Where DO we get those silly cat 'endearment' names from?

[Caspers Human]

One night, a few months after we adopted Casper, we were sitting on the living room sofa, watching TV while he was sitting in one corner of the room. I looked at him and playfully said, "Hey, Puddy Tat!" He turned, looked at me, meowed then came over to me for a scratch behind the ears.

From that day, forward, Casper's nickname was "Puddy Tat."

I don't know why he reacted that way. Casper was a rescue cat that was found, abandoned, outdoors so my only guess is that somebody in his past called him that or something that sounds like that.

Whenever we come home from work or from running errands, we call out, "Who da' Puddy Tat?" and he usually comes a-running.

By this time, Casper probably thinks his name is "Puddy Tat."

 

[danteshuman]

I used to called Dante Bud all the time. He thought his name was Bud & Dante meant come here or freeze.

My current cat Jackie, I couldn’t bear to even think of calling him Bud. One day when he was around 4 months old I started calling him “my little dude.” I never use the term Dude or ever call anyone dude. No idea where that came from. I started calling Jackie “my milk chocolate prince” because in the last year his back has darkened so much it looks like the color chocolate diluted down with white chocolate. No idea where that came from except I was trying to think of what the name of color of his fur on his back would be. (I included a picture of his chocolate back. His belly is still white though.)

Nick I started calling my “baby panther” around 5 weeks old. I still call him that even though he is all grown up!

Cami when she was a wee baby feral kitten (before she was named) did the most adorable hisses that sounded like a huff. So I started calling her Huff&Puff. She is 3 years old, still has Tortie-tude & sometimes still gets called that.

 

[tarasgirl06]

neely Oh, IDK. One of my uncles had 5 girls. I think he kept trying for a son but that's what he got. His name was Carl. And every one of those girls' names is a variation on 'Carl'.
mani Oh, but you should!!!

 

[danteshuman]

I forgot I called Dante “my wee terrorist of doom” for the first 7-8 months then when he calmed down for his hyper self I started calling him “punk.” (outside time was what helped calm him down.)

Salem I call “baby bear” because he is super sweet & cuddly. Plus you can carry him around by your arm supporting his back feet & he puts his front legs/arms on your shoulder. He is the only cat I have ever known that gives you kisses. He touches his nose to your nose. I often refer to him as the old man since he is 17 years old.

Sarah I called “baby cat” all her life. I fostered her from 10 days old. So part of me always saw her as a baby. My mom gave her a middle name Her name was Sarah Jane.

The 3 kittens I called minions until they hit around 4 months. Then I started calling them trouble maker 1 troublemaker 2 & trouble maker 3 until they hit around 6 months old. I call Nick, NickNick because he never seemed like a Nicky or. Nicholas to me (Though his full name no one uses is Nicholas.)

 

[Spookyandsammy]

Spooky is her name but it changed to
Tuki
Tukibear tukatuka fat fat fattymcfatty fattybear the stalker the void tiny Terrorist

 

[SwissMiss]

I thought I was the only one who did this! Miles I also call O'Malley & The Wild Root. Jasmine I also call Mina & Chunky Monkey. I also call them my Sweet Tender Plums and ask them who's the Sweetest Tenderest Plum in the Orchard. I guess when you love them so much one name isn't always enough!

 

[tarasgirl06]

Spooky is her name but it changed to
Tuki
Tukibear tukatuka fat fat fattymcfatty fattybear the stalker the void tiny Terrorist

You're on a roll there. Keep it going.

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

I know where Juno's primary term of endearment, Boo, came from. She had crawled under an overturned Ikea bag and was walking it around the room in a way that reminded me of the the way the little girl on Monster's Inc. (nicknamed Boo) scooted around in her monster costume.

Other names are more situational. Squeaky McGoo, because of her meow. Sky Menace, when she's up on her kitty highway with a certain look in her eye.

But also, so many random one-off names. Just today, I called her My Little Swizzle Stick. Because...why? Humans are weird. But the cat made me do it.

 

[tarasgirl06]

...oh, and also "Sneeshus" and "Snooshus" for Sishya. If you'd known her, you would have completely understood why. She was a little snowshoe with a tiny pink sniffy nose. She had a very subtle and sly sense of humor, and was a shameless flirt.
Tashi was also a shameless flirt, Birman by PURRsuasion, and she sashayed when she walked, so she was "Mae West" to my ex.

