Picking Cat Names

Holiday Peaches

My brothers and dad and myself all have names starting with “A”. When we got Angel as a little kitten, we were racking our brains thinking of names for her. My dad was the one who had put his foot down and said we were not to have any cats in the house, ever. And of course, he was also the one who suggested Dark Angel and that fit her just perfectly. As a black smoke, and weird and high strung but hilariously so, Dark Angel was just right.

When I finally told my mom we were getting two Bengal kittens, she asked if she could name one. I thought it was fair to her if she got the honor since my dad picked Angel’s name. And she picked Peaches. And it was adorable. Peaches it would be!

I added “Holiday” myself. A very close friend of mine had recommended the book The Lovely Bones. It became my favorite book, as it was hers. She passed away several years ago and but I like to remember her in little ways in my life. We loved the dog’s name in the book, Holiday. Plus, I really like weird cat names and Holiday Peaches makes no sense. Therefore, it’s perfect.

Koa

Koa’s name is a little more sensible, surprisingly. Koa is a tricolor sheeted marble bengal boy. Marble bengals, especially the sheeted kind, take longer than the spotted bengals to develop. Their patterns start opening up as they grow. They have quite a unique and striking appearance. Koa is black and gold, and in some parts of his marbling, it’s a little bit brown.

Koa’s name is based on Hawaiian exotic hardwood - Acacia koa. I must point out, we picked the name after reading about it on Cook Woods. The wood itself is just beautiful, with a really gorgeous, marbled-type pattern. Koa's color is the opposite, more dark with gold. But it really is lovely. My mom doesn't like the name though.

Photo from Cook Woods

“It is an excellent tonewood which produces a rich, warm sound. Supply of Koa is getting scarce as the Hawaiians have only recently started replanting their beloved Hawaiian Koa trees. Koa is renowned for its iridescent shimmer and luscious color which ranges from tan to warm gold with brown and black accents. The iridescence in this wood is particularly exceptional on the quarter.” Well that just describes Koa’s coloration perfectly. The iridescence is like the Bengal’s glitter and Koa’s inky black pattern is exceptionally gorgeous.

Koa, in the Hawaiian language, means brave, bold, fearless, or warrior. When I think of him throwing his tiny 1.32 kg (weighed today!) self off the cat tree to attack Tyco, I am reminded that this is the perfect name for him.