Hissterically Wacky Names These 20+ Shelter Cats Had Before Finding Furever Homes: 'Catalie Portman'

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Jul 20, 2024 4:00 AM EDT

If you have an adopted cat or have even been to a shelter to visit all of the adoptable felines, you know that they sometimes have some seriously wacky names. If you're bored, why don't you pull up a website of adoptable cats and purruse yourself through their very…unique names. When I adopted my doggo, his shelter name was Helmes. Eventually, I changed it, but honestly, the name kind of fit. He has the personality of a grumpy old man, so I'd say the shelter workers were pretty spot on in coming up with Helmes. At the same shelter, there was Sharknado Joe, a white Pitbull bursting with energy and completely oblivious to his own size, so I'd say that name suited him quite well, too. But the cats might have the shelter dogs topped. Quite a few hoomans chimed into this Reddit thread below to share what names their felines were given at the shelter before they changed them. So, if you're in the mood for a good laugh, keep scrolling. 

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  • 01
    r/cats • 14 hr. ago purpleasphalt What's the dumb name O your cat was given before you adopted them?
    via u/purpleasphalt
  • 02
    My cat was originally named Frostine which my partner and I think is the dumbest name in the world. (My apologies if this is your pet's name and you love it.)
    via u/purpleasphalt
  • 03
    sensitive_3gg • 2d ago Plastic Bag. He was found in a plastic bag at 3mo so I adopted him from the rescue I worked for. Renamed him Plastic Kroger Bag.
    via u/sensitive_3gg
  • 04
    Starry_Princess • 2d ago One of my cats name was Hachico (because when they found her, she was sitting on a bus station every day, like she was waiting for someone)
    via u/Starry_Princess
  • 05
    that_dog_ 2d ago Kind of the opposite of what you asked, but one of mine was named Eric and I thought it was so hilarious that we kept it. We usually call him Rick for short tho lol
    via u/that_dog_
  • 06
    Cheezburger Image 10376280320
    via u/that_dog_
  • 07
    • DidSomebodySayCats 2d ago Shelter names are often terrible, but have some grace! They try not to have too many repeats to avoid confusion and the good ones get used up fast. Cats don't care if you rename them. My cats were named Cleo, Flutterby, Winter, and Coconut by shelters. Flutterby I hated but the rest were fine, just didn't fit in my opinion, especially "Coconut" for an all-black cat. So I renamed them all!
    via u/DidSomebodySayCats
  • 08
    magizz9 2d ago not my cat, but a cat on my friend's neighborhood. they call him Ugly Sh*t It's because he would always look soo dirty. But they do feed him. One neighbor even tried adopting him, but he just wants to be free. running around the neighborhood. Almost everyone knows him there.
    via u/magizz9
  • 09
    AmiableSloth • 2d ago My girl actually had two names! She was so frightened/grumpy/antisocial when she first got to the shelter that they named her Frumpkin. Once she was out of the kennel area and being kept in an office where she could let her guard down, they renamed her Daisy. Neither fit her, but if I had to pick between the two, Frumpkin is closer lol
    via u/AmiableSloth
  • 10
    Historical_Rub_309 • 2d ago Belarus and we stuck with it because: (1) it's the right thing to do; (2) it's fun to say; and (3) more attention should be be paid to the last dictatorship in Europe that also had a recent successful coup.
    via u/Historical_Rub_309
  • 11
    Cheezburger Image 10376280064
    via u/Historical_Rub_309
  • 12
    Select Driver_6671 2d ago • My babies name was and is Catalie Portman. We call her Catty or Chatty Catty because she loves to talk.
    via u/Select Driver_6671
  • 13
    stock_broker_tim • 2d ago Pringle. She is now appropriately name Lucy. And I love her
    via u/stock_broker_tim
  • 14
    LovleySparkle • 2d ago My black and white cat who is currently named Figero's name was FATTY. And he was severely underweight too omg.
    via u/LovleySparkle
  • 15
    Low_Bit4119 • 2d ago Sam and Peaches i hate both names and they couldnt fit worse. Named them kika and lilly
    via u/Low_Bit4119
  • 16
    No_Elephant1511 • 2d ago I volunteer at a shelter and am sometimes called upon to give kittens (& puppies) names for the records. With no warning, err, the mind's a blank. Last year I did manage to name a load of kittens after musicians, I wonder what happened to Freddie, Brian, John and Roger.
    via u/No_Elephant1511
  • 17
    I'm also on the receiving end of course, one of the kittens I took home last year was named Eti. Is that even a name? I'd already been calling him Mr. Brown for weeks when I found out, so the records got changed. The same with Karamela this year, although if I'd have known her name was Beti I might not have changed it, just the spelling.
    via u/No_Elephant1511
  • 18
    I don't really think it's important, as long as they get a name. But don't name your cat "Mico" (= without the slang overtones) and if I meet another dog named "Medo" (=Teddybear) I'll scream. We actually have a Medo but we call him Ted.
    via u/No_Elephant1511
  • 19
    TheSublimeNeuroG • 2d ago
    via u/TheSublimeNeuroG
  • 20
    His original name was ‘Baby' He is now known as Huxley
    via u/TheSublimeNeuroG
  • 21
    queeniesmh • 2d ago 1978 S'S
    via u/queeniesmh
  • 22
    This is tater tot. I was originally going to name her something cool, like Nebula or Nyx or something mythology related. But the person I adopted her from named her tater tot, and I thought it was stupid because 'my name ideas are so much cooler...." But, I'm a people pleaser and I didn't dare change her name. And it's grown on me. We also call her miss taternator, like the terminator.
    via u/queeniesmh
  • 23
    Plastic Bag. He was found in a plastic bag at 3mo so I adopted him from the rescue | worked for. Renamed him Plastic Kroger Bag. T
    via Dora Nagy

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fluffy felines aww hilarious haha feline funnies adorable cat adoption cat pictures animal rescue cute hooman lol feline meow pet names reddit thread animal shelter Reddit Cats funny animals
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