Names for pets: original ideas

Some people have thought about the name befor hand or feel inspired just by looking at the face, coat, behaviour or size of the pet. But, if you need to additional creativity, we'll give you some ideas.

For Cats

Cats are much more independent animals than dogs. Despite this, they also react to calls and orders, so it is important not to rush to choose their name. If you want your cat to respond to its name and answer your call as soon as possible, the name should meet some requirements.

It should be a short name, one or two syllables at most. That will be easy for your pet to remember. Cats listen better to the vowels 'a' and 'i', although it is more important that it is an easy name to pronounce.

 Another rule is not to use a name that is too common, or to repeat a name that is already used in the home. Also avoid choosing a name similar to that of another pet. If you have a dog and a cat or two cats and you call them 'Tico' and 'Nico', they won't be able to distinguish between these. Nor should it resemble everyday words that we use, so that they are not confused. It is usual for them to learn the name in a couple of weeks, although it will depend a lot on the animal, and for this reason, you will need to dedicate time and a lot of patience.

There are so many names to choose from. You can base it on the colour of their fur, their personality or some physical trait, you can look at famous cats or choose an original name:

1. Famous cats: Felix, Garfield, Tom, Doraemon, Silvester, Kitty, Azrael.
2. Based on colour: Snow, Snowy, Cloud, Snowflake, Whitey, Cotton, Anubis, Blacky, Chalky, Night, Dark, Gold, Goldie, Blondie, Tiger, Leo, Sun, Sunny.
3. Original names: Akira, Akiles, Domino, Kathmandu, Keops, Moscow, Neo, Paris, Date, Jazz, Ringo, Nile, Kafka.
4. Humorous names: Bandit, Whiskers, Cheto, Chicho, Chispas, Socks, Cookie, Cupcake, Beany, Biscuit, General, Goliath, Fatty, Spotty, Limón, Lolo, Panther, Panda, Meow, Nuisance, Paws, Pizza.
5. Classic Names: Duke, Gus, Gray, Leo, Misifú, Bella, Max, Charlie, Fluffy.

For dogs

In this case, dogs will learn short words of one or two syllables first. And even better if they contain the syllables 'a' or 'o', but this is not essential.

What is important is that the name is different from the most common commands such as 'come, 'stay', 'take' or 'sit'. In doing so, you will avoid confusing the animal.  Once the name has been chosen, it is important that you always call it in the same way and not by diminutives or affectionate names, such as 'little one', so that your dog always identifies its name clearly.

If we adopt an animal from a rescue centre, it usually already comes with a name. If the dog is already responding to a name, it should not be changed, but if it is, it should sound very similar to what it already has. For example, if its name was Toby, we could call it Bobby or Tommy, but if we call him Leo or Luke, we will confuse it.

To get puppies used to their names, just call them and when the dog comes, give it a treat. With a few daily repetitions, the dog will soon know that 'word' is its name. Here are some suggestions:

Aquí van algunas propuestas:

• Original: Lemon, Mr. López, Chaos, Junk, Fresh, Tail, Torpedo, Beer, Taxi.
• Famous people: Lady Di, Rocky, Bowie, Greta (Garbo), Shakira, Frida.
• Cartoon: Jacky, Path, Fog, Lady, Ashlan, Simba, Heidi.
• Spiritual: Fairy, Soul, Calm, Meraky, Yoga.
• Famous dogs: Laika, Hachiko, Patrás, Oddi, Milú, Golfo, Pongo, Rex.
• Gods: Thor, Odin, Freya, Thyr, Valkyrie.
• People: Pepe, Fede, Martin, Lola, Kira, Trini, Toni.