 

[aliceneko]

We call Toffee "Toffeefee" like the chocolate cookies. We call Toffee and Fudge Reggie and Ronnie when they're together, because they act like the Kray twins

Toffee can't purr due to a defect he was born with, so we've nicknamed him "Puffing Billy" whenever he attempts to purr!

 

[mani]

But also, so many random one-off names. Just today, I called her My Little Swizzle Stick. Because...why? Humans are weird. But the cat made me do it.

Yes, they're the ones that bemuse me.. where did THAT come from? Today, looking at Sundar: 'well OOzaBuzza, what next'?

I think you're onto something...

 

[tarasgirl06]

Yes, they're the ones that bemuse me.. where did THAT come from? Today, looking at Sundar: 'well OOzaBuzza, what next'?

I think you're onto something...

They're programming us. These are words in their secret languages. They are messages to the Big Cat.

 

[pearl99]

Ziggy becomes Rumpy-boo because she's a Manx. And Ziggers, Ziggy-Wiggy, The Zig.
Gracie- Gracie-boo, (Everyone has a Boo-name), Grandma Cat, Boss (she orders aroung the others.)
Mooshoo- Mooshers, Mooshie, Moo-Boo, Goofball, Moo.
Waffles is just Waffies, or Waffer-Boo.

Now that I've read this we'll see what starts to pop out, power of suggestion!

 

[furrypurry]

Let’s see, Purrcy is PurrPurr, or just Purr. He is also Purrpurrnickle, BooBoo, Stinkerdoodle, Fluffy Britches, and when the occasion calls for it, Stank Bootie. Ha!

 

[Caspers Human]

When Casper acts up or doesn't do what we want him to, he gets called "Fuzz Face" or "Tuna Breath."

 

[SunnyBlue]

My first cat who is about 12.5 years old now, got the his name Bubby because I would say to him "What's up Bub?" when I walked into the room.

Shortly after he began saying the same thing back to me in cat language as a little squeak... "Mic!" ... when he'd walk into the space I was in.

I read in a cat care book if a cat makes a noise like that when it enters a space you're in, it's a cat's way of saying "hello"! or "Hey"! "What's up?"

My black cat, who is about 9 now, got the name Jaguar, because he resembles the wild cat. I should have named him Ralph, because he makes that sound to introduce himself when he walks into a room... "Ralllfff"!

Jaguar (a.k.a Ralph) thoroughly enjoys hugs, often cuddling up next to me in bed to make sure he get his daily quotient of hugs. Being a husky black cat, I've given him the nickname "Huggy Bear".

 

[tarasgirl06]

My first cat who is about 12.5 years old now, got the his name Bubby because I would say to him "What's up Bub?" when I walked into the room.

Shortly after he began saying the same thing back to me in cat language as a little squeak... "Mic!" ... when he'd walk into the space I was in.

I read in a cat care book if a cat makes a noise like that when it enters a space you're in, it's a cat's way of saying "hello"! or "Hey"! "What's up?"

My black cat, who is about 9 now, got the name Jaguar, because he resembles the wild cat. I should have named him Ralph, because he makes that sound to introduce himself when he walks into a room... "Ralllfff"!

Jaguar (a.k.a Ralph) thoroughly enjoys hugs, often cuddling up next to me in bed to make sure he get his daily quotient of hugs. Being a husky black cat, I've given him the nickname "Huggy Bear".

I laughed at the story of "Ralph" because my sweet angel Simba, who was undoubtedly possessed of Siamese genes, always yelled, "Raouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuul!" and I never knew who this Raoul was that she was calling for.

 

[tabbytom]

Well, January has a nick or two for himself. First, when he's walking fast and from the back view, he has the cutest bum moving from left to right and thus Bum Bum is one of his nick and the other is Boy Boy which comes in two tones. A stern one when he is stubborn (he's a cat and I should have expected that ) or when I'm calling him for the longest time to have his meal. The other tone is a loving tone when I want to snuggle up to him or when I miss him when I come home after a few hours out from the house or after he has awoken from his sleep.

But he still responds when he hears his actual name being called.

 

[Norachan]

Albert, in my banner below, started off as Bertie Bertie, then became Bertie Beetroot and is now known as Bertroot.

Poor confused kitty, no wonder he is so cross eyed.

 

[Silver Crazy]

Blue is very verbal and has learned that certain names I call him relate to things he has done.
Goofball..when he has fallen off something or embarrassed himself..he responses with a loud Rah like he saying Shutup!
Hungry Hippo when he is wolfing down his food...get rumbles back like he agreeing..lol
Fur turd when he is in trouble...stares me down.
Poor Boy..meows back with piteous kitten meows and many more.