Top Ten Tuesday | Cat got your name

Posted on by Jess @ Jessticulates Posted in Top Ten TuesdayTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week’s theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week’s theme is ‘Characters I’d Name a Pet After (submitted by Nushu @ Not A Prima Donna Girl)’, which is such a fun prompt!

I decided to be a little more specific this week and choose ten characters whose names I think would suit a black cat.

I’ve never owned a cat – we had hamsters and guinea pigs growing up, not cats and dogs – and I’ve always considered myself a dog person, but the older I get the more I realise wouldn’t mind owning a cat one day while I live in a little witch cottage. I’ve always loved black cats, and it’s so sad that they’re often not adopted from shelters because people are superstitious, so today I’m going to show them some love.

Thackery Binx from Hocus Pocus (1993)

I know this is cheating considering Binx spends most of Hocus Pocus as a black cat, but Binx is such a good name and I’ve adored this film since I was a little girl.

Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Cats are often arseholes, so who could possibly be a better namesake than the Bastard of the Barrel? Kaz is one of my favourite characters and I would happily name a black cat after him.

© spacepandar

Mogget from Sabriel by Garth Nix

I’ve loved Mogget ever since I first read Sabriel and I’ve always thought it would be so cool to come across a cat who shares his name. There must be a Nix fan out there somewhere with a cat called Mogget.

Theta Knight from The Diviners by Libba Bray

A black cat called Theta would be the classiest cat in town. Let’s just hope she wouldn’t share her namesake’s ability to burn down houses.

Carmilla from Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

What better name for a cat than everyone’s favourite lesbian vampire? Let’s face it, there’s something inherently goth about black cats so naming one after a vampire feels very on brand.

© Kelley McMorris

Noemí Taboada from Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The heroine of a horror novel seems like the perfect namesake for a black cat, and I think Noemí has the right attitude for a cat, too.

Sybella d’Albret from Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

Apparently the meaning of Sybella is ‘seer’ or ‘oracle’ and it honestly wouldn’t surprise me if cats were secretly prophets, but I think Sybella is another character who’d definitely be a cat if she were an animal.

© niru

Cardan Greenbriar from The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Not only is Cardan a complete drama queen, but he even has a cat’s tail. Cat Sidhe can be found in Celtic mythology, so I think any faerie name would work well for a cat!

Merricat Blackwood from We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

If I didn’t name a cat Binx or Kaz, I think Merricat would be my top name of choice. It’s been a while since I read this classic horror, but I’ve never forgotten it.

© Janaina

Sorcha from Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

Throughout this list I’ve been inspired by dark-haired characters, and Sorcha is another character with black hair. Considering her own encounters with the fae folk, I’d say she’s a pretty good namesake for a black cat.

What did you talk about this week?

61 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday | Cat got your name”

  2. Reply
    thebookishlibra says:

    I agree that all faerie names just seem perfect for cats. I also really love Kaz for a cat. It just works so well, so much so that if I could rename my cat, that’s what I would go with because he is a total a**hole most of the time, haha.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Reply
    Jen at Introverted Reader says:

    Merricat almost made it onto my list but I already had 10 by the time I thought of her and didn’t feel like changing anything.

    My brother-in-law and his wife have two black cats. I think. They’ve rescued one more since the last time I visited and I can’t remember what the last one looks like. But the black cats are Smeagol and Reepicheep. I think Smeagol is particularly fitting.

    Great list!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Reply
    readingrecluses says:

    Love the idea of a cat named Kaz. So cute. He’d be all grumpy but secretly a total sweetheart. I was thinking of adding him for my TTT too but I think I’ve mentioned my love of Six of Crows too much on my blog. Great list!

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Reply
    dinipandareads says:

    I was thinking about whether to pick Kaz for this week’s list but I just knew he would probably end up being the most popular name so I passed on him (and I was right so far)! Haha! I think I would name a pet Kaz though 😂 Cardan would be a great name too! Great list, Jess 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Reply
    HerBookishDesires says:

    I love your list and what you did with the topic!! These are all wonderful names. I have only had a couple of cats in my life and I am now somewhat allergic so it would be hard for me to have one, but if I were ever able to get a cat, I would definitely want a black cat with green eyes. They are such beautiful creatures! And if I ever get a black cat or someone is in need of names, I will have to refer to your TTT list 🙂
    Great post!

    My TTT: https://herbookishdesires.wordpress.com/2020/11/17/top-ten-tuesday-characters-id-name-a-pet-after/

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Reply
    Mareli Thalwitzer says:

    I also have Merricat! It’s such a great name for a cat, but what if the cat ends up poisoning me?? I do have a beautiful black cat, he has had his one or two moments of fame on the blog. He’s the only one of our pets not named after a character. My husband named him and he is not all that creative with name giving. I do hope that you will end up with a lovely cat in your cottage one day. They are such great creatures.

    Here’s my I was named after

    Liked by 1 person

  30. Reply
    Annemieke says:

    Oh Merricat is a fun name.

    We always had dogs at home because I was allergic for most of my youth years to cats. But husband is not at all a dog person and since my allergies have gotten quite a bit less as an adult we have had cats since we moved here in 2011. The last cat we got was a black kitten Summer 2019. She’s so pretty. We called her Aiko.

    Liked by 1 person

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