For some reason, shy cats just tug at your heart. You just want to pick them up, hold them, and tell them that everything’s going to be all right. But it’s not easy befriending, let alone adopting, a timid cat. If you’ve got your heart set on taking one home, wouldn’t it be great if you’ve got a shortlist of shy cat names you can try out on your new pet?
One of the keys to taming a shy cat is to use a gentle approach. Pet names fitting for shy cats are usually gentle-sounding, so when you baptize your new feline pet with such a name, and even if you call out the name a hundred times, the cat won’t feel threatened or scared.
To help you choose a name for your pet, we’ve organized this list for you. Just for fun and a play on your cat’s timid character, we’ll start off with cat names that begin with the word “Shy.” We will then take a look at some of the most widely-used cute cat names. We’ve also included a list of cat names with a twist and pun. Just for an international feel, we’ll also check out how “shy” and “timid” are said in other languages.
“Shy-” Names For Shy Cats
Names that start with “Shy” are not very common and if you choose one for your cat, you get the added benefit of having a rare name for your pet’s moniker. These names are just absolutely great for your pet because they sound gentle and they also capture your pet’s most notable characteristic.
Names Beginning With "Shy" Gender Origin/Meaning/Description
Shyam Male Indian; dark complexion; a perfect name for dark-furred shy cats
Shyama Female Sanskrit; black beauty; perfect for female dark-furred cats
Shyan/Shyana Female Dakota; unintelligible speakers; for that shy cat that you just can't figure out
Shyane Male Persian; deserving; for that timid cat that deserves your love
Shycea/Shycee Female Native American; a quiet child; a very apt name for quiet, shy cats
Shyhan Male Gaelic; little peaceful one; it's the best name for any shy cat
Shylah Male Native American; one who is brotherly; great for your timid but affectionate cat
See Also:How Do Cats Show Affection
Shylin Female Chinese; intellectual; for that shy but obviously smart cat
Shyloh/Shiloh Male Hebrew; "His gift" or "He who has been sent"; for that cat that's been sent to you like a present from heaven
Shyman Female German; shoemaker; for that shy cat that loves to play with shoes
Shyn/Shin Female Korean; faith; for that shy cat that showed faith in you
Shyno/Shino Male Japanese; bamboo stem; for that cat that's as steadfast as a bamboo
Shyriki Male Native American; like a coyote; for that shy cat that also has a bit of a wild side to him
Shyrin Female Persian; charming or pleasant; great name for a shy cat that has charmed you
Shysheer Male Sanskrit; born during the winter
Shyva/Shiva Male Sanskrit; kind or benign; for that shy but kind cat
Popular, Cute Names For Shy Cats
These cute names absolutely show how much you adore your shy cat. No doubt your new pet will warm up to you in no time and overcome his/her shyness.
You might have heard of other cats with the same name, but who can resist the cuteness of names like Cuddles and Buttercup? They’re simply perfect for the pet that you always want to hold close to you.
Name Meaning/Description
Bambi Cute name for both male and female kittens, from Bambina, meaning ‘young girl’ in Italian or from the Walt Disney animation
Bashful A cute, descriptive name for your timid cat
Bella An Italian word meaning ‘beautiful’; perfect for your pretty little shy kitten
Bitsy Perfect name for timid tiny kittens
Blossom Whether it's for blossom like the flower or the popular kids' cartoon character, it's just an absolutely adorable name to call your pet with
See Also:Flower Names for Cats
Blush Shy people often blush, and this just makes an adorable name for your shy kitten
Bonbon A sweet little thing covered in chocolate, just like your choco-colored kitten
Boo Perfect name for cats with huge eyes that always look surprised
Booboo Repetitive names are just so cute for pets, just like Bonbon
Bubbles Perfect for timid cats that you can hardly pet
Bumble Great for timid cats that are always floundering around the house. Or, you can use this name as a shortened version of Bumblebee, another cute name
Bundles For cats that are like your very own bundles of joy
Bunny or Bunny Rabbit Cute name for bunny-like kittens—Ragdolls, for example, a cat breed said to have rabbit-like hair
Butterball A cute name that's perfect for butter-colored cats
Buttercup Just like a term of endearment, it's a sweet name showing that you really care for your feline pet
Button For kittens that are as cute as a button
Care Bear Care to cuddle? You can always name your pet after cuddly things
Chickadee An absolutely cute name for any shy cat or any other pets for that matter
Chinchilla Shy at first, chinchillas become more social after getting to know their owner better, which is exactly what you'd like with your new shy kitten
See Also: How to Get a Kitten to Like You
Chipmunk An adorable name for cats with long bushy tails and stripes on their backs
Cuddle Bug A great name for a pet that you always want to cuddle
Dewdrop Perfect for a pet that's as precious as a dewdrop
Domino Cute name for black and white cats
Dreambell For that cat that's always sleeping and dreaming
Fawn If your cat is as shy as a fawn, this will be the best name for your pet
