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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

This is definitely not my fault and NOT racist

60 replies

Yoohoo778611 · 12/05/2023 15:50

A few weeks ago I picked up an older cat from the local cattery.
He is completely black. He is 16 years old. Nearly blind.
His owner unfortunately passed away he was found left in the house.
She lived on her own. And only 68.
The cattery had his full history, age, name etc from family.

Now to the problem.
He was in our side garden when a lady walked past as I was shouting
to him. His name is BLACKIE.
She was calling me all sorts of names.

How can I change his name at his age.
I'm not sure he will last for years.

OP posts:
BooksAndHooks · 12/05/2023 15:51

Cats don’t recognise their name it’s the tone of voice so you can shout anything. Mine comes to the sound of the treat tin shaking so don’t have to call her.

AndTheSurveySays · 12/05/2023 15:52

Cats don’t recognise their name it’s the tone of voice so you can shout anything. Mine comes to the sound of the treat tin shaking so don’t have to call her

Mine have always known their name.

Sunnydayz · 12/05/2023 15:53

change it to Jackie

GoldenGorilla · 12/05/2023 15:54

We had a rescue cat once that had been named “Bastard”, so changed his name to “pasta” which he seemed to recognise fine. They can’t really understand human speech anyway it’s just the rhythm/pitch they’re responding to.

CoalCraft · 12/05/2023 15:54

Cat's definitely do answer to their names

That said if you changed it to something similar like Mackie he'd probably still respond.

Fairyliz · 12/05/2023 15:54

Sunnydayz · 12/05/2023 15:53

change it to Jackie

Genius!

Aquamarine1029 · 12/05/2023 15:55

Jackie or Mackie, problem solved.

NotTerfNorCis · 12/05/2023 15:55

Nothing wrong with the name. I once had a cat called Ginger.

drinkyourtea12 · 12/05/2023 15:56

Need a pic

Rhubarbandtoast · 12/05/2023 15:56

You could call him something like Clackie ?
Its tone of voice and syllables/ phonetics.

I agree it’s ridiculous you have to do this. It’s a cat for goodness sake.

Biscuitandacuppa · 12/05/2023 15:56

I have three cats and they all have 2 syllable names. If I accidentally use the wrong name when calling one of them I get a dirty look and ignored until I realise and say the right name! But I reckon you would get away with Jackie, Mackie, Lucky etc

Original poster
Yoohoo778611 · 12/05/2023 15:58

@Sunnydayz never thought of that.
I've only got him as at his age it's awful being in a cage.

OP posts:
Dustyourselfoff · 12/05/2023 15:59

Why were you shouting at him?

he barely knows you from Adam so hardly likely to obey you

Dustyourselfoff · 12/05/2023 16:00

Rather than shouting at him. An aged, blind and recently uprooted cat… walk down your garden to him!

SmellingSnow · 12/05/2023 16:03

Yoohoo778611 · 12/05/2023 15:58

@Sunnydayz never thought of that.
I've only got him as at his age it's awful being in a cage.

🤔 You never thought of changing the name to one that sounded similar/rhymed. Yeah right. These posts get more desperate.

LadyVictoriaSponge · 12/05/2023 16:03

I would just like to thank you OP for taking in an elderly, blind and no doubt grieving cat, such a lovely generous and kind thing to do Flowers. I hope Blackie/Mackie/Jackie settles in quickly in his new home.

Freeballing · 12/05/2023 16:05

When we got our rescue cat she had a Russian name that none of us could say properly. We changed it to a kind of similar English name. She is probably one of the dimest cats to ever walk the earth but even she caught on quickly.

Somuchgoo · 12/05/2023 16:06

The only cat I've had who definitely knows and responds to her name, is my blind cat. Bind from birth though so may be different, but her hearing is very perceptive. If keep it as it is tbh.

Justleaveitblankthen · 12/05/2023 16:07

Sunnydayz · 12/05/2023 15:53

change it to Jackie

Exactly what I was going to say.
I love Black cats. Glad that you found each other 😻

Turqky · 12/05/2023 16:09

Mine responds to her name which is Alice. She also responds to Ali, Alicia, Ali-poo, Moomoo and Minxy. And mummy’s little baby.

Original poster
Yoohoo778611 · 12/05/2023 16:12

This is our first cat. So we are learning to care for him.
Apart from going in the garden he sleeps a lot on my knee.
I've just called him Jackie and he did move his head in my direction.

@SmellingSnow *iss off.

OP posts:
kingtamponthefurred · 12/05/2023 16:18

That woman is very silly. It's fairly obvious why a black cat would be called Blackie. And what you call your own cat in your own garden is not her business.

SkippingTown · 12/05/2023 16:19

🤔 You never thought of changing the name to one that sounded similar/rhymed. Yeah right. These posts get more desperate.

This.

ilovesooty · 12/05/2023 16:20

AndTheSurveySays · 12/05/2023 15:52

Cats don’t recognise their name it’s the tone of voice so you can shout anything. Mine comes to the sound of the treat tin shaking so don’t have to call her

Mine have always known their name.

Mine does too.

Dustyourselfoff · 12/05/2023 16:20

I think the Op was hoping we would find it funny

we didn’t

rename
stop shouting at her

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