Cat Culture

Here is a large collection of cat quotes. Find your favorite quote about cats!

Enjoy!

Said about Cats by People starting with A

“A cat is there when you call her, if she doesn’t have something better to do.” Bill Adler

“Two cats can live as cheaply as one, and their owner has twice as much fun. Lloyd Alexander, American author

“It is useless to punish a cat. They have no conception of human discipline; if they do, the idea is unattractive to them.” Lloyd Alexander

“Cats are only human, they have their faults.” Kingsley Amis, English poet

“To anyone who has ever been owned by a cat, it will come as no surprise that there are all sorts of things about your cat you will never, as long as you live, forget. Not the least of these is the first sight of him or her.” Cleveland Amory

“Passion for place – there is no greater urge in feline nature.” Paul Annixter

“Cats can be very funny, and have the oddest ways of showing they’re glad to see you. Rudimace always peed in our shoes.” W.H. Auden, poet

Cat Quotes by People starting with B

“I cannot exist without a cat.” Peggy Bacon

“Most beds sleep up to six cats. Ten cats without the owner.” Stephen Baker

“Kittens are born with their eyes shut. They open them in about six days, take a look around, then close them again for the better part of their natural lives.” Stephen Baker

“To bathe a cat takes brute force, perseverance, courage of conviction – and a cat. The last ingredient is usually hardest to come by.” Stephen Baker

“A resent census taken among the cats shows that approximately one hundred percent are neurotic. That estimate is probably on the low side.” Stephen Baker

“Like those great sphinxes lounging through eternity in noble attitudes upon the desert sand, they gaze incuriously at nothing, calm and wise.” Charles Baudelaire, French poet

“It is easy to understand why the rabble dislikes cats. A cat is beautiful; it suggests ideas of luxury, cleanliness, and voluptuous pleasures.” Charles Baudelaire

“You are my cat and I am your human.” Hilaire Belloc, Anglo-French writer

“The cat is, above all things, a dramatist.” Margaret Benson

“He lives in the half-lights in secret places, free and alone – this mysterious little-great being whom his mistress calls “My Cat”.” Margaret Benson

“A plate is distasteful to a cat, a newspaper still worse; they like to eat sticky pieces of meat sitting on a cushioned chair or a nice Persian rug.” Margaret Benson

“As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat.” Ellen Perry Berkeley, writer

“If a cat spoke, it would say things like, “Hey, I don’t see the problem here.” Roy Blount Jr.

“Dogs come when they are called. Cats take a message and get back to you.” Mary Bly

“I’m used to dogs. When you leave them in the morning they stick their nose in the door crack and stand there like a portrait until you turn the key eight hours later. A cat would never put up with that kind of rejection. When you returned, she’d stalk you until you dozed off and then suck the air out of your body.” Erma Bombeck, American writer

“To understand a cat, you must realize that he has his own gifts, his own viewpoint, even his own morality.” Lillian Jackson Braun

“The most domesticated of cats somehow contrives to lead an outside life of its own.” Katherine Briggs

“I can say with sincerity that I like cats. A cat is an animal which has more human feeling than most other.” Emily Brontë

“A cat is nobody’s fool.” Heywood Broun

“A dog, I have always said, is prose; a cat is a poem.” Jean Burden, American poet

“Prowling his own quiet backyard or asleep by the fire, he is still only a whisker away from the wilds.” Jean Burden

“The cat does not offer services. The cat offers itself. Of course he wants care and shelter. You don’t buy love for nothing. Like all pure creatures, cats are practical.” William S. Burroughs, American author

“They say the test of literary power is whether a man can write an inscription. I say, “Can he name a kitten?” Samuel Butler

“If we treated everyone we meet with the same affection we bestow upon our favorite cat, they too would purr.” Martin Buxbaum, author

People starting with C talk about Cats

“Cat people are different, to the extent that they generally are not conformists. How can they be, with a cat running their lives?” Dr. Louis J. Camuti

“Quite obviously a cat trusts human beings, but she doesn’t trust another cat because she knows better than we do.” Karel Capek, Czech writer

“Cats can be cooperative when something feels good, which, to a cat is the way everything is supposed to feel as much of the time as possible.” Roger A. Caras

“Cats virtually always underestimate human intelligence just as we, perhaps, underestimate theirs.” Roger A. Caras

 “Cats don’t like change without their consent” Roger A. Caras

“Cats always know whether people like or dislike them. They do not always care enough to do anything about it.” Winifred Carriere

”Those who’ll play with cats must expect to be scratched.” Miguel de Cervantes

“A kitten is the delight of a household. All day long a comedy is played by this incomparable actor.” Jules Champfleury, French novelist

“They smell and they snarl and they scratch, they have a singular aptitude for shredding rugs, drapes, and upholstery, they’re sneaky, selfish, and not particularly smart, they are disloyal, condescending, and totally useless in any rodent-free environment.” Jean-Michel Chapereau

“Two things are aesthetically perfect in the world – the clock and the cat.” Emile-August Chartier, French philosopher

“Odd things animals. All dogs look up to you. All cats look down on you. Only a pig looks at you as an equal.” Winston Churchill

“Even the stupidest cat seems to know more than any dog.” Eleanor Clark, American writer

 “I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.” Jean Cocteau

“By associating with a cat, one only risks becoming richer.” Colette

“A cat’s heart is normally excited”. Colette

 “There are no ordinary cats.” Colette

 “A cat is a guest and not a plaything.” Colette

“My cat does not talk as respectfully to me as I do to her.” Colette

“A cat that lives with a good family is used to being talked to all the time.” Lettice Cooper

“For unlike a dog that will scare up a flock of birds and then rush away, a cat, even in bitter weather, will wait patiently for hours hoping to make a kill.” Thalassa Cruso

“If cats do something, we call it instinct; if we do the same thing, for some reason, we call it intelligence.” Will Cuppy, American writer

D – Cat Quotes

“The cat has always been associated with the moon. Like the moon it comes to life at night, escaping from humanity and wandering over housetops with its eyes beaming out through the darkness.” Patricia Dale-Green, author of “Cult of the cat”.

