What to name a new (to me) kitty?

March 20, 2024 8:12 PM

He's a nine-year-old all black cat, very sleek and gorgeous. His foster is calling him Midnight but I favor cat names with more plosives so they can hear their names more easily...

I'm a bit picky so: nothing obvious like Midnight or Onyx, and no common cat names. My cat Jasper is the only cat I've ever had who wasn't named after a character in a book. I'm definitely open to first and last names, including of historical figures.

Right now I'm thinking of Rasputin. Or Oscar Wilde.

Cat tax: Here he is.

I know Mefites are very good at this!

posted by janey47 to Pets & Animals (30 answers total)

Our black cat was named Pitch and he was wonderful
posted by olopua at 8:16 PM on March 20 [8 favorites]

Capote
posted by phunniemee at 9:00 PM on March 20 [1 favorite]

Pluto
posted by capnsue at 9:02 PM on March 20 [1 favorite]

Metacomet
posted by Headfullofair at 9:07 PM on March 20 [4 favorites]

King
posted by shock muppet at 9:24 PM on March 20 [1 favorite]

I can't get the picture link to work, but I think "Liquorice" would be a good name for a black cat.
posted by aubilenon at 9:36 PM on March 20 [4 favorites]

My parents have a black cat name Licorice. I call him Licky or L’il Lick Lick. However, I wished they had named him “Toothless” from How to Train Your Dragon.
posted by Sassyfras at 9:40 PM on March 20 [4 favorites]

Darth Vader

Sabbath
posted by vunder at 9:43 PM on March 20 [2 favorites]

Grendel. Horus. oblivion, Obli for short.
posted by vrakatar at 9:55 PM on March 20 [1 favorite]

Vanta
One of my partner's coworkers has a black cat called Jinx.
posted by Lycaste at 9:59 PM on March 20 [5 favorites]

Eclipse
Gibb
Moondoggy
oooh, Darth is good
posted by theora55 at 10:00 PM on March 20 [1 favorite]

Puck
posted by sugarbomb at 10:38 PM on March 20 [1 favorite]

I favor cat names with more plosives so they can hear their names more easily...
Pop - or maybe Potemkin.
posted by rongorongo at 10:40 PM on March 20 [3 favorites]

Fuligin, Fool for everyday.

(With fricatives, which I think cats hear as well as anything they care to.)
posted by away for regrooving at 11:27 PM on March 20 [2 favorites]

Pyewacket... The cat from Bell,Book and Candle.
posted by Czjewel at 12:47 AM on March 21 [2 favorites]

The thought that came to me before I even clicked in was Oscar.

So I think that's a vote for Oscar Wilde.

Or Oscar Wild.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 1:50 AM on March 21 [3 favorites]

Psychopomp
Peppermill
Spaceport
Bosco
posted by miles per flower at 3:00 AM on March 21 [2 favorites]

Jack Black
posted by Lesium at 3:09 AM on March 21 [4 favorites]

Abyssal
Penumbra
Nero di Seppia (squid ink pasta)
posted by miles per flower at 3:16 AM on March 21 [2 favorites]

Peregrine
Mishkie
Tsochke
Kipper
Plosive
posted by sciencegeek at 4:07 AM on March 21 [3 favorites]

I see the names you’re thinking of are late 19th/early 20th century ones. How about

Sherlock
Gatsby
Albert
Edward / Bertie
Tchaikovsky
posted by eirias at 4:15 AM on March 21 [1 favorite]

Inkspot
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 5:33 AM on March 21 [3 favorites]

Franklin
posted by MexicanYenta at 11:26 AM on March 21

Gatsby

Not Catsby?
posted by aubilenon at 11:53 AM on March 21 [3 favorites]

I have a bit of dark humor and interests, and I had a black cat show up whom I named "Mori", as in "Memento Mori" or "Remember Death".

Had other black cats named "Inky" and "Harley" and my current one is "Bear" but he came with that name, lol.
posted by annieb at 1:38 PM on March 21

The Void
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 3:04 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]

Tycho
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:07 PM on March 21

Would honoring an author work? Because Sir Pterry Pratchett (RIP) is available.
Greebo is natural, The Luggage somewhat ambitious. The Death of Rats may seem on-point, but confusing to Pratchett readers.
Mort and Death may be a bit hard to live up to.
Other options --
Commander Sir Samuel Vimes, 1st Duke of Ankh
Lord Havelock Vetinari, Lord Patrician of Ankh-Morpork
Carrot Ironfoundersson, Captain of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch
Munstrum Ridcully, Archchancellor of Unseen University
Rob Anybody, a Nac Mac Feegle of the Chalk Hill Clan
posted by TrishaU at 8:29 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]

That's a Sebastian!
posted by h00py at 2:24 AM on March 23

Response by poster: It took forever because he was hiding under the bed, but he told me his name is Loretta. Thank you all!
posted by janey47 at 12:29 PM on April 22 [2 favorites]