Cat names - the right name for your cat

Which cat name is right for your cat?

You have a cat, but it doesn’t have a suitable cat name yet? Apart from that, she is not only your cat, she is something very special? “Cat” or “Kitty” is not good enough for you – of course she should not get a name like many other cats, but one that suits her well and expresses who and how she is?
– Then you’ve come to the right place!

What are the cat names?

There are an infinite number of cat names: What a jumble!
But there is also everything – from homely or dignified to weird and bizarre. You go on a search, at first you rummage courageously through it, but at some point you are totally exhausted and frustrated – so many cat names….

But somehow none of them really fits?

So let’s take a targeted approach and systematically narrow down the choices:

Popular cat names 2021

Lights out, spot on! – Here they are, the most popular cat names of 2020:

And for the tomcat

• Felix
• Leo
• Simba
• Paul
• Garfield
• Louie
• Louis
• Baloo
• Filou
• Tiger
• Jerry

Source: BILD der FRAU (2021): “These are the 10 most popular cat names for 2021”, online at
https://www.bildderfrau.de/familie-leben/haustiere/article232177221/Das-sind-die-10-beliebtesten-Katzennamen-2021.html, accessed on 18.06.2021

Cute Cat Names

Do you want a cute cat name? How about an adorable name for your cat, for example

• Da Vinci
• Elmo
• Gulliver
• Joey
• Kosmo
• Nemo
• O´Malley
• Simba
• Vivaldi
• Zeus                

for a male

Source: wunderweib.de (2020): Katzenwissen, „Die 100 süßesten Katzennamen: Schöne Namen für deine Katze“, online at https://www.wunderweib.de/die-100-suessesten-katzennamen-schoene-namen-fuer-deine-katze-111482.html , accessed on 15.11.2020

Unusual cat names

Is your cat unique so a “common name” out of the question? Do you want her to have an unusual cat name?

and for the tomcat

• Aladdin
• Berlioz
• Cicero
• Desperado
• El Nino
• Elmo
• Gigolo
• Humboldt
• Odin
• Yoshi

Source: Abenteuer Katze (2020): „Ausgefallene Katzennamen Update 20.10.2020“, online at https://abenteuer-katze.de/ausgefallene-katzennamen//,accessed on 15.11.2020

Funny cat names

Is your cat a little clown? She always makes you laugh and therefore needs a cat name that fits her mischievous nature?

• Big Mac
• Poison dwarf
• Herbert
• Mr Schröder
• Manfred
• Motte
• Semmel
• Sleepyhead
• Schnitzel
• Urmel                         

for tomcat

Source: Haustier.net (2020): “Katzennamen”, online at https://www.haustier.net/katzennamen/#lustige-katzennamen, accessed on 15.11.2020

Cat names by gender

The neighbour’s cat was called “Mohrle” all its life. Until the vet found out that it was a male animal. The owner, an elderly lady, gave the cat the name without any racial background or anatomical knowledge; simply because the alleged female was the only furry cat in the litter that was coal black from head to toe and black kitty cats have always been called that in the family. Whether the tomcat resented her naming is unfortunately not known. If you want to do it right, you’d better know beforehand who you’re dealing with: HIM or HER?

Cat names female

What would be a neat name for a charming cat girl? Cat names that are popularly chosen for female cats are

Source: WelcherName (2011-2020): “Katzennamen”, online at https://www.welchername.de/katzen/katzennamen/#katzennamen-weiblich, accessed on 20.11.2020

Cat names male

You have a male cat at home and are looking for a really pithy cat name for male kitties?

Source: WelcherName (2011-2020): “Katzennamen”, online at https://www.welchername.de/katzen/katzennamen/#katernamen, accessed on 20.11.2020

How do cats listen to their name

In the animal kingdom, cat hearing is among the best; it is so well developed that they can hear even the slightest whimper of a mouse.

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Even when cats dream, they hear! This is essential for survival – because in the wild, they would be easy prey for their enemies while asleep:

Japanese researchers were able to prove experimentally that cats can also associate and understand human utterances. They could clearly distinguish their own name from other words. Especially when they realise from the tone of voice that there is most likely something pleasant coming towards them, they suddenly seem to grow wings…

The fact that they don’t always react to it immediately is because cats have a mind of their own: They decide when and how they perceive what this means to them, and it is not the person addressing them who determines this.

Their body language sometimes underlines this impressively: Your cat is sitting only one metre away from you and when you speak to it (provided it is not hard of hearing) it blinks at you, turns its head to the left or right – away from you – and tells you: “The cat you call, is temporarily not available. In other words: NO RECEPTION.

Which names do cats listen to best?

A cat’s name should be short and crisp. Double names are also too much of a good thing.
Cats like names that are two syllables long and have a bright vowel in them. Since cats hear super well, they can hear a bright vowel even if you are far away and you call them. A vowel is a vowel sound: a, e, i, o, u and umlauts like au, ei and ui are also considered vowels. Light vowels include e and i, dark vowels are a, o and u.

Here are a few examples for you:

• Charly
• Cherry
• Corky
• Eddi
• Foxi
• Fleurie
• Gipsy
• Jerry
• Jimmy
• Kiki
• Lucky
• Marty
• Minka
• Minki
• Minou
• Muschi
• Mieze
• Miezi
• Maxi
• Mimmi
• Nicki
• Pinky
• Pussi
• Rocky
• Shiva
• Sissi
• Smarty
• Sunny
• Tapsy
• Tricky
• Trixie
• Ulli
• Weeny
• Woody

Teaching a cat names – this is how!

Your cat may have a good ear, but if you keep giving it new names, it will hardly have a chance to memorise them in the long run. Once you have decided on a name, you should stick with it; associate the name with pleasant experiences: Playing, petting and feeding.

You can also read about how to train your cat to do certain things in our article on cat training.

Cats learn quickly. Are you tempted by a special treat or an extensive cat massage? Then your cat will come to you in no time!