“To respect the cat is the beginning of the aesthetic sense.” Erasmus Darwin

“The great charm of cats is their rampant egotism, their devil-may-care attitude toward responsibility, their disinclination to earn an honest dollar.” Robertson Davies, Canadian novelist

“Way down deep, we are all motivated by the same urges. Cats have the courage to live by them.” Jim Davis, creator of the comic strip Garfield.

“One reason Garfield is interesting for cat lovers is that he confirms what they’ve always suspected about cats. In Garfield they see his human aspects – his refusal to diet, his inability to walk through a room without knocking things over, and his total pursuit of warm places to curl up and sleep. He champions a lot of unpopular causes, like ant-jogging, and what’s more he doesn’t apologize for them.” Jim Davis

“A cat with kittens nearly always decides sooner or later to move them.” Sidney Denham

“Cats do not go for a walk to get somewhere but to explore.” Sidney Denham

 “Cats are absolute individuals, with their own ideas about everything, including the people they own.” John Dingham

“Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil and cruel. True and they have many other fine qualities as well.” Missy Dizick

“The cat is truly aristocratic in type and origin.” Alexandre Dumas

“No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch.” Leo Dworken, author

“Feline communicators divide naturally into two groups: acrobatic types who hang on the screen door when they want to come in, and the verbalizers who use yowling as a calling card.” Leo Dworken

E – List of Cat Quotes

“A man has to work so hard so that something of his personality stays alive. A tomcat has it so easy, he has only to spray and his presence is there for years on rainy days.” Albert Einstein
 
 “Contemporary physics is based on concepts somewhat analogous to the smile of the absent cat.” Albert Einstein
 
“Purring would seem to be, in her case, an automatic safety-valve device for dealing with happiness overflow.” Monica Edwards
 
“When a cat adopts you there is nothing to be done about it except to put up with it and wait until the wind changes.” T.S. Eliot
 
“A cat is the only domestic animal I know who toilet trains itself and does a damned impressive job of it.” Joseph Epstein
 
“When dogs leap onto your bed, it’s because they adore being with you. When cats leap onto your bed, it’s because they adore your bed.” Alisha Everett

G – Quotes about Cats

“There is the little matter of disposal of droppings in which the cat is far ahead of his rivals. The dog is somehow thrilled by what he or any of his friends have produced, hates to leave it, adores smelling it, and sometimes eats it. The cat covers it up if it can,” Paul Gallico

 
“Cats, incidentally, are a great warm-up for a successful marriage – they teach you your place in the household.” Paul Gallico

 
“Her function is to sit and be admired.” Georgina Strickland Gates
 
“The cat is a dilettante in fur.” Théophile Gautier, French poet.
 
“Painting cats is a question of genius.” Théophile Gautier
 
“He loved books, and when he found one open on the table he would lie down on it, turn over the edges of the leaves with his paw, and, after a while, fall asleep, for all the world as if he had been reading a fashionable novel.” Théophile Gautier
 
“It is no easy task to win the friendship of a cat. He is a philosopher, sedate, tranquil, a creature of habit, a lover of decency and order. He does not bestow his regard lightly, and, though he may consent to be your companion, he will never be your slave.” Théophile Gautier
 
 “A cat is a tiger that is fed by hand.” Yakaoka Genrin
 
“Cats know how to obtain food without labor, shelter without confinement, and love without penalties.” W.L. George
 
“Cats are the ultimate narcissists. You can tell this because of all the time they spend on personal grooming. A dog’s idea of personal grooming is to roll in a dead fish.” James Gorman
 
“Cats are dangerous companions for writers because cat watching is a near perfect method of writing avoidance.” Dan Greenburg
 
“Cat lovers can readily be identified. Their clothes always look old and well used. Their sheets look like bath towels and their bath towels look like a collection of knitting mistakes.” Eric Gurney, cartoonist

H and I – Said about Cats

“My cat is an elegant eater of garbage, meat and cream.” John Inglis Hall
 
“If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering, outspoken, honest fellow – but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much.” Philip Gilbert Hamerton
 
“Never try to out stubborn a cat.” Robert A. Heinlein
 
 “A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.” Ernest Hemingway
 
 “One cat just leads to another.” Ernest Hemingway
 
“Cat: A pygmy lion who loves mice, hates dogs, and patronizes human beings.” Oliver Herford, American writer
 
“Cats, like women, should be respected as individuals rather than admired as decoration, but there’s no harm, given the choice, in taking up with a strikingly attractive specimen of either.” Barbara Holland
 
“I have noticed that what cats most appreciate in a human being is not the ability to produce food which they take for granted – but his or her entertainment value.” Geoffrey Household
 
“The way to keep a cat is to try to chase it away.” E.W. Howe
 
“Cats at fireside live luxuriously and are the picture of comfort.” Leigh Hunt
 
“If you want to be a psychological novelist and write about human beings, the best thing you can do is keep a pair of cats.” Aldous Huxley, English author
 
“The tail in cats is the principal organ of emotional expression.” Aldous Huxley
 
“A cat can be trusted to purr when she is pleased, which is more than can be said for human beings.” William Inge, American novelist 

