caught
    tabby)		in the couch and chair, so when we would pull him off
    			it sounded like velcro.  
    
    Ferlie		A scottish word meaning ghost.  
    (Scottish Fold
    -straight ears)
    
    
    Bernice

    #1
    
    WHITE LIGHTNING aka Lightning, Light, the Queen, Witch.
    She is a pure white Angora cat who used to have a grey streak of
    *lightning* on her fore-head.  The Lightning also stands for *lightning
    fast paws.  She is also my first thus the nickname the Queen.  She
    definitely rules the house.
    
    #2
    
    BLACK THUNDER aka Thunder, Thun-Thun, BRAT, Love.
    She is a pure black Angora cat who really lives up to her name of
    *thundering* down the hall.  When we were looking for another cat(so I
    am insane) I had already decided on the name.  Unfortunately, another
    cat came before Thunder
    
    #3
    
    DEJA-VU aka Sweet one, little one, Protector, Deja-Vu - I love you.
    She is a very delicate 1/2 Siamese Calico cat.  She was named by my
    daughter due to the fact that she didn't meet the criteria for Black
    Thunder.  My daughter was taking Latin at the time and came up with
    Deja-Vu.  I was skeptical then, but love it now.
    
    #4
    
    PATCHES aka Patches the Stray, Patch, Miss Patch, Fat-cat.
    
    She is a cobby-type black and white cat that came to us in a storm.  No
    other name fit her.
    
    #5
    
    BLACK BEAUTY aka Beauty, my Gentleman
    
    Beauty is a pure black cat with piercing golden eyes.  He is/was a
    feral cat for at least 10 years and looks like a panther.  When we
    took him in he was in bad shape.  Scrawny, Flea-ridden, battle scars,
    and oozing wounds.  He has since grown into his name.  
    
    #6
    
    STORM CLOUD OF DRAGONLANSE aka Storm, Stormy
    
    She is a tri-color collie that absolutely adores her feline playmates.
    She is mostly black with clouds of white fur surrounding her.  It goes
    perfectly with White Lightning and Black Thunder.  
    
    #7 
    
    BLIZZARD
    
    A white cat or dog I don't have yet.....
    		Got to keep up the tradition.....
    
    Sandi (S stands for Sucker)
    
    
    
    

	In order of seniority:

	Smudge - she's a calico with a brown smudge across her nose.  Now
		 we use the term to describe what happens when she decides
		 to rub up against your legs when you're ready for work.
		 As in:  "I've been Smudged!"

	Tas    - Short for Tasmanian Devil, we gave him this name before he
		 came to live with us.  He's certainly lived up to it, as
		 well as several others he's collected over the last four
		 years, i.e. Mouth and Maroon (as in 'what a maroon!').

	Jenny  - Actually, her full name is Jennifurr.  Andy wanted a sweet
		 name for a sweet little girl, but had to make it cat-like.

	C.C.   - Stands for Compact Cat.  We were just getting into CDs at
		 the time, and C.C. was such a *little* cat that it suited
		 her just fine.  Also known as Ceece, Punkin, Precious, etc.

	Beau   - Fancy spelling for 'Bo', which was short for Bodacious.
		 Came to us during the 'Bo knows' era.

	Spike  - Was a little runt of a cat with almost no fur when he came
		 to live with us.  Honest, he was mostly pink, and I have
		 pictures to prove it.  He needed a tough-guy name to live
		 up to, and so far he's doing just fine.

Mary and Peter got there names from the Bible, when
I was leaving Divinity School.

I went to get Peter with my roommate and wanted to name
it after an Amy Grant song I liked called Angels, with
Peter being freed from prison....

Mary was from the same litter...I couldnt help getting
her and thought who was Jesus' favorite on the female
side....

the result was too obvious Mary.....

if you only knew there was another in the litter ...
no I didnt get him, but if I had a dime for every time
I've been asked Where's Paul (PETER, PAUL, AND MARY)
I'd be a rich man.

By the way, both cats are persian/tabby mix mostly 
white with color on their head and tail only.

very clean and very loving animals....I thank God
for them every day...

though I am no bible thumper, there names are very
fitting.....

