I have been told that you can’t change your cat’s name. You need to make a good choice at the beginning because after that no changes are allowed. But what about adding another nickname?
Note: Rehomed cats get renamed all the time. So do kittens when they are given temporary names by breeders. This post isn’t about them.
Years ago I owned an orange tabby named Ben. Ben used to visit my neighbor Bob U every day for a hug and a handout. When I told K (his part-time caregiver) that I was thinking about changing Ben’s name to Bob (as in Bob Cat), she objected. Strongly. I’ve adhered to her point of view ever since.
My Bengal’s name is Tide (see photo). That’s what’s on her registration papers, medical records, and microchip ID form. If she had a driver’s license, it would be on there too. It’s a gender-neutral name, and I think it’s apt. She’s named for the tide (lowercase t), a natural neighbor in both places where we live, not the laundry detergent.
When Tide is at our home on Mud Bay, she also goes by the nickname Mud Cat. She was featured in the Mud Bay blog in a 2019 post. She’s the third of my three Mud Cats over the years (two males and now a female), all Bengals and all great companions. It’s impossible to pick a favorite.
After living at Treasure Island all summer, I started wondering if Tide needs an additional nickname. There’s no Mud Bay shore to patrol, and there’s no mud to get into in the Grapeview channel, except on an extreme minus tide. The services of a Mud Cat aren’t needed here.
But there’s plenty of need for a true treasure like Tide, who exhibits the best characteristics of her breed: playful, loyal, affectionate, energetic, intelligent, and—LOL—a solid medium rating on tendency to vocalize.
So, I’m calling her the Treasure Cat as a summer nickname even if kitty is what she answers to when it’s time to come in for the night.
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