J and K – Cat Quotes

“Cats and monkeys, monkeys and cats – all human life is there.” Henry James
 
“A cat’s got her own opinion of human beings. She doesn’t say much, but you can tell enough to make you anxious not to hear the whole of it.” Jerome K. Jerome
 
“My cat has taken to mulled port and rum punch. Poor old dear! He is all the better for it.” Jerome K. Jerome
 
“Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a function.” Garrison Keillor, American author
 
“Meow is like aloha – it can mean anything.” Hank Ketchum, American cartoonist
 
 “Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject to a good many different ailments, but I have never heard of one who suffered from insomnia.” Joseph Wood Krutch, American author
 
“Cats seem to go on the principle that it never does any harm to ask for what you want.” Joseph Wood Krutch

“We quickly discovered that two kittens were much more fun than one.” Allan Lacy
 
 “It is easier to hold quicksilver between your fingers and thumb as to keep a cat who means to escape.” Andrew Lang
 
“A child is a person who can’t understand why someone would give away a perfectly good kitten.” Doug Larson
 
“The cat could very well be man’s best friend but would never stoop to admitting it.” Doug Larson
 
“Cats are living adornments.” Edwin Lent
 
“Oh cat; I’d say, or pray: be-ootiful cat! Delicious cat! Exquisite cat! Satiny cat! Cat like a soft owl, cat with paws like moths, jeweled cat, miraculous cat! Cat, cat , cat, cat.” Doris Lessing
 
 “No matter how much cats fight, there always seems to be plenty of kittens.” Abraham Lincoln
 
 “The best exercise for a cat is another cat.” Jo and Paul Loeb, American authors
 
“The cat is not really a domestic animal, and his chief charm lies in the fact that he still walks by himself.” Konrad Lorenz
 
 “The cat is cryptic, and close to strange things which men cannot see.” H.P. Lovecraft
 
“Every cat is really the most beautiful woman in the room.” E. V. Lucas

 

M – Cat Quotes

“The happiest houses are those which kitten-bearing is held over as a permanent attraction.” James Mason, actor
 
 “A cat does not negotiate with the mouse.” Robert K. Massie
 
”If there is one spot of sun spilling onto the floor, a cat will find it and soak up.” Joan Asper McIntosh
 
“Cats have it all – admiration and endless sleep and company only when they want it.” Rod McKuen
 
“The only mystery about the cat is why it ever decided to become a domestic animal.” Compton Mackenzie
 
“For me, one of the pleasures of cats’ company is their devotion to bodily comfort.” Compton Mackenzie
 
“A meow massages the heart.” Stuart McMillan
 
“The cat has too much spirit to have no heart.” Ernest Menault
 
“Are cats lazy? Well, more power to them if they are. Which one of us has not entertained the dream of doing just as he likes, and as much as he likes?” Fernand Méry
 
 “With qualities of cleanliness, discretion, affection, patience, dignity and courage that cats have, how many of us, I ask you, would be capable of being cats?” Fernand Méry, author

“God made the cat in order that man might have the pleasure of caressing the tiger.” Fernand Méry
 
“Oh, the cats of this town have their secrets.” Mary Virginia Micka
 
“You can keep a dog; but it is the cats who keeps people because cats find humans useful domestic animals. A dog will flatter you but you have to flatter a cat. A dog is an employee; the cat is a freelance.” George Mikes in “How to be decadent.”
 
“Some men are born to cats; others have cats thrust upon them.” Gilbert Millstein, author
 
“When I play with my cat, who knows whether she isn’t amusing herself with me more than I am with her?” Montaigne 
 
 “Cats are mysterious beings. You never know if they love you or if they condescend to occupy your house. The mystery is what makes them the most attractive beast.” Paul Moore
 
“The playful kitten, with its pretty tigerish gambols, is infinitely more amusing than half the people one is obliged to live with in the world.” Lady Sydney Morgan
 
 “Artists like cats, soldiers like dogs.” Desmond Morris
 
“The dog may be man’s best friend, but it is rarely allowed out on its own to wander from garden to garden or street to street. The obedient dog has to be taken out for a walk. The headstrong cat walks alone.” Desmond Morris
 
 “My cats are compromised. I do not entirely trust them – they may be spies, like dolphins, reporting to some unknown authority.” Jan Morris
 
“Dogs are disciplined, horses are enslaved, cows and pigs are exploited. Only cats join us as opportunistic partners. They do things for us, we do things for them, and when both sides feel like it we share the pleasure of each other’s company.” Jan Morris
 
“Cats do not belong to people. They belong to places.” Wright Morris
 
“I wonder what goes through his mind when he sees us peeing in his water bowl.” Penny Ward Moser
 
“When my cats aren’t happy, I’m not happy. Not because I care about their mood but because I know they’re just sitting there thinking up ways to get even.” Penny Ward Moser

N and O – About Cats

“I have a catholic taste in cats, in the sense that almost anything feline one four legs goes straight to my heart.” Beverley Nichols, British author, composer and playwright
 
“Most of us rather like our cats to have a streak of wickedness. I should not feel quite easy in the company of any cat that walked about the house with a saintly expression.” Beverley Nichols
 
“Anyone, but anybody, any lout, any half-wit, any scruffy, self-centered moron, can command the affection and the servile obedience of a dog, but it takes intelligence and understanding – sometimes I think a certain psychic rapport – to win the affection of a cat.” Beverley Nichols
 
“A cat is a puzzle for which there is no solution.” Hazel Nicholson
 
“Always the cat remains a little beyond the limits we try to set for him in our folly.” André Norton
 
“Perhaps it is because cats do not live by human patterns, do not fit themselves into prescribes behavior, that they are so united to creative people.” André Norton
 