    
    
    Meat Bee:  We had been camping and had spent the entire time fighting
    off these bugs.  They looked like bees (fuzzy and about the same shape
    as a bee) except the were black and white rather than black and yellow.
    The didn't sting but they did bite.... our friend bagan to call them
    Meat Bees.  A few days after we returned from our trip, we stopped at a
    gas station where the attendant asked if we wanted a kitten....A cute
    little fuzzy black and white with one heck of a bite!!!  Meat Bee fit
    puuuurrfectly.  She gets called all kinds of other things of course- 
    including Bee, Meatsa-meatsa, Aunt Bee and when she's really bad
    MEAThead!

    
    Cattyshack's Bailey's Scotch Kiss - The Bales was named after scotch
    kiss candy that was made around Christmas time at The House of John L.
    Bailey in Fitchburg. I remember pulling the candy apart and seeing 
    the carmel color with streaks of white in it. 
    
    Compri's Callandre of Calyx - I decided (after jo's suggestion) to name 
    my cattery "Calyx" after the perfume that I where.  "Calyx" is also
    a part of a plant. Plant-fragrance, frangrance-perfume, perfume-french
    (for the cattery that she came from), name beginning with a "hard C". 
    I ended up with Callandre only to find out that I had one to many "l's"
    in it. I don't think I have EVER called her that so I figured what the
    heck. Calzone seems to be the most fitting.  I won't get into that
    one... ;')
    
    

    Shiro - Named after the nephew of Samurai Cat( A series of books that
    spoof many of the common fantasy and Science Fiction themes).  Got him
    at Angel Memorial in Boston.  He's a grey tiger, most people think he's
    got a strong line of Maine Coon in him.  I saw him in the cage and put
    a finger in to give him a scratch.  Shiro immediately started gnawing
    on my finger.  So I thought the name was a good match.  Shiro in the
    books is into fighting and heavy weapons.  He also happens to be a grey
    tiger kitten.  He's gotten very big, wrestling is really a challenge
    with this guy.
    
    	Dave

    Kiana--knew a beautiful Samoyed with that name, I loved the name and
    	   dog.  We've had three cats named Kiana since then.
    Tiger--He's an orange tiger, but his personality is definitely that of
    	   scaredy cat.
    Shadow-He's mostly black, and if he's lying in a shadow, all you see 
           of him is eyes.

    Zeno came with his name when we got him as a 1 year old.
    
    Pearl comes from a long line of "name alikes".
    Her mom was Minnie Mae, G-mom was Minnie Pearl, niece (from Pearl's sis
    O'Keefe) is Minnie Minnie Mae......
    
    shannon
    

I have a happy dozen,  5 of whom came with names that we liked
and didn't change:  Maxwell, Jaspar, Spider, Stripe and Jennifur.

The remainder we named:
6.  Curious George -- This is the name of a monkey in a popular 
children's book, and my 18-lb, pure-white-with-blue eyes cat 
was constantly getting into mischief as a result of exploring 
some new unknown corner of the house (even managed to get under 
the floor and crawl around once).  Even now he CANNOT stand the 
sight of a closed door, he MUST know what's on the other side.

7.  Boss Tweed -- this cat was found abandoned in a South Bronx
junkyard at the tender age of approx. 2 days and was hand-
raised by my parents' neighbors.  He is your basic tiger, but 
the tips of his fur are coated in gold ("ticked"?) which gives 
him a basic "tweed" look.  And being from New York, and definitely 
THE BOSS, Boss Tweed is wonderfully apt.  

8.  Pipsqueak -- she is the smallest (only about 8 lbs.) and
about the only noise she makes is a very tiny squeak when she is
demanding her dinner.  She is very dainty and kittenish, most
people don't believe she's a mature lady.

9.  Punkin Head -- a lovely orange tabby with a head as big as a
pumpkin, at least compared to his lean body.

10. Bailey -- he's a "cream", just about the color of the delicious
liqueur.

11. Scooter -- a "van" (all white with a striped tail and two patches 
of tabby on his head), he just seems to scoot around under your feet.
This cat has no other speed, definitely the clown of the group.

12. Prince Rudolph -- lean and elegant build, a real aristocrat; his
foster mom said he reminded her of a reindeer, so we thought of 
Santa's buddy but had to give him a title that fit that aristocratic 
appearance.


