Tuxedo Cat Names

40 hand-picked tuxedo cat names from the Name Vault — plus how to make one stick.

How to Pick One

Every second name here is the same joke, so the question is which version of formalwear you want to live with. The staff tier is Jeeves, Butler, Alfred and Waiter, funny because the cat serves no one. The glamour tier is Gatsby, Sinatra, Bogart, Ritz and Bond, which suit a cat with a clean white bib and an unearned confidence. Pinstripe, Wingtip, Bowtie and Cufflink pick at the detail rather than the whole outfit. Then there is Zorro, which only works if the black crosses the face like a mask, and Boots or Socks, which only work if the white genuinely stops at the ankle, so check the cat before you commit. Ollie and Marbles sit on this list as ordinary names that spare you explaining a joke for fifteen years. Two syllables ending in a bright vowel gets the fastest response, so Ollie beats Pinstripe outdoors.

FAQ

How do I choose the right tuxedo cat name?

Say your top three out loud at feeding time — the one that feels natural to call across a room is the winner. Two-syllable names ending in a bright vowel get the fastest response.

Is tuxedo a cat breed?

No, it is a coat pattern, and it can appear in almost any breed. A tuxedo cat is a bicolour: black fur with white confined to the chest, chin, paws and sometimes the face. Most tuxedo cats are domestic shorthairs or longhairs with no pedigree, though the pattern also turns up in Maine Coons, British Shorthairs and others. Nothing about temperament follows from it.

Do tuxedo cats have to be black and white?

By the usual definition, yes. The word describes black with white in the places a dinner jacket leaves white. Cats with the same arrangement in grey and white, or ginger and white, are generally called bicolours rather than tuxedos, although plenty of owners use tuxedo loosely for any cat that looks like it is dressed for an occasion it did not agree to attend.

More From the Vault