Flipper For that shy cat that loves flipping things around
Hobo A most fitting name for that stray timid cat that you brought home
Hopper Perfect for little kittens that hop at the tiniest sound you make
Huggie or Huggy Bear A most fitting name for that pet that you always want to hug
Jazzy If you love jazz, this will be a great name for your feline baby
Jelly Belly Pet names that rhyme are on a different level of cuteness
Jellybean A sweet name for your timid pet
Jiggles A nice name for your jiggling and wriggling cute little kitten
Kitkat A classic cute name for cats
Kiwi Fruit names for pets are just adorable
Lollipop A sweet name for a sweet cat
Moonbeam Just like Sunshine, this one's an endearing pet name
Mouse Perfect for a cat that's as quiet as a mouse
Muppet An endearing name for a shy but foolish kitten
Nibbles Fun and cute, a great name for cats that just love to nibble on your stuff
Nibs Short for Nibbles but no less cute
Panda Perfect for cats that are as cuddly as pandas
Patches Sweet name for cats with patches on their fur
Peaches Another sweet fruit name, perfect for furry white or orange kittens
Pipsqueak Great name for tiny timid kittens
Pocket Perfect for that tiny bundle of fur that you can just keep in your pocket
Polkadot Cute name for spotted cats
Pookie An endearment for a cute little pet
Poppy A cutesy flower-inspired name for your feline pet
Puddin or Pudding A cute name for a pet that you're absolutely crazy about
Schmoopy An endearing name for a pet that you're simply crazy about
Skittles A sweet name for your bite-sized bundle of furry cuteness
Snickers Something sweet for that pet that just makes you smile and laugh all day
Snookums Sweetie pie, pumpkin, cupcake... Snookums is just as sweet a name for your feline pet
Snowball A cute name that's just perfect for furry all-white cats
See Also:White Cat Names
Snuggles Great name for a pet that loves to snuggle
Snuggly Adorable name for a snuggly furry cat
Snugums A play on snookums and snuggle; simply great for your beloved cat
Squiggle A name for a cat that's seriously cute
Stumbles If you just stumbled on a stray cat and brought him/her home, this would be the perfect name for them
Taffy Perfect for any sweet little pet
Tim or Timmy Short for timid; perfect for your shy cat
Truffles Truffles are sweet, and so is your pet
Twiggie A cute name for a skinny cat
See Also:How to Help a Cat Gain Weight
Wiggles An adorable name for a timid, fidgety cat
Winky Perfect name for cute little kittens that just love to sleep all day
Yuki Japanese for ‘happiness’; a perfect name for that pet that simply gives you joy
Ziggy A cute name for an amazing pet
Cat Names With a Twist
If you’re fond of playing with words, there are a gazillion names you can make up for your cat. Take a look at these fun, witty, fancy, and adorable made up monikers based on the names of famous people. And, hopefully, you’ll be inspired to come up with one for your feline pet.
Cat Name Definition
Bob Meowerly From Bob Marley, reggae legend
Butch Catsidy From Butch Cassidy, American train robber of notorious fame
Cat Damon From Matt Damon, Academy Award winner and one of the highest grossing actors of all time
Cat Stevens British singer-songwriter
Catness Everdeen or Catnip Everdeen From Katniss Everdeen, the lead role in theHunger Gamestrilogy
Catty Middleton or Cat Middleton From Catherine Elizabeth "Kate" née Middleton; Prince William's beloved wife
See Also:Royal Cat Names
Catty Winslet or Cat Winslet From Kate Winslet, a famous lead actress ofTitanic
Chairman Meow From Chairman Mao, China's former leader; Chairman Mao also works because Mao means ‘cat’ in Chinese
Cindy Clawford From Cindy Crawford, famous supermodel
Dalai Clawma From Dalai Lama, perfect name for a peace-loving cat
David Meowie From David Bowie, the famous English singer-songwriter and actor
Demi Meower From Demi Moore, famous actress, director, and producer
Fidel Catstro From Fidel Castro, notorious Cuban leader
Furtrude Stein From Gertrude Stein, famous American writer
Genghis Cat From Genghis Khan, Mongolian emperor
J.K. Meowling or J.K.Growling From J.K. Rowling, the famous author of theHarry Potterseries
Jane Pawsten From Jane Austen, English novelist and author of classics likePride and Prejudice
Jennipurr Aniston From Jennifer Aniston, the famous Hollywood actress
Jude Paw From Jude Law, the award-winning English actor
Kitty Purry From Katy Perry, American singer, songwriter, and television judge; this is actually her cat’s name
Luke Skywhisker From Luke Skywalker, famous Star Wars character
Margaret Scratcher From Margaret Thatcher, former British Prime Minister
Meowses From the biblical name Moses
Natalie Purrman or Catalie Portman From Natalie Portman, beautiful actress
Nora Robpurrts From Nora Roberts, the famed romance author
Pawdrey / Pawdrey Hepburn From Audrey Hepburn, one of the most famous American actresses of all time
Picatso From Pablo Picasso, world-famous classic painter
William Shakesfur or William Shakespaw From William Shakespeare, the English literary giant
Other Ways to Say Shy or Timid
If you feel calling your timid cat Shy is too cliche, don’t worry, we’ve still got plenty. Foreign languages are great sources of pet names. Besides, with a foreign name, you’re more likely to come up with a unique name for your cat. Here are some examples for you to choose from.