Jan  who_sometimes_calls_them_the_wrong_names_but_really_knows_better

Klaus		came named as Klaus Von Bulow De Lorean, after my brother
		in law's heros.  Alias Meister, and Mouse.

Katrina		to go with Klaus.

Phantom		also Baggy.  He's very quiet and slips around unnoticed.
		My sister in law thought we had two cats, one called
		Phantom and one called Baggy.  Recently he jumps into
		her lap, and she says, "Now is this Phantom or Baggy?"

Nutmeg		Calico with a very flecked pattern, so she looks like a
		bowl of spices.  

Coconut		She just plain acts bonkers.

Georgina	Was George before she had kittens...she was a stray so
		scrawny we didn't know she was pregnant at first.

Bailey		Just always wanted one named Bailey.

Bosco		White & Black, looks like a glob of chocolate syrup on
		top of a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

bill

    Most of our local breeder friends use various themes for naming kittens
    that they are planning to show.  For example, car names, candy bars,
    etc.  Ourselves, we have been using theatre terms/phrases for our
    Persians, and I decided on stage plays/musicals for my Burmese.
    
    	Curtain Call, aka C.C.
    	Stand In, aka Stan
    	Center Stage, aka Cenny
    	Star Attraction, aka Starbaby
    	Critiques Choice, aka Crittykat
    	Opening Act, aka Opie
    	The Majestic, aka Jester
    	Act One, aka Actor
    	Summer Stock, aka Summer
    	Song and Dance, aka Danceman
    	Applause, aka Pause
    	Backstage, aka Becky
    	Chess, the first Purrquett Burmese
    	
    We did get off the theme once when we had two calicos in a litter, we
    called them Frick'n (&) Frack.  Our first show kitten of our own
    breeding was named Glimmer 'O Hope, becuase that was what we felt he
    was to our breeding program.  My first Burm was named Nukomer
    (pronounced 'nu kum er'), aka Nuko, since she was the first Burmese in
    a Persian household.
    
    
    Bob  
    

    
    We name our cats after towns in Surrey, England.
    
    Current cat:  Dorking
    Future (replacement of additive cat):   Farnham
    
    

    We have two cats; a large male tiger named Tiger and a
    petite female named Rousette.
    
    Both cats have adopted us.  They come from homes on our 
    street but have been given the boot by other animals in 
    their home.
    
    Rousette's real owners are from France.  We knew her name
    from day 1.  Her knicknames are all variations of her full
    name; Set, Roux, Rooster...
    
    Tiger was the neighborhood bully.  We didn't know who he 
    belonged to for two years after we started to feed him.
    We called him "The Big Faced Cat".  We now know his real name,
    but Mr. Big, Face, Face Cat, Biggie... all fit him better
    than Tiger.   Oh yeah, he's FeLV +.  He's beat back the 
    resperatory infections 2 times.  I hope the warmer Spring
    weather will stop him from getting sick.
    
    Gary
    

    Here I go, replying to my own notes again...  .46
    
    I said Mr. Big was FeLV +.
    
    Wrong!
    
    He's FIV +.  Poor thing  :-(
    
    Gary

    Let's see, my first cat Harry started out as "Harrass". He'd harrass
    you for dinner, to go out, to come in, for breakfast, cleaning the box,
    going for a ride (he was my truck kitty). He just liked to talk and
    would answer you back. I ended up shortening his name to Harry. He was
    a great cat.
    
    Then Hobo got his name because he was hanging around a friend of mine's
    apt. like a little hobo off the streets. He turned into a beautiful
    farm cat. Because his tail was broken close to his rump and he had
    minor damage to the colon, he could poop, pee and walk all at the same
    time without knowing it. I had to learn to express his bladder and
    basically had to confine him to one room. I wanted him to have a happy
    life so he went to a good home/farm with 2 boys, horses, & dogs. He's
    loved alot and well taken care of.
    
    Salem was my little terror. He was all black except for one white
    whisker and a little white stripe on his belly. He was madd my paper 
    shredder. I was acting in the play "The Crucible" (it's about the
    Salem, MA witch trials) and Salem seemed like a fitting name.
    
    Of my current two, Escoh and Brandy, Brandy came with the name. He's an
    adopted abuse case. And Escoh (Esss-koh) was a feral kitten I found in
    Escoheag, RI. I was on vacation camping with my horse when I caught
    her. And she was so small and had so much fluff I couldn't tell if she
    was male or female. She became known as the Escoheag kitty and
    eventually got shortened to Escoh.
    
