opinions on shelby?

[Tink]

can you change the name of a nine year old cat?
i keep thinking of the older cats and the humane society and how their names must change...but i'm not sure.
what's your take?

[Soupie]

I changed the name of a 13 year old cat ... she wa called Chaucer and it was an awful name for a petite elegant black female so she is now called Portia She knows her name NOW and always knows when I am talking to her

[smudgley]

Personally I wouldn't change an animals name, that's who they are & their identidy, if I have a cat in & it has a name I always keep their name & never change it, regardless of what it is.
However from the cats point of view they probably won't be too bothered so I'm sure you could if you really wanted to.

[Elaine]

I dont think it matters if you change her name or not, she has absolutely no idea what you are saying anyway Cats and animals in general dont address eachother by name, humans are the only animals that use names.

[Moli]

Murphy is 10, and as we did not know his name, sons, girlfriend named him, I have had him 3 weeks and he responds to Murphy no bother...

[angieh]

I don't think it would matter to the cat, Tink and if you are happier with another name then change it. But I would try and change to a similar sound perhaps. "Chaucer" and "Portia" could sound quite similar to use Soupie's example. So "Shelby" could become "Elvi" or something similar. You could always try it out and as Elaine says, cats don't use names (or at least, we don't think they do!)

[Kazz]

Now see I am not sure about that.....I kow it sounds silly but if I said the Sal...where's Oscar...she would go to him same as where's Cleo....the dogs would go to Cleo....I could say to Oz.....where's Cleo and he would potter in that direction....but maybe thats association....but why change her name don't you like it????

[dandysmom]

They may not know their names exactly, but they do respond to the sound they recognize when you call/speak to them, I think. Patches and Leia were named when I got them; neither was the name I would have chosen, but they did know it, so kept them. I suppose if you did change it she'd learn the new association, as Murphy did ......

[ellenlouise]

Maybe if you were worried you could just change the name to a similar sounding one e.g. Neo could change to Leo. Only an idea but may help

[angieh]

Originally Posted by Kazz

Now see I am not sure about that.....I kow it sounds silly but if I said the Sal...where's Oscar...she would go to him same as where's Cleo....the dogs would go to Cleo....I could say to Oz.....where's Cleo and he would potter in that direction....but maybe thats association....but why change her name don't you like it????

You have obviously been owned by very intelligent animals Kazz!