“My theory is that the writer senses a deep and profound kinship with the cat.” Joyce Carol Oates
 
“Never wear anything that panics the cat.” P.J. O’Rourke
 

P and Q – Quotes about Cats

“The cat lets Man support her. But unlike the dog, she is no hand licker. Furthermore, unlike Man’s other great good friend, the horse, the cat is no sweating serf of Man, The only labor she condescends to preform is to catch mice and rats, and that’s fun.” Vance Packard
 
“You can’t look at a sleeping cat and be tense.” Jane Pauley
 
“Cats refuse to take the blame for anything – including their own sins.” Elizabeth Peters
 
“If cats could talk, they wouldn’t.” Nan Porter
 
“The problem with cats is that they get the exact same look on their face whether they see a moth or an ax-murderer.” Paula Poundstone

R – Cat Quotes

“The more you rub a cat on the rump, the higher she sets her tail.” John Ray, English naturalist
 
“Cats, even when robust, have scant liking for the boisterous society of children, and are apt to exert their utmost ingenuity to escape it.” Agnes Repplier, American writer
 
“It is impossible for a lover of cats to banish these alert, gentle, and discriminating friends, who give us just enough of their regard and complaisance to make us hunger for more.” Agnes Repplier
 
“A kitten is chiefly remarkable for rushing about like mad at nothing whatever, and generally stopping before it gets there.” Agnes Repplier
 
“I would never wound a cat’s feelings, no matter how downright aggressive I might be to humans.” A.L. Rowse

S – Speak about Cats

“He seems the incarnation of everything soft and silky and velvety, without a sharp edge in his composition, a dreamer whose philosophy is sleep and let sleep.” Saki
 
“The little furry buggers are just deep wells you throw all your emotions into.” Bruce Schimmel
 
“Because of our willingness to accept cats as superhuman creatures, they are the ideal animals with which to work creatively.” Roni Schotter
 
“A sleeping cat is ever alert.” Fred Schwab
 
“There are two means of refuge from the misery of life – music and cats.” Albert Schweitzer
 
 “Cats are a mysterious kind of folk. There is more passing in their minds than we are aware of. It comes no doubt from them being too familiar with warlocks and witches.” Sir Walter Scott
 
 “I have found my love of cats most helpful in understanding women.” John Simon
 
“I never knew a moral cat.” Jack Smith
 
“A charm of cats is that they seem to live in a world of their own, just as much as if were a dimension of space.” Harriet Prescott Spofford
 
“Since each of us is blessed with only one life, why not live it with a cat?”  Robert Stearns
 
“When it comes to the advantages of cats versus dogs as pets, there is no competition. Try going away for a weekend, leaving your German shepherd alone with a bowl of dry food, some water, and a litter box.” Robert Stearns
 
“If only cats grew into kittens.” R. Stern
 
“To escort a cat on leash is against the nature of the cat.” Adlai Stevenson

T – Quotes about Cats

“Anyone who has ever known a cat really well feels that this cat is superior to most Harvard professors in brain power.” Gladys Tabor
 
“Any normal, ordinary cat can keep any human in a state of frustration.” Gladys Tabor
 
 “I’ve met many thinkers and many cats, but the wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.” Hippolyte Taine
 
“Every cat I’ve known has had a distinct personality. Unmistakably. I’ve never known two cats even vaguely alike.” Amy Taubin
 
“She sits composedly sentinel, with paws tucked under her, a good part of her days at present, by some ridiculous little hole, the possible entry of a mouse.” Henry David Thoreau
 
“What sort of philosophers are we who know absolutely nothing about the origin and destiny of cats?” Henry David Thoreau
 
“Another cat?  Perhaps. For love there is also a season; its seeds must be resown. Bur a family cat is not replaceable like a wornout coat or set of tires. Each new kitten becomes its own cat, and none is repeated. I am four cats old, measuring out my life in friends that have succeeded but not replaced one another.” Irving Townsend</span

“Unlike us, cats never outgrow their delight in cat capacities, nor do they settle finally for limitations. Cats, I think, live out their lives fulfilling their expectations.” Irving Townsend
 
“Of all God’s creatures there is only one that cannot be made the slave of the lash. That one is the cat.” Mark Twain
 
“One of the striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives.” Mark Twain
 
“A home without a cat, and a well-fed, well-petted and properly revered cat, may be a perfect home, perhaps, but how can it earn its title?” Mark Twain
 
“If man could be crossed with a cat, it would improve man but deteriorate the cat.” Mark Twain
 
“A cat is more intelligent than people believe, and can be taught any crime.” Mark Twain

V – Opinions about Cats

“A mouse in the paws is worth two in the pantry.” Louis Wain
 
“Rarely do you see a cat discomfited. They have no conscience, and they never regret.” B. Webster
 
 “Did St. Francis really preach to the birds? Whatever for? If he really likes the birds he would have done better to preach to the cat.” Rebecca West
 
 “A cat is a snake in furs.” Edith Wharton
 
“The phrase “domestic cat” is an oxymoron.” George Will
 
“Cats find malicious amusement in doing what they are not wanted to do, and that with an affection of innocence that materially aggravates their deliberate offense.” Helen Winslow, author
 
“Women, poets, and especially artists, like cats; delicate natures only can realize their sensitive nervous systems.” Helen Winslow
 
(The Gutenberg Project has a delightful free book:  Concerning Cats: My Own and Some Others by Helen M. Winslow)
 
“The trouble with cats is that they’ve got no tact.” P.G. Wodehouse, English humorist and writer
 
The real objection to the great majority of cats is their insufferable air of superiority.” P.G. Wodehouse

X, Y and Z

“It doesn’t matter if the cat is black, or white, as long as it catches mice.” Deng Xiaoping

Are you looking for a great name for your new kitten?

