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 AffectionShylin 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 CatsBlush 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 YouChipmunk 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 NamesSnuggles 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 WeightWiggles 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 NamesCatty 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!
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