    Roslyn   

    I live in Carlisle, MA., hence my 2-year old was named "Kitty Carlisle"
    (after the celebrated "To Tell the Truth" panelist), however, she is
    called Carly for short.

    We adopted a stray that used to be just bones.  He had white fir.  I
    know it sounds dumb, but I named him Winter.  And our black abandoned
    cat (hiss hiss) is Blacky.  (I'm real original)   Should have named
    blacky Hissy.  He gives me love hisses all the time.  A growl means
    Back Off!
    
    Anyhoo, our new stray tom cat is scarred out of his mind.  I named him
    Buttons.  Now that I think of it I should have named him Casper (the
    ghost)
    
    
    dh

    When Misty was given to us, she had the name of Kiki.  We didn't care
    for it, and came up with Misty, which suited her beautiful blue and
    cream tortie fur.  She must have approved, because she learned her name
    quickly and always (almost) comes when I call her.  I also call her
    Misty-poo and Mystical.
    
    Lizette was born during the L year for Birmans.  Bob picked the name. 
    We have several paintings by an artist named Lisette, and we liked the
    name, just changed the spelling a little.
    
    Misha was born during the M year for Birmans.  I had the name ready
    even before his birth.  My favorite dancer is Barysnikov, nickname
    Misha.  My Mish lives up to his name with wonderful high jumps and
    leaps.
    
    Marnie's official name is Klasicat's Ears 2 U Grand Marnier.  Bob came
    up with that one, since Marnie is the color of the liquor.  We also
    call him our little redhead. 
    
    Steffi

    We have two cats.  
    
    One is an 8-month old female named Tallin.  She was originally dropped
    off with her litter mates at a shelter in Upton called Dog Orphans.
    The first night we got her, she was hiding under the bed.  We were
    trying to coax her out and she showed us her claws.  My husband 
    suggested we call her, Talon.  But I changed the spelling to Tallin.
    She is also called T and Tailon as nicknames.
    
    We have had the other cat for a couple of weeks.  We adopted this kitty
    who is moving to California and cannot take him with her.   His name 
    was Buckwheat, but we really did not care for that so we changed his
    name to Lucky Buck because I do not want to think what would have 
    happened to him if we did not adopt him.  Unfortunately, he is having a 
    tough adjustment time.  He is still in hiding.  He is about a year old.
    
    That is all mine for now.
    
     Donna

    Re. 52
    
    I swear that I cannot type early in the morning.  My friend is 
    moving to California not the kitty.

    My newest addition needs to be given a 'brief' intro!
    
    Robbie - Robbie is a 4-1/2 month old Korat. His real name is
             "Dagneau's Throb Bleu". His owner (before we bought him)
             wanted to have part of his daddy's name in it. Robbie's
    	     dad's name is "Jaltari's Heart Throb of Skookumchuck".
             Thus, the "Throb Bleu" -- bleu (french spelling of blue)
             because the Korat is the 'blue' (grey) color, and the
             spelling in french because the original owner is
             French Canadian!
    
    And without re-introducing the other 4 cats (which I placed in an
    earlier reply), I'll just give their names -- Charlie, Shanti, Gracie
    and P.A.
    
    Cheryl

    Boots--he came with the house when I bought it, the previous owners
    daughters named him.
    
    Patterson--I adopted him from a family with too many animals, sounds
    familiar somehow, he was already named also.
    
    Yoda--When he was a tiny kitten he looked just like Yoda from Return of
    the Jedi.
    
    Sweetie Pie--She's just soooo cute.....
    
    Miss Priss--She always has this look on her face like she smells
    something bad.
    
    Mr. Thomas--We named him after our dentist, I don't know why, it just
    fit....
    
    Shadow--She's solid black with yellow eyes.
    
    Smokie--She's got long grey and silver stripped fur, and the most
    gorgeous green eyes.
    
    Momaki--Cause she was pregnant for two years before I could finally get
    my hands on her and get her little butt fixed.
    
    Minki--As in "Do you have a license for your Minki?"  In Peter Sellers
    bad french accent.  As a kitten she climbed EVERYTHING, upsidedown.
    