The very first thing you must do is obviously to be sure if the kitten is a female or male. That goes without saying.

Start off by making a list. Study the cat for a while. You may get some ideas by just observing the cat’s behavior.

You can also examine if the cat has any special or unusual marks on its coat.

Cat Names from Foreign Words

Maybe you want an unusual name. In that case try to agree on an adjective suitable to describing your cat.

Find out what that adjective is in another language and find cool cat names.

For example beautiful in Norwegian is “Vakker”. In Esperanto beautiful is “Bela”.

How about “love” in Esperanto “Amas”? Perhaps also appropriate “boss” in Esperanto which is “Estro”.

We all know the cat is the real boss in the home.

Historical Person or Politician

Another suggestion may be to choose your favorite person in history or in the political world.

That certainly was what Florence Nightingale chose to do.

She was a great lover of cats and owned 60 cats. She named her cats after famous politicians during her life time.

Cat Names From Fiction Stories

You could also choose the name of a favorite character from a novel which has made a lasting impression.

An all-time favorite is choosing a name from mythology.

List of Greek mythology names

List of Norse mythology names. If you have a female kitten, you may want to consider the Norse goddess Freyja. She was the goddess of love and witchcraft and the proud owner of two cats.

Movie or Cartoon Character

Another favorite is a movie character. You may just want to name your cat after your favorite cartoon cat.

The Naming of the Cats

“Cats” is the name of the superb musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T. S. Eliot. “The Naming of the Cats” is only one of the breathtaking songs in the musical.

If you are a fan of the musical, you could get some ideas from the cat names in the song.

“Jellicle” is a term meaning black and white cat.

Some of the cat names in this song are:

The everyday names such as: Peter, Augustus, Alonzo, James, Victor, Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey.

The fancier names such as: Plato, Admetus, Electra, or Demeter.

The peculiar and more dignified names such as: Munkustrap, Quaxo, Coricopat, Bombalurina, or Jellylorum.

There are millions of cat lovers in the world. Check out cat names of famous cat lovers and cat owners. Have fun finding the perfect name for your beloved cat.

List of known cat names

A

Apollinaris – Apollinaris was one of the cats owned by author Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens). He would choose difficult names for his cats to teach children the art of pronunciation.

Arthur – Arthur was the beautiful white cat who worked in advertising in England. See Working Cats

B

Bastet – The Cat Goddess in Ancient Egypt

Beethoven – Beethoven the name of one of Martha Stewart’s cats.

Beppo – Beppo was the name of one of the cats belonging to Lord Byron.

Bimbo – Bimbo was a white cat owned by the Swiss artist, Paul Klee (1879-1940). Klee was a huge cat lover and owned many cats.

Bing Clawsby – Name of cat belonging to Michael Feinstein.

Bismarck – Bismarck was the name of one of the 60 cats belonging to Florence Nightingale.

Blackie – Blackie became an extremely wealthy cat. Blackie inherited 15 million British Pounds from its owner Ben Rea.

Blatherskite – Blatherskite was what author Mark Twain named one of his cats.

Boy – Siamese belonging to Vivien Leigh

Brownie – Brownie became a very wealthy cat. The cat inherited $415 000 in 1963 when its owner (Dr. William Grier) died.

Bubbles – Name of cat belonging to Emma Watson.

C

Cake – The name of a cat belonging to Warren Beatty.

Calvin – Harriet Beecher Stowe – author of Uncle Tom’s cabin had a cat named Calvin. Calvin was described as an intelligent cat and often sat on Harriet Beecher Stowe’s shoulders as she wrote her manuscript.

Carlyle – Carlyle was the name of a Siamese cat belonging to Fred Astaire.

Caruso – Name of cat belonging to Roberta Flack.

Catarina – Edgar Allan Poe –American writer had a cat named Catarina.

Catasauqua – The name of the cat (a female Manx cat) created by Mark Twain in his bedtime story “Letters from the earth”.

Charo – Name of cat belonging to Yoko Ono.

Cheddar– Name of the cat belonging to Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada.

Cheeses – Name of cat belonging to Jay Leno.

Chopin – Chopin was the name of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s cat.

Cleo – Ronald Reagan had a cat named Cleo.

Cosy – name of the female Maine Coon cat which received the “Best in Show” reward in 1895.

Cyprian Cat – “The Cyprian Cat” by Dorothy Sayers is a horror short story. Moral do not harm the cat.

Cat Names D – G

Dililah – Dililah was the cat belonging to Freddie Mercury, singer in Queen.

Dinah – Dinah is Alice’s pet cat in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the looking glass” by Lewis Carroll. Dinah was the mother of the two kittens named Kitty and Snowdrop.

Disraeli– Disraeli was a large Persian cat belonging to Florence Nightingale.

Dog – Dog is the name of the cat in the hit song ” Walkin’ my cat named Dog“.

Dorofei – name of the Siberian cat belonging to President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia.

Duchess – Duchess was the name of the elegant Parisian cat in “The Aristocats”, a Walt Disney cartoon.

E

Elvis – Elvis was the name of the cat belonging to John Lennon.

F

Fabergé – Name of the female Burmese Cat who gave birth to the first Burmilla kittens.

Fats – Name of the female who gave birth to the first Burmilla kittens. – Name of one of the cats belonging to Ernest Hemingway.

Faye Raye – name of the first Singapura cat to arrive in Great Britain.

Figaro – Figaro is the name of the wood-carver Gepetto’s cat in the cartoon movie “Pinocchio”.

