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

Original poster

Cat with no name....

32 replies

vipersnest1 · 13/04/2023 20:53

As per requirements, I've attached a picture.
This boy was taken in as a stray, in-neutered Tom by DC1.
They couldn't keep him permanently as they already have cats, but did get him neutered and brought him to me.
I'm keeping him in (as long as possible) and have given him a name which I'm using a lot, but am worried that he still won't know his name when he's ready to go outside. Any advice?
TIA.

Cat with no name....
OP posts:
AmandaHoldensLips · 13/04/2023 20:55

Detective Inspector Boots.
Those windows don't look out of themselves you know.

FionnulaTheCooler · 13/04/2023 20:57

It won't matter if he knows his name, no cat comes when you call it in. He'll come in when he's good and ready 😁.

Neverknowinglysensible · 13/04/2023 20:58

What a lovely cat!
mine don’t answer to their names but do answer to a banged food bowl. Before they went out, I spent a few days gently banging the food bowl with a fork before feeding. They VERY quickly got to know the sound!

Beamur · 13/04/2023 21:06

Food is your friend here. Rattle biscuits or Dreamies. I don't tend to use their names - I just shout 'kitties' and rattle Dreamies. DH has a special squeaky whistle that they find irresistible. A bit like when you can whistle with a blade of grass?.

Flipflops123 · 13/04/2023 21:36

Crookshanks

Ravenclaw

Griffenpaw

Harry Pawter

Dobby

Steve

PuttingOnTheKitsch · 13/04/2023 22:24

Oh my gosh! Those boots!

I agree with what everyone else has said about having a sound associated with feeding time.

MagicKittens · 13/04/2023 22:25

Mr Darcy

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 13/04/2023 22:30

He’s so gorgeous, you can tell he’s got character

tailinthejam · 13/04/2023 22:39

He looks like my cat's identical twin brother.

I'd stop bothering to get him to recognise his own name - and he looks like a Sam to me. Just teach him to come for Dreamies. That'll do the trick.

Original poster
vipersnest1 · 13/04/2023 22:40

He's called Ronnie (DC1 had named him Donny - after some singer or other, but I'm of the era of Donny Osmond and didn't want people to think I was that sad when calling him, so I changed it to Ronnie).
@AmandaHoldensLips, haha! He's dead nosey as all cats are.
@FionnulaTheCooler, I've already had one of those, and have the strategies, but if he's at a distance, I'm worried he won't come when called. I'm a night owl so don't want to be shouting at the top of my lungs to get him back in.
Thank you all for the compliments! Smile
He's very sweet and enjoying his life here so far, which is a big change for him. He's really settled well (so far), and we are rubbing along nicely together. The picture attached is him after he'd gone to sleep next to me. Smile
He was a lovely Mother's Day present (belated) after I had my last cat PTS at the grand old age of 22 a few years ago, and lost my DM in January. DC1 was absolutely right in saying I was lonely and needed a companion - and he is it, totally.
We're still get to know each other, but he really is a lovely cat with a loving nature.

Cat with no name....
OP posts:
Original poster
vipersnest1 · 13/04/2023 22:42

@tailinthejam, funny enough, one of DC's cats looks very like him too, just a bit smaller. He's a good size, somewhere between 4 and 5 kilos I think (haven't weighed him yet, but I know he's bloody heavy!)

OP posts:
crazeecatlady · 13/04/2023 22:50

Our first cat adopted us and was also black and white. He also reacted to the sound of fork on cat food tin - pr Marmite jar lid - or Bran flakes in bowl - or a packet of ham being opened.......................

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 13/04/2023 23:00

Would he tolerate a harness? One of ours was quite happy in a harness so when we moved we would take her for walks on the harness in the garden before freedom day. The other one totally lost the ability to walk when in a harness so definitely doesn't suit every cat.

Original poster
vipersnest1 · 14/04/2023 00:23

@Unexpecteddrivinginstructor, I've been considering a harness.

OP posts:
Whiskeypowers · 14/04/2023 00:50

FionnulaTheCooler · 13/04/2023 20:57

It won't matter if he knows his name, no cat comes when you call it in. He'll come in when he's good and ready 😁.

My fourth cat actually does come running like a little dog from wherever she’s been outside when you call her name 😂
@vipersnest1
he's a smasher! That first phot reminds me of Beatrix Potter’s “Ginger and Pickles “ based on him not being a ginger that leaves Pickles

coastergirl · 14/04/2023 01:27

Flipflops123 · 13/04/2023 21:36

Crookshanks

Ravenclaw

Griffenpaw

Harry Pawter

Dobby

Steve

I think you're my best friend! Except for Steve. My ex and the one before him were Ste so I'm not allowed near any more.

lljkk · 14/04/2023 02:37

We have a special food call. use it at feeding times. It works with cats who care about their tums, not so much with others, but all our cats know that call means us.

caringcarer · 14/04/2023 03:08

Beamur · 13/04/2023 21:06

Food is your friend here. Rattle biscuits or Dreamies. I don't tend to use their names - I just shout 'kitties' and rattle Dreamies. DH has a special squeaky whistle that they find irresistible. A bit like when you can whistle with a blade of grass?.

I have 2 cats and shout kitties too. It works. They always come running.

TCsDad · 14/04/2023 07:22

Yes, some cats listen out for their name. Mine does and he listens to to a certain whistle I do. He comes down running to me from 4-5 houses away. Then I treat him with dreamies. He loves them. That's how I found him locked up in a garage (3 houses away from home) calling him and whistling, I heard him miaowing.

shutthewindownow · 14/04/2023 08:13

Socks

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 14/04/2023 12:18

Dh taught the Bengal to come to a whistle. He’d wait precisely 10 minutes before coming in though. I think the black cat he hung around with him taught him to do that because he had excellent recall before he got corrupted.

Current moggy girl doesn’t come when called. Your lucky if she looks at you.

tailinthejam · 14/04/2023 14:08

vipersnest1 · 13/04/2023 22:42

@tailinthejam, funny enough, one of DC's cats looks very like him too, just a bit smaller. He's a good size, somewhere between 4 and 5 kilos I think (haven't weighed him yet, but I know he's bloody heavy!)

Mine is a big tall solid chap as well - I think the last time the vet weighed him at 5.5 kilos, a diet was called for! Yeah right - that's going to work when we have several cats and he muscles in on their dinner as well as his own (and he also breaks into NDN's house when they've carelessly left a window open and eats their cat's food as well...) 😂

Pudmyboy · 14/04/2023 22:02

AmandaHoldensLips · 13/04/2023 20:55

Detective Inspector Boots.
Those windows don't look out of themselves you know.

Second this! Boots or bootyboy for short!

Pudmyboy · 14/04/2023 22:03

(he is gorgeous btw!!!)

VikingLady · 14/04/2023 22:22

Only one if the four cats I've had has responded to their name, but I'm pretty sure they know them. They just don't care much.

They respond equally well to moggies, puss cats, moglets, pestilential ratbags, furry bum, and "hey, prisoner number one/two - time to head into durance vile" when I'm delivering them to DD in bed (unofficial therapy cats).