Please help with a name spelling :)

I wouldn't worry about whether you need accents when writing a cat's made-up name - for a start the word isn't actually a French word, and secondly only a minority of English speakers will know what the accents mean. Although it's a matter of preference, possibly the accents would suit her. Personally I would write it Maisia and if people pronounce it "May - zee - ah" I would correct them. (Do you generally inform people of your cat's name in writing?)

Thank you for your response. All good points! I seldom write it, but my kids would like to know the spelling when they are writing about her, as well as the vets

Yes, thanks for asking.

People sometimes forget how important it is to use names so I'm delighted that you are researching the subject.

Of course, the kitten will want a name, preferably something that fits nicely on the collar.

I usually like to meet the cat or kitten , and see the papers verifying the parents before providing advice about an appropriate sobriquet, but never mind.

I agree with you completely about how people might mispronounce masia as it it were malaysia or some other country or tribe.

I recommend only using the French diacritics if the cat is of that tongue eg. the Birman, although Méjà the Birman does have a lovely ring to it.

Maysha.

I think so too.

I've had a life filled with cats, and personal experience suggests they could not care less what they are named, or even if they have a name. Get a name the owner will like.

Okay, opinion, but based on long experience.

TS Eliot would disagree with you, Roger.

It would be mutual

What of nominative determinism? Dare you call a cat C4 and risk the explosive consequences (cf. the book on polar explorations by Daniel Snowman and the urology article by Splatt and Weedon)?

The Naming Of Cats by TS Eliot

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey—
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter—
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover—
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

At one time, I had three cats; Spooky, Nermal, and Barney. I was able to determine that speaking to one of them got exactly the same reaction regardless of by which name they were addressed. All I have now is Nermal and he's getting up in the years. I still call him by what became a sort of group name. "You stupid cat, you". Gets exactly the same reaction if I call him Nermal, which is to say I get no reaction at all.

Nice poem, of course, but pretty much confirms The Cat just doesn't have a name. He's proud of not having a name.

Hi! I've had cats for most of my life, and currently have 30...! Each has his/her name, and each responds only to his/her name. If I call for Mr. Christmas, no other cat cares or even looks up. When I call for Gypsy or Malaika, only Gypsy or Malaika comes.

Each cat associates the sound of the name with being petted, cuddled, scratched, and generally loved, because when teaching them their name, the name was the sound I made with great frequency while petting, scratching, etc. That sound became their name - their individual "sound", identifying with something good from Daddy.

Strange to say, one cat named Tiger only comes if I call "TigerTiger". He doesn't respond to just "Tiger", it has to be repeated as if a single name...

I have only one "similar-sound" problem with 2 cats' names. One is Holiday and the other is Mayday. When I call for Mayday, Holiday comes, too. Call for Holiday and Mayday comes running. The "-day" sound confuses. Won't happen again.

Each cat is named for their personality and character, or a season during which the came to live with us. Each name tells a story about that cat. And each cat responds individually to the name given.

I think Spackle and Rascal knew their names, but I'm not sure about CinQue, Spackle's mom.

I've posted photos over the years but can't get into photobucket now, computer fritz.

I'll see if I can will them up, but probably not. Oh, good, I can find the pics -

http://able2know.org/topic/172869-4#post-4841147

When we got our cats from a rescue centre they were called Troy and Cleo. They are such wanky chav names that I changed them straight away, to Vic and Bob.

Thanks for all your responses! I'm going to go with one of these: Maysha or Maisia.
FYI... she is a silver/black Maine Coon

Mayshuh

Call her Spot!

Easy to spell. No confusion!

Reason: Because we spotted her. End of discussion!

That was my, now dead, dog's name 'Spot'.
Because he had spots.
I also have a dog called 'Brown Thing' ("Brown" for short).
Because he's brown.

Rapid Edit - They're both in my avatar.