Foss – Foss was a Tabby Cat owned by author and artist, Edward Lear. Lear penned the famous rhyme “The owl and the Pussycat”.

F. Puss (Mr. Feather Puss) – Yellow-eyed cat belonging to Ernest Hemingway.

Furhouse – Name of one of the cats belonging to Ernest Hemingway.

G

Gabriella – Name of one of the first four Burmilla kittens to be born.

Galatea – Name of one of the first four Burmilla kittens to be born.

Garfield – The cartoon cat created by Jim Davis.

Gemma – Name of one of the first four Burmilla kittens to be born.

Gisella – Name of one of the first four Burmilla kittens to be born.

George – Name of a Somali cat belonging to Evelyn Mague.

George Pushdragon – Name of cat belonging to T. S. Eliot.

Gladstone – Name of a large Persian cat belonging to Florence Nightingale.

Gorgo – Name of the Siamese cat belonging to Frank Zappa.

Grimalkin – Grimalkin was the name of a cat belonging to Nostradamus.

Cat Names H – L

Hamlet – The name of all male cats residing at Algonquin hotel, New York. See Working Cats.

Heathcliff – Heathcliff is a cartoon cat created by George Gately in 1973. Heathcliff has appeared in over 700 newspapers.

Hot Dog – Hot Dog is the name of the cat belonging to Dennis in the cartoon series “Dennis the Menace” by Hank Ketcham.

J

Jess – Jess is the black and white cat from the children’s series “Postman Pat” produced by BBC.
Jock – One of Winston Churchill’s cats. The cat named Jock was mentioned in Churchill’s will and was secured guaranteed permanent residents in his country home.

K

Kirlee – name of the founding father of the Devon Rex cat breed.

Kallibunker – name of the founding father cat of the Cornish Rex cat breed.

Kitty – Kitty was one of the two kittens in “Through the looking glass” by Carroll Lewis. Kitty was a black cat. Dinah was the mother of the two kittens and was Alice’s pet cat. The other kitten was named Snowdrop and was white.

KinKin – the name of the first Bengal cat.

L

Lad – name of one of the first four Ragdoll cats to arrive in the U.K.

Lass – Name of one of the first four Ragdoll cats to arrive in the U.K.

Lamorna Cove – name of the first female Cornish Rex cat sent to the United States in 1957.

Cat Names M &N

Madame Butterfly – Name of one of the first Japanese Bobtail cats to arrive in the United States.

Marvis – Name of the male Turkish Angora cat to come to the United States in 1966.

Matilda – The name of all female cats residing at Algonquin hotel, New York. See Working Cats.

Micetto – Micetto was the name of the cat belonging to Pope Leo XII (1760-1829). Micetto was a large black-striped grayish red cat. The Pope adored Micetto.

Mike – Mike was the name of the famous cat at the British Museum in London. Mike (February 1909 – January 1929) guarded the gates of the British Museum. Time Magazine published two articles to him on his death.

Misty Malarky Yin Yang – The name of Amy Carter’s (daughter of President Jimmy Carter) Siamese cat.

Mitsou– Mitsou was the name of Marilyn Monroe’s white Persian cat.

Monsieur Tibault – The name of the cat in “King of Cats” by Stephen Vincent Benét. Monsieur Tibault conducts an orchestra facing the audience and using his tail as the baton.

Moppet – The name of the cat in “The story of Miss Moppet” by Beatrix Potter.

Morris – Morris was the cat that went from “rags to riches”. See Working Cats

Mozart – Mozart the name of one of Martha Stewart’s cats.

Mrs. Norris – name of the cat (a Maine Coon) in the Harry Potter movie.

Muezza – The Prophet Muhammad loved cats. His favorite cat was named Muezza.

Mussa – name of the female Siberian cat sent to Germany for breeding.

N

Nelson – Winston Churchill (Prime Minister of Great Britain) loved cats. He had a black cat named Nelson. He adored the cat, Nelson. Nelson slept in his bed. Churchill also always kept a special chair next to his own for Nelson at the dinner table and at the Cabinet Room.

Nemo – Nemo was a Siamese cat belonging to former Prime Minister Harold Wilson (Britain) and his wife, Mary.

Nora– Nora is the name of the gray tabby cat rescued from a shelter New Jersey. Nora became famous for “tapping” the piano. A CD of music with one song incorporating Nora’s piano playing has been released by the Laurel Canyon Animal Company.

Cat Names O-S

Ollie – Ollie is an orange-colored cartoon cat created by Harry Hargreaves.

Orangey – Orangey was the red tabby cat that stared in the movie “Breakfast Tiffany’s”. In the movie Orangey played the role of “Cat”. See Working Cats

Otto – Otto was the name of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s cat. Webber composed the famous musical “Cats”.

P

Patripatan – Name of the white cat that went to heaven to pick a flower for its owner.

Patsy – Patsy was a black cat owned by Charles Lindbergh, the airplane pilot famous for making the solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927.

Pebbles – Name of cat belonging to Susan Boyle

Pepper – Pepper was a Hollywood cat. Pepper had film roles in Charlie Chaplin films.

Poldhu – name of the male Cornish Rex cat, son Kallibunker (founding father)

Prim – Name of one of the first four Ragdoll cats to arrive in the U.K.

Proper – Name of one of the first four Ragdoll cats to arrive in the U.K.

Prudence – Name of a blue Persian cat belonging to Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau of France.

Prune – The name of the hairless cat used to breed the Sphynx Cat.

Pulcinella – Name of the cat belonging to Domenico Scarlatti. (October 26, 1685 –July 23, 1757). He was an Italian composer.

