Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, or How to Name Your Cat

The granddaddy of all cat books, if not of Siamese cat books, is T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, which is a long poem about various cat characters and how to name cats. He wrote this as entertainment for his friends and family, but was eventually persuaded to publish it. So today we can enjoy these original and unique literary cat names.

"Cats must have three names," he says in Old Possums: the first is the ordinary name, the ones in daily use, the ones the family uses. He suggests names like Peter, Augustus, Alonzo, James, Victor, Jonathan, George, Bill Bailey... and there are the 'cut above' names, sensible, but still for daily use: Plato, Admetus, Electra, and Demeter.

Old Possum's then moves on to the "particular, peculiar and dignified" cat names, most of them made up by the poet himself. You too can be original and make up your own Siamese cat name! Here's what T. S. Eliot came up with (although not limited to Siamese, of course): Munkustrap, Quaxo, Coricopat, Bombalurina, Jellylorum. And by the way, all the cat names in the Old Possum's Book of Cats (and a few additional ones) are featured in the musical Cats.

Finally, says T. S. Eliot, the third name is secret to the cat, "his ineffable, effable, effanineffable. Deep and inscrutable singular name." Only the cat knows this name.

Curious about the other cat names in Old Possum's?

• Jennyanydots, a female tabby cat who taught mice and cockroaches manners lifeskills and decorum.
• Gumbie Cat, a general term for the older cat who just sits, sits and sits, sunbathes and generally chills.
• Growltiger, a male, a fighter with an awesome reputation - he lived on a barge and is described as "The Terror of the Thames" (he was also pretty politically incorrect) "But most to cats of foreign race his hatred had been vowed; To Cats of foreign name and race no quarter was allowed. The Persian and the Siamese regarded him with fear- Because it was a Siamese had mauled his missing ear."
• Grumbuskin, The 'Mate' of the Growltiger's barge.
• Tumblebrutus, The ‘Bosun’ of the Growltiger's barge.
• Lady Griddlebone was the cat Growltiger was chatting up when the Siamese in their sanpans and junks attacked. Poor Growltiger was forced to walk the plank to his demise and "a day of celebration was commanded in Bangkok"
• Gilbert in the UK and Genghis in other editions was the Siamese cat in charge off the Siamese army, "But the moonlight shone reflected from a thousand bright blue eyes."
• Rum Tum Tugger, essence of all the cats we know and love. He was a very contrary cat - selfish, stubborn and single-minded; if he was in he needed to go out - and if he was out... you guessed it.
• There was a tribe of party loving dancing cats called the Jellicle Cats, male and female, and all black and white.
• Two cat burglars, Mungojerrie (remember the 70’s band Mungo Jerry, yes this is where they got their unusual name!) and Rumpelteazer, stole everything in sight; Mungojerrie was guilty of wicked deeds. Their boss was the notorious Macavity.
• Old Deuteronomy was a very ancient and wise male cat who had outlived 99 wives!
• Great Rumpuscat was a fighter with a BIG reputation. He broke up a fight between the Pekes and Pollicles just by showing up and looking scary and tuff.
• Mr Mistoffelees was a totally black conjuring cat and master magician.
• Macavity was a ginger male, a mystery cat, a lawbreaking scruffy cat - things happened and he disappeared long before the law turned up - people would say, "It be Macavity!" He ran two other thugs Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer he is introduced as the "Hidden Paw"
• Gus, real name Asparagus, a star of theater, music halls and pantomimes - one of his favorite characters was Firefrorefiddle.
• Bustopher Jones, a club-going fat cat, smooth smart and well-dressed cat around town.
• Skimbleshanks was a railway cat called Skimble for short, with a long brown tail; he supervised everyone on the railway journey and the train just couldn't leave without him.
• Cat Morgan, a retired pirate but now the door-keeper at a hotel, a rough cat with a past but a kind heart.

Hope you have some great ideas for naming your cat. If you enjoyed Old Possum’s book of Practical cats why don’t you get a copy and if you are lucky a first edition would be a great find! The illustrations are as charming as the poem.

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