Kitty Names

[zodiacqueen]

Just want to get some opinions!!!!  How does everyone feel about giving a new kitty the SAME name as a pet that has died?

Hope that I'm not offending anyone!!

[Savas]

Savas just wants to comment that he finds Mrs Savas's habit of not wanting to recycle names highly irritating.

Especially considering we've had to name up to fifty cats a year in the past!!!

It gets exhausting; especially when she won't use some of my better suggestions, like calling them "This", "That", and "the other one" (which we did finally use!!!) for a litter of kittens.

So...feel free to recycle names. You can see it as laziness...or an honoring of the original cat. ;)

[April2]

Growing up, we had an Alaskan malamute named Kiska. We had to give her away when we went overseas. Years later we got another Alaskan malamute and named her Kiska again! My mom just really liked the name I guess, lol. She wanted an Alaskan name and stuck with that one!
My sister had a cat named Jana who died, and got another one and named her Jana. I thought it was a little unoriginal, lol, but oh well! To each his own!
As for me, I have not named the same name to any of my pets.

[zodiacqueen]

Thanks Everyone for some very interesting feedback!!!  I think getting opinions is fun, SOOOO if anyone else comes up with something
......throw it out there!!!

[Piparskeggr]

I've been staff to 7 cats with my wife (3 currently), had 3 before I married and she had 6.

Only one name was repeated.  Cat 2 for her (when she was a young child) was a BnW "Tuxedo" Tom names Sylvester.  Cat 4 was also a Tux-Tom, which she named Sylvester Junior.   His "Calling name" became Junior, however; lived almost 14 years after getting diagnosed with FeLeuk as a young cat of 2...

So, depends upon how you are comfortable with your way of living with kitties.

Me, I view each one as a unique little Furper.

Be well - Pip

[PrettyKitty1]

I'd never do it either. It would kill me to say a name which has already been used by a special animal which I, and you know this, consider as a child, and since every pet is different then I guess I would always be comparing, and that's not good.

[Ghilly]

It's really a matter of individual preference.  It's not something that I, personally would do, but that doesn't mean that someone else couldn't do it.  The main drawback that I can see, however, is that by naming a new pet the same name as a deceased pet, whether the person realizes it or not they are going to compare the two and expect the new pet to be exactly the same as the deceased pet; something that isn't fair to either pet.  If the old pet was exceptional, this gives the new pet an awfully big set of paws to fill.  Also, since each animal has its own personality, the personality of the new pet can be overlooked while trying to compare them to the deceased pet.  

DH and I consider our pets to be our kids.  Each one is an individual, and each one has a name that belongs to them and only them.  

[Mrs_Savas]

I never do it, for several reasons.  Actually, since we have had quite a number of foster kitties come and go in our home over the years, I don't repeat their names either, even if they aren't dead, but just gone to an adoptive home or cat colony.

For one thing, it causes confusion for me if I give more than one cat the same name!  But also I feel like the individual cat's memory is tied to that nameand that it is special - just for them.

However, I have a very good family friend who does repeat names.  She has had a cat named Hazel in her home for something like 50 years.  It's always a male brown tabby.  And she certainly loves and respects all her cats.  I think she feels like she is honoring the memory of the one who has gone before and somehow also honoring the new cat by giving it such an important name in her household.  This is not how I feel, but it is valid.

So, I guess it's a matter of personal feeling.  I don't think anyone can tell you that one way or the other is the right way.

[zodiacqueen]

I feel EXACTLY the same way as you do!  I just couldn't do it either.  Each one of our babies is too special to give their name to another.

Hope Maple is doing better!!!   :D

[CatShapedHeart3]

honesly..i had two kittens die...penny gwen and shanks and i'll never name two cats that again for respect of the others. my rabbit dalbun died if i ever get another bunny it'll be dal2d2 :D actually i've never named another animal another animals name before...

i dont think its wrong...but it'd stress hearts if people were close to them. when i say penny and shanks names around my luffy he freaks and gets sad ):