His cat loved to walk across the keyboard. Scarlatti composed the popular sonata Fugue in G minor, Kk. 30 after listening to the sounds of Pulcinella crossing the keyboard of his harpsichord. It later gained the nickname “The Cat’s Fugue”.

Punky – Punky was the name of one of the cats belonging to Doris Day.

Pyewacket – The name of the Siamese movie star cat in the movie “Bell, Book and Candle”.
S
Saeng Duan – name of one of the first Korat cats to arrive in Britain. Saeng Duan was a female Korat cat.

Sam – name of the male Korat cat which was one of the first to arrive in Britain.

Sara – Sara was the name of a cat belonging to Ronald Reagan.

Sinh – Sinh was the name of the “Sacred Cat of Burma”.

Shan – President Gerald Ford’ daughter, Susan had a Siamese cat named Shan.

Shulamith – Name of one of the first American Curl Cats

Siam – Siam was the name of the first Siamese cat to arrive in the United States in 1879. Siam was a gift to Lucy Webb Hayes, wife of President Rutherford Hayes from the American Consul in Bangkok.

Sizi – Sizi was Albert Sweitzer’s cat. He was a French Missionary in Africa and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Slippers – Cat belonging to Theodore Roosevelt (President of the USA). Slippers was a gray tabby cat with six-toed feet.

Solomon – Solomon was a movie star cat. Solomon played in “Diamonds are forever” and “Clockwork Orange”.

Snooks – Female Scottish Fold cat. Daughter of Susie.

Snowdrift – Name of a Founding father cat of the Scottish Fold cat breed.

Snowdrop – Snowdrop was the name of the white kitten in “Through the looking glass” by Carroll Lewis. Dinah was the mother of the two kittens and was Alice’s pet cat. The other kitten was named Kitty and was black.

Sprite – Name of cat belonging to Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes

Susie – This white female cat with the folded ears found on a farm in Scotland.

Sybil – Sybil was a black and white cat living at 11 and 10 Downing Street. The cat was named after Sybil Fawlty from the TV show Fawlty Towers. Sybil was Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office.

Cat Names T-Z

Tabby – Tabby was the first cat to reside in the White House. Tabby moved to the White House with Abraham Lincoln.

Taki – Taki was a black Persian cat belonging to the author Raymond Chandler.

Tama – Tama was the name of the Japanese Beckoning Cat. See Lucky Cat

Tibs – Tibs was the name of a cat employed at the London Post Office Headquarters. See Working Cats

Tiger – Emilie Brontë had a cat named Tiger. President Calvin Coolidge also had a cat named Tiger.

Tima – name of the male Siberian cat sent to Germany for breeding.

Tom – Tom is the famous cartoon cat in the cartoon called “Tom and Jerry”.

Tommy – Tommy was one of the cats the family of Anne Frank found when they moved into the attic in 1942.

Tonga – name of first ever Ocicat

Tonto – Tonto is the name of the ginger tabby cat in the movie “Harry and Tonto”. See working cats.

Topaz– Topaz was the name of the cat belonging to Tennessee Williams.

Towser – Towser was the name of the cat at the Glenturret Distillery in Scotland. See Working Cats

Tuffy – Name of the cat belonging to Ann-Margret.

V

Vashka – a Russian Blue Cat owned by Nicholas I.

Verdi – Verdi name of one of Martha Stewart’s cats.

Vivaldi – Vivaldi name of one of Martha Stewart’ cats.

W

Wankee – Wankee was born in 1895. Wankee was the first Siamese cat to become U.K. champion (1898)

White Heather – White Heather was the name of the black and white Persian belonging to Queen Victoria.

Wilberforce – Wilberforce was the name of the cat mouser who resided at number 10 Downing Street, London from 1973 – 1986.

Williamina – Williamina was the name of the cat belonging to Charles Dickens. Her name was originally William until she had kittens. Dickens properly gave her the new name: Williamina. Williamina promptly moved her kittens into Dickens’ study.

Wiscus – One of the cats belonging to T. S. Eliot

Wong Mau – Female matriarch cat of most of the Burmese cats in the United States.

Y

Yaman – Name of the female Turkish Angora cat that came to the United States in 1966.

Yildiz – The name of the male Turkish Angora cat that came to the United States in 1962. Yildiz was odd-eyed.

Yildizcik – The name of the female Turkish Angora Cat that came to the United States in 1962.

Yodie – the name of the founding cat of the American Bobtail Cat breed.

Z

Zero – Name of cat belonging to Billie Joe Armstrong

Zoroaster – Zoroaster was the name of one of the cats owned by Mark Twain. He was a huge cat lover.

Zula – the name of the Abyssinian cat brought back from Abyssinia in 1968.

Here is a collection of cat songs. Some are oldies but goodies, others are newer.

As we find more sings about cats they will be added.

Enjoy and sing along!

Comic Duet for Two Cats

Les Petits Chanteurs a la Croix de Bois is really a most enjoyable piece of music.

It was composed by the Italian composer Gioachino Antonio Rossini (February 29, 1792 – November 13, 1868).

He deservingly became one of the most popular opera composers in history. Rossini has often been called “The Italian Mozart.” In “Comic duet for two cats” cat and music lovers will absolutely love the meowing up and down the scales.

Ballad of Daykitty

The American musician and songwriter, Louis Knox Barlow (born July 17, 1966) has an excellent performance of Ballad of Daykitty.

If you are not yet acquainted with this piece of music, you as a cat lover may very well be in for a pleasant surprise.

Stray Cat Strut

The American Rockabilly band “Stray Cats” was formed in 1980 are an American Rockabilly band formed in 1980 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer, bassist Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom (drums).

