Hi all, I got two 8 week old kittens from the animal shelter.
I haven't come up with names yet though.
You guys want to help ?
The white one is a female, the black one a male.
Such lovely kitties!
TS Eliot gives these instructions on the naming of cats -
The Naming Of Cats
The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey--
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter--
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover--
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-naming-of-cats/
I would suggest along the same lines.
As the cats' (or any pet's) "official names", choose some common names that are easy to remember, easy to spell (consider that when you take them to the veterinary, the cat's record contains the cat's name and the people there usually don't have the time or attention to spell fancy names). Such as "Jack", "Daisy", "Billy", "Vicky" ... This will be the names the cats will keep their whole lives, you will call them by those names in all "official settings", when talking about the cats to other people, or otherwise when the situation may demand it. Don't stress too much about these names.
Then you also give each cat one or more second names. A second name is a name that you will change from time to time, and one that specifically reflects how dear they are to you and a name that you use only when intimate with the cats; names that are not for everyone's ears - just for your cats and you. Such names may be "Sunshine", "Peaches", "Sweetness" - but it really depends on the relationship and the situation you have with your pets.
Best wishes to you and the cats!
