Understanding Registered Cat Names
Cat naming convention is similar to human naming but are far from the same.
Humans and cats both use hereditary elements as foundational components to a full name which are: surname (family name), and given name or forename (first name). The order is prefix and suffix outlined in table 01.
table /01
| PREFIX POSITION | SUFFIX POSITION |
|---|---|
| FORENAME/GIVEN NAME | SURNAME |
| Lars | Hindsley |
Cat’s do not however share the first and last name order naming convention. If they did it would look like this. (See table 02)
table /02
| ENTITY | FORENAME | SURNAME |
|---|---|---|
| Lars | Hindsley | |
| PixieCat | Aluren |
Table 02’s spoken order doesn’t apply to cats as it does humans. A cat’s full name is reversed. as shown in table 03.
table /03
| ENTITY | SURNAME | FORENAME |
|---|---|---|
| Aluren | PixieCat |
As you can see, Aluren PixieCat reads and sounds better than PixieCat Aluren. If humans followed this naming convention, I would be Hindsley Lars.
Now that we’ve established that cats’ full names are spoken in reverse order (last to first), it’s time to throw a wrench into how ownership and multiple owners impact a cat’s name.
two surnames?
In general, a surname is hereditary. In the case of a cat, their surname originates from the cattery where it is born. Your cat’s surname precedes its forename when spoken in full.
We’ve established human forenames predeed surnames and cat surnames preceed forenames. Now for the wrench mentioned prior. What if a breeder sells a cat to another breeder and they in turn sell it to a pet owner?
The short answer is the cattery the cat is sold to applies their cattery name (surname) in the suffix position.
Let’s use one of our Bengals as an example. PixieCat. PixieCat is her forename aka given name or first name.
Cat’s forenames are given by either the breeder or pet owner and cannot be changed once registered. (See column two of table 04). While it would be correct to also refer to a cat’s first name as its given name, we will keep consistent with the term forename to avoid confusion in this exercise.
table /04
| PREFIX POSITION | FORENAME POSITION | SUFFIX POSITION |
|---|---|---|
| Breeder's Cattery Name | Cat's Given Name | Reserved for Owner's Cattery Name |
| May not be changed | May not be changed | Changes with ownership transfer |
| Hereditary Surname | Given Name | Owner Surname |
Did you pick up that table 04 denotes two surnames? A second surname in the suffix position only applies if the cat changes cattery owners.
If a cat is sold directly to a pet owner from the breeder of origin, the cat will have one surname.
To be clear, if a breeder sells to another breeder, both catteries become part of the cats name. PixieCat is perfect example as shown in table 05.
table /05
| SURNAME | GIVEN NAME | OF |
|---|---|---|
| Aluren | PixieCat | Iconic |
There it is. The Bengal cat we call PixieCat or Pixie has a true and official name. Her name is Aluren PixieCat of Iconic. If you purchased a kitten from me, the kitten would be whatever name you name it, of Iconic which aligns a little better for a pet owner in the world of first and last names.
When you purchase a kitten, you receive registration papers. The breeder (that’s me) will designate if your cat has show or breeding rights. Without a breeder designating these rights, you can’t register litters of kittens with T.I.C.A. or whichever organization your breeder belongs to. Without a breeder designating show rights, you can only show your cat in the ‘pet’ category if you cared to show your cat at all. That’s not so bad actually, even a pet cat can be recognized and awarded.
IN CONCLUSION
Catteries should consider their name and how it will sound IF anyone were to give a damn in how they referred to their cat. Furthermore, a name on paper is generally meant for show. It’s meant to be prestigious. In truth, around the house, Solace is known as PixieCat or Pixie for short. It’s only on her paperwork where her official name is known. We could call her Solace around the house, we call her Pixie. How did PixieCat get her name? Let’s just say I’m good with nicknames, I’m just not good with judging character.
Cat name faqs
A T.I.C.A. registered cat's name may not exceed 35 letters (including spaces), otherwise the suffix will be dropped. You may not use punctuation marks of any kind.
For a T.I.C.A. registered cats, you can call your cat by any name you like. The cat's name cannot be changed other than to change the name of the owner's cattery in the suffix position.
