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Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Baby names

Would you give your child the same name as a close relative's cat?

36 replies

GwendolineMaryLacey · 22/08/2011 12:13

And if you were said close relative would you go when the name was announced?

Just interested and the name is just an option but if I really liked it, I'd use it, cat or not :o

OP posts:

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SenoritaViva · 22/08/2011 12:16

Probably not, although SIL called her child the same name as her mother's dog! They changed the dog's name (e.g. if the dog had been called Harry they changed the name to Barry). It always makes us laugh and worth teasing her DD who is now 13 about....

BreastmilkDoesAFabLatte · 22/08/2011 12:42

As long as the cat isn't called Felix, I might...

chandellina · 22/08/2011 18:57

Sure, why not. I'm thinking of naming daughter the same as a good friend's dog. (who I named about 12 years ago!) And my brother's family gave their dog the same name as my son. It's not a big deal imo.

InstantAtom · 22/08/2011 21:07

Yes, unless it's Kitty which is a generic cat's nickname.

PorkChopSter · 22/08/2011 21:21

I gave DC3 the same name as my childhood pet. In tribute, like.

Except my dad forgot that cat died 15 years earlier. So he took me aside to point out that it might be a bit confusing for our current cat to be called the same as the baby, who would they know who we were talking too. So I pointed out that the cat was dead, and he actually looked at it to check it was breathing before I pointed out it was a different cat

GwendolineMaryLacey · 22/08/2011 21:46

:o Hmm, so opinion is split...

The name is Lucy btw. Not a particular catty name but nonetheless, the cat was there first!

OP posts:

SenoritaViva · 22/08/2011 21:52

Oh Lucy, heavens no problem then. How close is the relative? Can they change the name to Juicy for the cat?! (aka MiL's Jess to Tess?!) Or wouldn't they be willing?

musttidyupmusttidyup · 22/08/2011 21:54

DD has same name as DBs cat which luckily unfortunately died before DD came along. SIL still says it's a cat's name.

InstantAtom · 22/08/2011 21:56

Lucy is a gorgeous name :)

PotPourri · 22/08/2011 21:57

Lucy is a child's name. No way is it a cat's name. Use it for your child if you want. So weird to call your cat a girls name....!

exoticfruits · 22/08/2011 22:12

Lucy is a lovely name-I would use it.

I have a friend who always calls her cats by proper names and it suits them. At the moment she has Lydia and Hermione.

lollystix · 22/08/2011 22:19

I took on 2 cats from cat protection league. Their names were Laura and Lucy. It just freaked me out as they are not proper names for cats. Felt like a fanny calling them that so they were quickly renamed Fatty and Skinny.

exoticfruits · 23/08/2011 09:02

I didn't know that you had to have 'proper names' for cats. If I got one I would call it Elsie or Hilda.

Catsmamma · 23/08/2011 09:05

my cats are called Oscar, Reuben and Faerie if that is of any help to someone looking to name babies

they have middle names also ;D truefact

monal · 23/08/2011 09:15

My little brother is named after my dad's childhood labrador so I say go for it.

Abcinthia · 23/08/2011 09:25

My sister was named after a cat.

MardyBra · 23/08/2011 09:26

I don't know but the thread title made me genuinely lol.

LaTristesse · 23/08/2011 14:55

PorkChopSter, I've nearly actually just peed myself a little bit reading that! Very funny...

My DH is named after his Mum's dog. Seems like it's acceptable, go for it!

wahwahwah · 23/08/2011 15:00

As long as the child is not going to be called Tiddles or Mittens...

GwendolineMaryLacey · 23/08/2011 15:19

OK, so the tide has turned today. I'll add it to the list of names that is getting us nowhere

OP posts:

KateBC · 23/08/2011 15:27

Catsmama - Rueban is on my list for DS2, and have a rabbit called Oscar

I like people names for pets, I had a cat called Eric before, and I named my parents cat Boris. MUch better than Mr Fluffy or Tiddles, imo

PorkChopSter · 23/08/2011 16:25

Ah, but Lucy is the name of my parents neighbour's unneutered mangy tomcat

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mathanxiety · 23/08/2011 17:04

I would definitely use Lucy. She will no doubt outlive the cat, and it's a people name after all so imho it should never have been used to name a cat.

The cats I know have names like Mookie, Moonpie, Murph and Cleopatra. Though my own (female) cat's mn is James -- christened by DS many years ago.

chandellina · 23/08/2011 21:35

Gwendoline - that's funny because the friend's dog name I was talking about using for my DD on the way is also Lucy! another good friend had a cat named Lucy too that was like a child to her but is now deceased. it's obviously a great name for humans and animals.

whizzyrocket · 24/08/2011 12:02

I'm considering Oscar even though I have had a cat with the same name before.

Lucy's fine, and at least it's a cat- my mother's nickname was Lucy as she grew up (proper name Louise) and she was quite offended when her parents used it on their dog.

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