    Burt--There were two identical kittens, Burt and Ernie, we gave Ernie
    away.
    
    Curly--His tail ends in a complete curly cue.
    
    Fluff-a-nutter--She has long fluffy fur and looks like a Maine Coon.
    And she likes the name fluff-a-nutter, when we just called her fluffy
    she'd ignore us, but now that we call her fluff-a-nutter she comes
    running.
    
    Kahn--As in the wrath of....  He's solid black with yellow eyes and is
    eighteen lbs of fur with an attitude.
    
    Candy

    
    Ebony - because she is a black ball of fluff
    
    Boo Boo Kitty - well, the first name was Yoda because he had HUGE ears.
    		    But then as he grew he became long and slim, and I
    		    dunno, he just reminded me of Shirley's (of Laverne and
    		    Shirley) black stuffed kitty she called Boo Boo Kitty.
    
    - Lauri

Bumble Bea:

She is a gray tiger and when we brought her home she was so-o-o
tiny she only had three or four very distinctive stripes. She only
had to run across the kitchen floor once with her little tail
sticking straight out for me to figure out what her name was.

When she was little, depending on her mood my husband would call
her:

         flibbety gibbet
         fluffy muffin
         the terrorist  (*I* never had a problem)

Now depending on her mood she's:

         fluffy girl
         Ms. Silly



                                     Susan

p.s. My third or fourth response today. Slow day eh, what?

>    Yoda--When he was a tiny kitten he looked just like Yoda from Return of
>    the Jedi.
 
	Ditto, the problem is that now he has grown into his ears, the name
	just doesn't quite fit, and however many times I try to explain his
	name to my elderly neighbours, they just don't get it. They call him 
	Yodel - well he is a talker!

	And I started to call my large hairy dull ginger who lays around all
	day, Chewy - as in Chewbakka(sp?) 
	as I liked the comment to him - "hay, you hairy walking carpet"
	But this was even more difficult, so I renamed him Cider in a couple
	of weeks - after the colour of the drink - and after he licked some up 
	after I spilt some, and he kept falling of the settee when he jumped up!

	Heather

    My kitty now has a new and improved name.  He just needed something a
    little more dignified and honorable since he never even loosens the tie
    of his tuxedo.
    
    So .... As Lasher kneels before me looking quite dapper and proper, I
    dub him:
    
    
    			Sir Lasher Purrsalot
    
    (dignified clapping and "hurrah"s in the background)

rather..hip hip and all that.

    
    I was sitting at a friends house this weekend and the words " I am
    going to keep Blue Girl" fell out.  I looked to the left and saw a
    book on baby names that Linda had purchased 10 years ago (I think that
    it is actually entitled "New Age Baby Names").  I picked it up and
    started looking through it and came across the name KISA.  It is a
    Russian word of endearment meaning "kitten" (like father knows best,
    tee-hee) or "pussycat".  It clicked, I love it and she answers to it!
    
    

    I love it too, Marlene!  It is beautiful!!
    
    -Roe
    

    
    (Moved here from a spurious new note I generated out of ignorance.
    Cheryl, if you delete your reply to 513. we can trash the whole note.) 
    
    In my first batch of 5, there were three from one litter, named Sydney,
    Rodney, and Puny.  Obviously, the -n(e)y connection was designed around
    their littermateness.  Sydney and Rodney were the males, and Puny was
    the (female) runt of the litter.  Puny was named for her size; Sydney
    and Rodney both looked almost identical as kittens (grey with white bibs
    and feet) except for their eyes.  Sydney's eyes were hazel, and Rodney's
    eyes were gold, so Rodney with the gold eyes got named Rodney as in
    goldenrod.  The other two cats were named Boris, a black male with white
    markings, just because Boris seemed like a neat name, and Leroy, a
    neurotic Siamese whom I inherited (with his name) from one of my
    roomates, who named him Leroy because it seemed nicely incongruous
    for a Siamese.
    
