Life
Pudding, Jeopardy, & 12 Other Cat Names Picked By Kids
Oct. 29 is National Cat Day, which means it's the perfect time to celebrate the actual royal family: felines. Have you ever met a cat that didn't think it was better than you? No, and that's the beauty of cats. Which is why having cat names picked by kids is the ultimate way to keep your new furry little friend humble. Yeah, you don't seem quite as snarky when your name is Pudding, my friend.
But cats are the best. We adopted a 3-year-old cat two years ago named Cowboy Bob (we didn't change his name), and he is everyone's favorite family member. (Except for when he's whining for food or attacking our feet under the covers, etc.) Our 1-year-old will find him in the house purely so she can rub her entire body on him, and our 5-year-old loves for him to sleep directly on top of her. Basically, he's a keeper, but our favorite thing is telling someone his name. "We have a cat. His name is Cowboy Bob," our 5-year-old will tell complete strangers in the grocery store, and everyone laughs.
So if you're gaining a new family member for National Cat Day, or just need some unique and adorable cat names in your back pocket, I present this list of 14 from real kids. You will love every single one. (Olives! Banjo! Butterfly!)
1Pudding
We had a gray cat growing up named Pudding (pronounced more like Puddin', obviously). If I remember correctly, Pudding drooled a lot, but I also remember her being super affectionate. A few years ago, I started cry-laughing at the mere thought of us having a cat named Pudding, and when I asked my mom where we came up with that, she just stared at me. "You! You chose that name! You loved pudding."
Still a solid name for a cat, I say. Also a dessert.
2Cowlick
Cowlick. This one is courtesy of my 4-year-old nephew Jase, and it makes me laugh out loud. Cowlick!
3Bob
Adorable 3-year-old Elliot gave his mom a handful of cat names, and Bob was his first pick. (Full disclosure: it might be because Elliot is our sweet little neighbor who takes care of our cat, Cowboy Bob, when we're out of town.)
4Max
When pressured for a name other than Bob, Elliot decided Max was a good cat name. He obviously knows his trends, because Max is listed as the fifth most popular cat name by Rover.com.
5Frog
Elliot decided to give a third name for a cat: Frog. I doubt this is on a most popular list, but I love it.
6Banjo
Brendan, age 4, chose the name Banjo as the moniker to bequeath a cat. His mom tells me that Brendan's grandpa has a dog named Banjo, so maybe there's some inspiration there, but Banjo! It's perfect.
7Olives
6-year-old Annabelle is no stranger to choosing a cat name. Her mom tells me that when Annabelle was 3, she was given the responsibility of naming the family cat. And Annabelle chose... Olives. I can not stop laughing about this.
"I couldn't let my poor cat be called Olives, so we named him Oliver," Annabelle's mom tells me.
8Elsa
But when asked today what she would name a cat, Annabelle chose something fit for a literal queen: Elsa. If any animal can be called an ice queen, it's a cat, y'all.
9Jeopardy
While rummaging through my own bank of memories, I found a Facebook post of mine from early 2018, when my daughter Alice was 3. I wrote about her obsession with a certain game show thanks to our nightly routine, and how she was now calling the pretend cat following her around Jeopardy. I forgot all about this, and now it's my new favorite memory.
10Pickles
Hazel, age 9, has the perfect, spunky name for a cat: Pickles. Pickles! Try saying it out loud and waiting for some giant orange cat to come around the corner. Actual perfection.
11Marley
4-year-old Caela has some thoughts about cat names, too. If it's a boy, Marley is her choice. It's a pretty popular one for dogs — Rover listed it in the top 50 male dog names in 2018 — but unique for a cat.
12Butterfly
But it gets more unique. If this cat she gets to name is a girl, Caela chooses Butterfly. The sweetest.
13Fluffy
7-year-old Emerie went old school when she was asked to name a cat, and chose Fluffy. I love it so much. Do you ever hear pets named Fluffy anymore?
14Whitaker
But I had to save my absolute favorite for last. This one is courtesy of 3-year-old Avery, who has decided a cat should be named Whitaker. Whitaker! Oh, just the best, I can't even stand it.
