Names are important

The American humorist and author, Samuel Longhorn Clemens, better known by his pen name, Mark Twain, was devoted to his cats. He gave them exotic names, such as Apollinaris, Zoroaster, and Blatherskite for the purpose of giving his children practice pronouncing long and difficult words. While any cat can learn his name if it is repeated to him enough times, felines most readily respond to short names containing long vowel sounds. If you have your heart set on "Sebastian" or "Princess Victoria", you might want to have a few nicknames handy. You can always resort to the universally accepted, "Here, Kitty, Kitty" call when you are requesting the presence of your beloved. "People" names, such as Lucy and Charlie, help to identify pets as having unique individualities with feelings and emotions similar to ours. Resist the temptation to choose names like "Stinky" or "Furball" as the negative connotations may carry over into your relationship with your cat. You can be creative, however. How about this name for a handsome red tabby... Robert Red-furred?