AUSTIN, Texas —
Ever wondered where the cats at Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) get their unique names? It’s a team effort at APA!, but one staff member has been nicknamed the "Cat-Naming Expert."
Natascha Hamman has been the feline leukemia research assistant at APA! for the past two years. Hamman’s goal is to end the stigma for cats sickened with feline leukemia and save their lives.
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Cat-naming became a useful skill during Hurricane Harvey when APA! saw an influx of animals coming to the shelter. Hamman said the staff put creative names into a bag and, as a new cat arrived, a name was pulled out.
Some of the unusual names included: Hissy Elliot, Valentino Wondercat, Smokey Black and Swamp Thing.
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“Since the specific group of cats I manage tends to get overlooked for cats who are negative for FeLV, I was inspired to give them strange names that would make them stand out a bit in a crowd," Hamman said.
Staff, volunteers and fosters also get involved with naming the cats at APA! Hamman says the neonatal program at the shelter gets involved with giving the kittens some weird names.
You can see a full list of the cats available for adoption on the APA! website.
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