"I tell you a cat must have three different names."--T.S. Eliot

Naming a cat is no small undertaking. I have named six cats in my lifetime, and each time I used a different approach. My first cat in my adult life was a beautiful orange marmalade cat with green, gleaming eyes; white boots; and a fluffy white throat. The minute I saw her my fascination with orange marmalade cats began. She arrived in my life during the Christmas season, so I named her Noelle, after my favorite Christmas carol, The First Noel. She filled my heart with countless hours of joy and contentment over the next ten years.

The next kitten to make its way to me was a Siamese and domestic short-hair mix. I wanted an unusual and distinctive name for what was quite an unusual- and distinctive-looking cat. I wanted a name that danced, a name that had a harmonious lilt to it. The name had to be different and sound pleasing and playful to the ear. Additionally, I wanted a name that could be shortened for fun. Russian names had always intrigued me. So the little gray kitten was named Tatianna. It fit her perfectly. Sometimes, I called her "Tattie" or "Tat," and often I sang her names to her--"Tattie-Tatianna." This always made her eyes dance and her ears perk up, because she loved hearing those sounds strung together. And so did I. Her other pet names were "Sweetie-Tweetie" and "Boo," and she learned to respond to all of them. But the majority of the time I simply call her Tatianna.

My next blessing was another precious orange marmalade kitten. She was named Taittinger, after a French wine. I also liked the idea of having two cats with names that started with "T"--Tatianna and Taittinger. Sometimes, I called them Tat and Tat and they would both come running to me.

To be continued next week--Naming my other three cats!

What is your favorite cat name? How did you pick the name?

Happy Purrs!