You have always loved cats . . .
Perhaps you have dreamed of becoming a cat breeder for many years.
Finally, you have the time and money to follow your dream and start your own cattery.
Your goal is to produce beautiful, healthy, adorable kittens.
The adventure begins! Choosing the perfect cattery name is part of the fun and excitement of taking your first steps along the road to being a cat breeder.
Some breeders have a name picked out long before they even have their first cat. Others spend hours coming up with something totally unique and perfect. Other people are at a loss what to call their cattery :-)...
So, how DO you choose a cattery name?
Since there is no point in trying to register a cattery name that will be automatically rejected, the place to begin is knowing your registering organizations rule's for choosing your cattery name . . .
For example, the Rules Governing the Acceptability of a Cattery Name in CFA include:
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Cattery names will not be duplicated. For a list of cattery names already chosen, go to http://www.cfainc.org/Breeders/CatteryNameIndex.aspx
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The cattery name cannot exceed 12 characters, including dashes, hyphens and blanks. No other punctuation is allowed.
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A given name, such as Frank or John, cannot be used.
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Titles such as Princess, Earl or Madam cannot be used.
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The cattery name cannot be the name of a recognized breed.
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Words or names that have been used extensively in the naming of cats may not be used, e.g. Ming or Pyewacket
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Cattery names, once registered, cannot be changed. If you wish to use a different cattery name in the future, you will need to reapply for a new name. Breeders may have more than one registered cattery name
The above are the rules for CFA. If registering a cattery name with a different organization, you can usually check their rules on their national website. |
Be Creative
Being creative is part of the fun of choosing a cattery name.
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Create a name by combining letters from your first and last name
- Create a name by combining the names of your children
- Create a name from a hobby or a favorite saying
- Create a name from the breed Characteristic: Breeders of American Curls and Scottish Folds are among some of the best at this.
- Name your cattery after a favorite feline
- Name your cattery after a favorite book or and characters/places in the book.
- Name your cattery after something that has a personal meaning to you — where you live, what you do for a living, a hobby . . .
Cattery Name Usage
PREFIX: When a cattery name is registered with CFA, cats bred by the owner(s) of the name shall carry the cattery name as a prefix.
SUFFIX: A new owner of record may add their registered cattery name as a suffix (preceded by "of") when the name of the cat will not exceed the limit of 35 characters.
Cattery suffixes may come and go as a cat changes ownership. The original breeder's cattery name remains forever. |
If you choose a long cattery name with many letters, you may run into a problem adding it to a cat's name purchased from another breeder. |
In CFA, To Complete the Cattery Name Registration Application:
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List your first, second, third and fourth choice for a cattery name.
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DO NOT LIST A NAME YOU DO NOT WANT.
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If you wish, you can email your chosen name(s) to registration@cfainc.org and they will let you know if it is available.
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Complete the name and address information for the cattery owner.
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If more than one owner, please list each additional owner.
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Original signatures are required.
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NOTE: Leave the Breeder # field empty - this number will be assigned to you by CFA.
If you sell cats to breeders working in cat organizations other than your own, it may be beneficial to register your cattery name in their cat registry in addition to your own. |