One of the hit singles in the UK, Australia and the U.S. was “Stray Cat Strut”.

“Stray Cat Strut” remains a favorite among cat lovers all around the world. It was first released in the U.K. in 1981

The Cat Came Back – an old cat song

“The Cat Came Back” is an old popular folksong written by Harry Miller in 1893.

Since then there have been made many versions of the song.

It is a story about Ole Mister Johnson who had a cat he was trying to get rid of, but the cat kept coming back. There are many verses in this song. No matter what happens, this cat certainly does not give up.

“But de cat came back, he couldn’t stay no long-er, Yes de cat came back de very next day, De cat came back—thought she were a goner, But de cat came back for it wouldn’t stay away.”

Another version goes like this:

Now old Mr. Johnson had some troubles of his own, He had a scarlet cat that just wouldn’t leave his home, He tried and he tried to give the cat away, He gave it to a man going far, far away. Chorus But the cat came back the very next day, The cat came back; they thought he was a goner.

The cat came back, he just wouldn’t stay away.

Tom Cat

The Rooftop Singers was a popular American folk singing trio in the 1960’s. Erik Darling, Bill Svanoe and Lynne Tayler were the three members of the group. Their great hit was “Walk right in”.

They also performed the cat song “Tom Cat”. If you love music from the good old sixties, you may consider adding “Tom Cat” to your cat song collection.

In and Out Cat Song

In and out cat song is a wonderful song. Anyone who has an indoor – outdoor cat can easily relate to this song.

It really describes what it is like to actually be your cat’s butler. Your cat is the boss for sure! The only solution may be to install a cat door.

The Amazing Cat

The Amazing Cat is a children’s song about a boy and a beautiful, huge black cat.

This is an old classic.

Dililah

The British rock band Queen formed in London in 1971 has a totally awesome song called Delilah. Delilah is a song devoted to and about Freddie Mercury’s tortoiseshell cat.

Delilah is a track on Queen’s thirteenth studio album, Innuendo (1991).

This was the last to be released while lead singer Freddie Mercury was still alive. Mercury died November 24, 1991. Delilah is absolutely precious. If you haven’t heard it yet, you are really in for a treat!

Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog

The American Folk singer, Norma Cecilia Tanega (born 30 January 1939) wrote a loveable song called “Walkin’ my Cat Named Dog” It made the #22 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1966. It made the top of the list in London.

This delightful song should be in every cat lover’s music collection! This is a cat song that really sticks in your head. You will find yourself singing it for days. You just might want to start walking your own cat!

Cats – The Musical

The musical named Cats is an all-time favorite! The musical is composed by Lloyd Webber.

Webber based Cats on Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (1939). Lloyd Webber has on several occasions revealed this book was a favorite during his childhood.

Cats had its premiere performance in the West End at the New London Theatre on 11 May 1981. The musical was soon to become a global sensation and remains so to this day.

There are so many outstanding songs in the musical; Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats

The Naming of Cats (see kitty cat names), Mr. Mistoffelees, Memory – just to name a few.

“Jellicle” is a black and white cat.

Smelly Cat Song

We also have the famous or infamous song “Smelly Cat”. It all depends on your taste of music – and your preferences in TV series. Fans of “Friends” do enjoy this cat song.

Smelly cat, smelly cat

What are they feeding you?

Smelly cat, smelly cat

It’s not your fault

They won’t take you to the vet

You’re obviously not their favorite pet

You may not be a bed of roses

You’re not friend to those with noses

Smelly cat, smelly cat

What are they feeding you

Smelly cat, smelly cat

It’s not your fault

Lady and the tramp – The Siamese Cat Song

Cat in the Window

Petula Clark

Howell the Good – Cat History

Hywel Dda (880-950), Prince of Wales is a man every cat lover needs to know about. He truly was someone special and very deservingly was known as “Howell the Good”.

In the year 936 he passed laws about cats to ensure protection of our favorite animal.

He argued that an animal with such high value as a pest-controller should be respected and protected in society.

Howell the Good became King of the Britons and is commemorated as one of the most conscientious Welsh rulers in history. “Dda” was the word meaning good. This king is particularly know for the laws he introduced; the Laws of Hywel Dda.

Howell the Good was an extremely well educated man. He mastered English, Latin and Welsh. In 928 He went on a pilgrimage to Rome. He was the first Welsh prince to do so.

The Laws of Hywel Dda covered most parts of society and were greatly recognized for civilizing and protecting lives of people and animals.

Among other things, he improved the rights of women. As this page is about the history of cats, it is with great fascination we take a closer look at the laws concerning cats.

The Value of Cats

Howell the Good passed laws putting a price on the cats and making it a crime to steel cats. In his kingdom the following laws were out into practice defining the value of cats:

1. The worth of a kitten from the night it is kittened until it has opened its eyes is a legal penny.

2. And from the time, until it shall kill mice, two legal penny.

3. And after it shall kill mice, four legal pence.

Furthermore if a cat failed to catch mice or if a female cat failed to produce new kittens, the owner was entitled to getting back one third of the money he had paid for the cat.

There were penalties for killing or stealing a cat. The laws for killing a cat were rather queer.

The following procedure was to be followed if a cat had been killed or stolen:

“The worth of a cat that is killed or stolen; its head is to be put downwards upon a clean even floor, with its tail lifted upwards, and thus suspended, whilst wheat is poured about it, until the tip of its tail be covered; and that is to be its worth; if the corn cannot be had, a milch sheep with her lamb and her wool, is of its value; if it be a cat which guards the king’s barn.”

It was also stated in the Laws of Howell the Good that three animals had the same worth: a filly (a filly is a young female horse usually under the age of four), a calf, and a cat.