Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Did you change your rescue cat's name?

74 replies

TheCategoryIs · 28/10/2021 19:37

Just wondering what everyone's stories are - we just kept the name the rescue gave our cat.

I've never had to name a child and don't know you cope with that responsibility so just seemed easier all round!

So I now have a cat apparently named after (psychopath kid) Bobby Beale from EastEnders (which I don't even watch).

OP posts:
Piggypiggyoinkoink · 28/10/2021 23:00

I didn’t. My mother did. I found out when my sister called and asked about The cat but called her something random. Then did it again. I said that wasn’t the cat’s name. She assured me it was, as mum said so 🙄
Mother “couldn’t remember” the name she came home under apparently.

Cat could not care less, the only thing she answers to is the opening of a food packet.

Snozzlemaid · 29/10/2021 00:05

Yes, our rescue cat was called Spider by her previous owners so we changed it as we really didn't like that name.

EOLQ · 29/10/2021 00:18

One we kept his name because we chose the name before we chose the cat and then he had that name so felt he was meant to be ours.

Other 2 I've adopted I've changed their names as they were crap names! The rescues get so many cats that you can't blame them really. But I didn't want 20 years of a cat called Titania!

Ladyrattles · 29/10/2021 00:21

Our rescue kitten was called Hera. We were tempted to keep the name but as she hadn't learnt it we changed it. If she had been older I would have kept her name the same or something very similar sounding. My middle daughter is currently at uni studying ancient history and says we should have kept the name Hera, but I'm glad we changed it to Olive. Shes 10 now :-)

princesspenny · 29/10/2021 00:27

We kept our cat's name but it is a cute name and it really suits her. We probably would have changed it if we didn't like it but she doesn't respond to her name anyway 😸

ozymandiusking · 29/10/2021 00:35

No, we didn't change his name. It suited him, and it was the only thing of his own, so we kept it.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 29/10/2021 00:36

I know we changed the names of our 4 month old rescue kittens. I can't remember their original names but I think they were rescue names.

EastWestWhosBest · 29/10/2021 00:39

My girl was named by the shelter and I don’t think she ever knew what it was. She knows her name now though.

Rainbowunicorn76 · 29/10/2021 01:10

We renamed our two kittens, they were only 14 weeks old so I kind of thought that was expected.
However when I went to collect them they sad "Here's Duke and Daisy" and I said "oh they'll be Sooty and Sweep now" just making conversation.
The lady didn't reply but looked really put out so I assume this was another foot in mouth moment for me? Hmm
My life's full of them.

JackyinaTracky · 29/10/2021 01:22

We renamed our rescue cat. She came to us with the same name as our much loved cat who had died 2 weeks previously. It took her a while to learn her new name but now she comes running when we call her.

RaisedByPangolins · 29/10/2021 01:33

Always changed the names of our cats. They never answer to any of them so why not?!

DriftingBlue · 29/10/2021 01:40

All our rescue cats have been kittens. Their names at the rescue are really just for marketing the cats. Most of the foster parents I have spoken with say they don’t even refer to them by name, but by collar color since they are trying to avoid a failed foster situation (aka keeping the cat themselves)

ChiefClerkDrumknott · 29/10/2021 02:02

I’ve had 4 rescue cats; changed the name of one completely, changed the pronunciation of one and kept the names of two. I also changed the name of one of the three horses I’ve had (the stable name, not the registered one)

GirlWithAGuitar · 29/10/2021 05:17

We’ve had a few rescue cats over the years, all sadly passed away now. We only changed the name of one of them as she didn’t seem to answer to it and we didn’t really like it. She got to know her new name very quickly and was a wonderful cat.

Newmum29 · 29/10/2021 05:37

Changes ours, they called her Paris, she was 2 so I don’t know if she’d had a different name before - they said they’d picked her up “on the streets”. We called her Hattie. She seems to like it.

ElftonWednesday · 29/10/2021 05:44

On the naming of cats:

allpoetry.com/the-naming-of-cats

MrsCatE · 29/10/2021 05:47

Yup. Both of them and they definitely recognised their new names.

Livebythecoast · 29/10/2021 06:06

Yes, we did because she had our daughters name and it would get confusing!

Did you change your rescue cat's name?
custardbear · 29/10/2021 06:22

We changed the spelling and meaning I.e. Sonny to Sunny. Or as we called him Sunny Sunshine Bear ... I LOVED that cat so much 💕

BigBumBessie · 29/10/2021 06:39

I adapted my cat's name as he was called Salem shudders

SunshineCake1 · 29/10/2021 06:39

Two we didn't, one we did.

SalsaLove · 29/10/2021 06:42

@SnottyLottie

I altered ours slightly

Think Jake > Jack, Dolly > Molly

It sounds similar enough for them to prick their ears up (they bloody well know I’m calling them they just choose to ignore me) whilst being more my style

That’s exactly what I did. It seemed like a ‘meet in the middle solution.’
SalsaLove · 29/10/2021 06:44

@Livebythecoast

Yes, we did because she had our daughters name and it would get confusing!
What a floof! Is it a trap or an invitation?
KatherineJaneway · 29/10/2021 06:45

Last cat I changed her name but she was only 4 months when I rescued her.

Livebythecoast · 29/10/2021 07:19

@SalsaLove - a trap! 'Tickle my tummy Mummy ' translated to 'touch my floof and I'll rip you to shreds' Grin