When I adopted my very first cat, Bascha, I spent a lot of time researching cat names, including what makes a cat name magical. These are the principles I used then and they have guided us with naming The Triplets today.
First, Get to Know Your Cat
Sometimes this happens very quickly. It’s almost like your intuition tells you “Hotspur” or “Miss Mittens.” This often happens to me when I meet Cats in the Hood. For example, I’m sure you can see why I named this guy “The Emperor.”
The Emperor
But cats can be subtle creatures and it may take a while for them to reveal themselves to you. Give yourself a chance to see them in different situations and moods. If you’ve just brought them home, give them a while to adjust. Their seemingly tentative nature may give way to something entirely different once they feel at home.
Trippingly off the Tongue
Make it a name that you enjoy saying, something that’s delicious to your mouth. This is where our personality is the magic ingredient. Some of us like sweet tiny bonbons while others enjoy savoury treats. Try saying “Piu-Piu” or “Salamander” or “Harvey”. Notice how different each feels? You’ll be saying this name a lot. Let it be soupcon of delight.
Jinx
Sweet Nothings
Choose a name that is rich in sounds that are easily discernible to your cat. With Bascha it was the “sh” sound. With Jinx, the “ks”. If you’re unsure, try the name a few times and watch for a hint of movement in the cat, especially in the ears. If you find they keep turning their ear towards you when you use the name, you’ve got a winner.
PS You can tune the names you’ve chosen for a cat’s ear and we naturally tend to do that by adding a bit of rhythm or a sing-song quality to how we say it. I can still hear how my sister Shannon would call out to her sweet Gobo. His name had a melody all its own.
Try It On for Size
Spend a day using the name. See how you feel about it and how your new-found friend likes it too. A name that feels good to both you & your cat will become a word of love magically bonding the two of you throughout your lifetime.
Re-Introducing the Triplets
We’ve been going through this process with the triplets. We knew it was time because their “names for now” were starting to stick. After much contemplation, conversation and experimentation, we have found names we just love for Big Brother, Little Sister and Grey.
Scout
Scout (aka Big Brother): This was the one name we all knew immediately was exactly right. He’s the explorer, the first to jump up and over and behind – but only if there are no people nearby. He’s also the most distant so far, the one who has the most to learn about being around us humans.
Escher
Escher (aka Grey): Escher is a gentle, contemplative cat. We thought the name of the Dutch artist whose meticulous works are thoughtful and mysterious and feature “velvety dark greys and blacks” would suit him just right.
Shibumi
Shibumi (aka Little Sister): This is a subtle Japanese word describing a of beauty and we just love the sound of it, especially the “boom” in the middle. I heard this word over a year ago and have been carrying it in my heart. One look at Little Sister and we knew it was hers.
Look how far we’ve come in just 5 days! From abandoned kittens hiding behind the refrigerator to actual physical contact! Grey even sat on my lap for quite some time grooming after all the food is gone. I think we’re making great progress!
Yesterday we noticed that Grey had quite a severe limp and, in fact, by the end of the day wasn’t putting his right paw down at all. The animal clinic advised us to keep his movement limited and give it 48 hours.
This morning, I was delighted to see him emerge from the kitty carrier and walk, albeit gingerly, on all fours. What a relief! Relief that lasted until I returned from popping out to the garden. He was so startled that he tried to jump up onto the counter and fell. He nipped into the cat carrier and didn’t move. For hours.
Just to be safe, I took advantage of the opportunity, slipped the door shut and took Grey to the vet. When we arrived, I was delighted to see “our” vet was working today. My heart just softened, remembering how she’d been there with my cat Jinx so often and with Shannon’s cat too, right at the end. It felt right to share the beginning of this new journey with her.
So I told the story of the abandonment and rescue, of the limp and of the fall. We put Grey on the ground so the vet could observe his gait and… he quickly scampered under the chair with no limp at all! Not a hint.
Perhaps he’d dislocated something and managed to pop it back in with the fall. Perhaps it was the adrenalin. Just to be sure, our vet examined him closely and carefully and though he squirmed, he settled.
Not only is Grey just fine but our vet seemed to believe that with his behaviour today we had every reason to be hopeful that he’ll soften up too.
Every weekday morning I invite you Behind the Scenes at my studio.
Today: I might as well admit it – it’s kitten week in the studio! So that means updates, pics and video! We have a worry – but also some major progress.
We’re just starting our fourth day with The Triplets and so far the signs are promising. Even this photo of them sprawled out and sleeping (can you see how Little Sister is holding Grey’s head? LOL!) tells a tale of settling in nicely. We’ve certainly moved past the dominant mood of “fear” and are now working to get through “wary.” All three cats now let us sit a little closer to them. We’ve managed to lightly touch Big Brother and Little Sister just for an instant and I’ve been able to sit beside Grey with my foot touching his side. On occasion each of the cats has actually moved in closer to us and Big Brother and Little Sister have both taken treats from our hand!
Big Brother is definitely warming up and often comes to sit near me. My heart just about bursts every time because he was the most afraid.
Grey continues to be the most gentle and reserved. We’re worried about him this morning because he has a very pronounced limp. We’re hoping he just got a little overzealous and tweaked a muscle. All the kitty parents out there are telling us that’s the likely cause. I’ll still call the vet this morning.
Yesterday I started calling Little Sister Little Miss Feisty. She loves to play and hunt and is full of personality. And when she sleeps – she is OUT! This morning when I entered the Kitten Zone, she was up on the piano looking out the window. When she saw me, she leaped down and came closer. And yesterday she jumped on a chair and curled up right beside Shannon’s legs! Progress!
I feel so amazed and blessed by this adventure. Last night I said to Justin, “Whatever happens, this is one of the most amazing experiences of my entire life.” I meant it.
Every weekday morning I invite you Behind the Scenes at my studio.
Today: The big news in the studio is that on Friday (after a BTS about leaping before looking, LOL), I came home with three abandoned cats. I’ll link to the full story below and today I’ll share with you early video footage of The Triplets.