Language The equivalent of the word "shy" Language Ways to say timid
Basque lotsati Basque herabe
Czech plachý Danish sky
Danish genert Finnish arka
Dutch verlegen Hungarian félénk
Estonian arg Icelandic huglítill
Finnish ujo Latvian kautrīgs
German schüchtern Lithuanian baimingas
Icelandic feimin Maltese timida
Irish cúthail Russian robkiy
Latvian kautrīgs Slovenian plašen
Lithuanian drovus Swedish skygg
Swedish blyg Ukrainian boyazkyy
Welsh swil Vietnamese nhút nhát
Chinese hàixiū Turkish ürkek
Korean sujub-eun Afrikaans skugter
Vietnamese nhát Chichewa amantha
Arabic khajul Sesotho lihlong
Afrikaans skaam Somali dhiiran
Sesotho lihlong Zulu unamahloni
Somali xishood Indonesian malu
Swahili aibu Javanese isinan
Yoruba itiju Malagasy saro-kenatra
Javanese isin Malay malu-malu
Malay malu Maori wehi
Maori whakamā Esperanto timema
Latin fugax Latin timidis
Wrap Up
Cats are shy for a reason. Hiding or distancing themselves is a normal way for cats to react to new situations, changes, or even situations that they find frightening. Or, if you got yourself a stray cat, your cat may not have had sufficient contact with humans while he/she was still weaning.
Here are some tips that will help you coax your feline pet out of his/her shell.
-
Patience is key. Dealing with a shy cat can be hard work and very frustrating, which is why you’ll need a lot of patience.
-
Your cat needs space. To help your cat acclimatize to the new environment, set up a space for your cat. Rooms with no hiding spaces are preferable, and if you don’t have any spare rooms in the house, even the bathroom will do. All you need is a spot that your cat can think of as his/her own space.
-
Talk in a higher-pitched voice. To cats, low voices are quite threatening, so avoid talking in a low voice if you can.
-
Don’t stand up. If your cat has to look up at you, he/she may feel intimidated. Try to talk to your cat while you’re sitting down, or even better, while you’re lying prone on the floor.
-
Don’t stare. Staring at your cat is a good way to intimidate him/her, which is what you want to avoid if you’re dealing with a shy cat. Make eye contact, but avoid glaring at your cat by blinking slowly and repeatedly.
-
Observe your cat’s body language. If, while you’re talking to your new pet, he/she suddenly backs away or hisses, take a step back. Your pet may not be ready for further attention from you yet. As always, patience is key.
-
Toys and treats work wonders. If your pet is hiding, you can coax him/her to come out by tossing a treat or a toy in his/her direction. Better yet, feed the cat only when you’re together. This way, your cat will associate food with you, and it will help your cat become more familiar and comfortable with your presence.
-
From cheeks to the head to the body. This is the sequence when you’re petting a shy cat. Any hand gestures towards the cat’s body or top of the head may be intimidating for your pet. When you start with the cheeks, you allow your cat to be able to fully see where your hand is going. Plus, your cat can smell your hand, too.
Dealing with a shy cat can be difficult at first if you’re torn between your eagerness to play with your new pet and your desire to make your pet at home and comfortable. Giving your pet a name that sounds gentle and soothing will definitely help make your cat feel safe instead of feeling threatened.
If you have ideas for other names that are suited to shy cats, please feel free to let us know by leaving your comments and suggestions. If you ended up picking a name from the list above, we’d also love to know which one appealed to you. Want to know how else you can get your shy cat to open up? Just make some delicious DIY cat treats!