    Monkey and Wabbit got named that way because as kittens Wabbit was
    always jumping and Monkey was always climbing.  They too were
    littermates, brown tabbies, and Monkey was the smaller of the pair,
    so they soon got nicknamed "Little Brown" (like the publisher) and
    "Big Brown" (by extension).  Merlin got named after the famous
    magician of the Arthurian legends because he "replaced" my Afghan hound
    "Gandalf Greyhame of Wilcrofts", named after the famous magician (well,
    wizard actually) Gandalf the Grey from Tolkien's "Hobbit" and "Lord of
    the Rings", named so for his color and shaggy mane.  Merlin's nicknames
    have evolved over the past 18 years through "Grey Man", "Mr. Fellah"
    and lately "Mr. Tat", for no apparent reason, apart from the obvious
    "Grey Man".
    
    So, sometimes there a silly rationale to the name, sometimes there's
    none, and too often I succumb to the temptation to be cute, just
    because these little furry critters are so preciously cute themselves.
    
    I've always wanted to name an impressive male kitten "Captain Wow" after
    the feline hero of one of my favorite science fiction stories.
    
    len.
    

    Not sure what the intent of this note is, but if it is to share the
    names you give cats, here goes:
    
    Lady Elizabeth--Duchess of Pepper, has a temper on her like a firebrand
    
    Guido Tiggerini, Mafia soldier/God Father--love me or I'll take your
      face off
    
    Christopher Robin, sweet and childlike in his trust and joy of living
    
    Charles/Chuck, Solid and dependable--will always do his duty
    
    Casper the friendly ghost, a stray (we think) pale gray fur and moves 
      swiftly and silently--you have to sit up for hours to catch sight of
      him
    
    Miss Fea or Miss Flea, for Fea Fi Fo Fum I smell the blood of a.......
      and Flea because she was the smallest cat I have ever had
    
    Miss Catherine Moffet, looked like a Victorian Boston (lace curtain) Irish
      spinster with bustle and pantaloons and mittens, very prim and proper
    
    
    plus many, many more.

Hello, I am new in this notesfile, and new also in the kitten management.

I have just got a little female cat (2 months old ?). Her name : Athena
because I am involved in presales with DECathena services. 

Her other name is Mytee, because DECathena comes from the Athena Project
coming itself from M.I.T. ("M" the first letter as "aime" which in french 
means "love"). 

But, in fact, our kitten answers to "Minou, minou, minou" which is the usual
way, in France to speak to a cat.

    
        
      Hello, I have only written once or twice in notes myself.
     We have two cats the first is a purebred red persian.We have
     had him for a little over three years now.His name is Punkin.
     Everyone at home wanted to name him Gizmo and such as he looks
     like one with his pushed in face..I just held him in my arms and
    Punkin came out..That was it for him.
     Our second little fellow is a Himmie..He is silver fox colors.
    He is quite handsome.His name is Bugsy as when we got him he was
    infested with fleas.I gave him two flea baths and sat out combing him
    with a fine tooth comb for over two hours before I would bring him
    near my Punkin.They are both the best babies. They get along very good
    too.
      My Punkin amazes me as Bugsy has gotten sick twice since we got him.
    One of the times he stayed at the hospital for three days.My Punkin
    is like a mother hen when Bugsy gets ill. He runs a temp and Punkin 
    will lick him and hover over him that is when we can tell something is
    wrong with him..
      I guess I got a little sidetracked but that is where their names came
     from.
      Aren't cats just the greatest pets !!!
    
         A cat lover at heart forever
    
                 Judy 

    This is only my second time writing to notes, too.  I have had many
    cats over the years and named them to fit their personalities, size,
    etc.  Some that come to mind are "Fleaby" because she was flea ridden
    when I first got her, had a bad eye where one of her littermates had
    scratched her and had an upper respiratory infection.  She turned out
    to be a beautiful yellow tiger, part persian and was the smartest kitty
    I ever knew.
    
    Then there was "Sheridan", named after Sheridan Whiteside in the play
    "The Man Who Came to Dinner" because he kept  coming in my kitty door
    and wolfing down my cats' food.  He was a very big dark grey tiger that
    I eventually talked into staying with us.  He was very loveable, which
    was a good thing, because he was very strong and could have slashed you
    to ribbons if he so desired.
    
    "Cricket" got named because she was so tiny, but as she grew, she
    became very big because she was so lazy she even used to lie down to
    eat!!
    
    Then there was "Daffy" because she was.  I had her for 21 years and had
    to have her put down when she became blind and began having seizures.
    
    My only cat now is "Tigger" so name because he bounces around like his
    namesake in the "Winnie The Pooh" stories.
    
    Marilyn