‘I want to name my son after my late cat – my husband thinks I’m being immature’

A mum has said she is determined to name her newborn son after her cat who died a few months ago – but her husband has insisted the idea is ‘immature and weird’

When it comes to picking a baby name, parents can find inspiration in a variety of areas, including other loved ones whom they want to honour – such as their grandparents. But one mum has said she’s keen on honouring a very different type of family member with the name she wants to give her newborn son, as she wants to name him after her cat.

The mum-of-three said she recently welcomed a baby boy into the world, and just a few months before the birth, she had sadly lost her cat, with whom she had a “very close bond”. And to keep the moggy’s memory alive, the woman wants to give her son the same moniker as her cat – Jake.

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And while the name is perfectly reasonable to give to a child, the woman’s husband has said he isn’t a fan of the idea, and has even said his wife is being “immature and weird” for pushing so hard for the name.

In a post on Reddit, the mum said: “My husband and I have just recently had our third child. A few months before he was due, my cat passed. He was very old but we had a very close bond because I had had him since he was a kitten. I cried over it for hours, eventually running out of tears. I felt that I had lost a big part of my life because he was always there for me.

“After I delivered our son, my husband asked what his name should be. I suggested Jake because it was a nice name and I thought it would fit him. Although, this irked my husband because he didn’t want our son’s name to be the same as our cat’s.

“I tried to give it to him as his middle name instead, [but my husband] just stormed off. I tried to contact him later but he said I was being immature and weird.

“A part of me wanted a reminder of my cat, who was such a big part of my life. I still thought it was a nice name and it wasn’t unusual at all. We have yet to name him, although I’m adamant about Jake because it’s such a nice name for my son.”

Commenters on the post were unable to take a side in the debate, as many of them said both the woman and her husband were in the wrong for different reasons.

They claimed the woman should think about how her son will react when he learns he was named after a cat, but said her husband was wrong for storming off and not having an adult discussion about the situation.

One person said: “The name itself is fine, but do you think your kid wants to be named after a cat? Your husband has the right to disagree, but storming off after you’ve given birth is not cool.

“Everybody sucks here – him for storming off and you for not dropping naming your son after the cat when your husband already disagreed.”

While another added: “It seems fair for your baby to have his own name, and it’s understandable from your husband refusing to name your kid the same as the cat.

“But using the name as a middle name isn’t any weirder than any other name used in the same purpose of honouring a loved one. It isn’t made-up or so unusual that anyone will ask anything about it.”

And a third wrote: “I loved my cat and she was a big part of my life since I was 8. I was devastated when she died. Still wouldn’t name my kid after her. Give your kid another nice name without any personal history involved.”

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