What Are Good Cat in the Hat Cat Names?
Dr. Seuss published The Cat in the Hat in 1957 and the sequel, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, a year later in 1958. Between the two books there are only a handful of named characters — the Cat in the Hat himself, Thing One and Thing Two, Sally, and the fish who keeps warning everyone that this is a bad idea. That short list is exactly why it works for naming a cat: every name on it is instantly recognizable, so you're not explaining the reference every time you call your cat in from the yard.
On this page
The two books don't describe their characters in much physical detail beyond what's drawn on the page, so this guide sticks to names, roles, and the small amount of plot each character is known for — not invented color or appearance claims. If you want a name tied to how your cat actually looks, our orange and white cat names guide is a better fit.
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The 2-Minute Personality Match
Picture your cat's default mode before scrolling further. Is she the one who starts the chaos, or the one trying to stop it? That single question splits the cast of these two books cleanly in half.
- Confident, a little reckless, always the instigator: the Cat in the Hat
- A loud, inseparable duo who move fast and leave a mess: Thing One and Thing Two
- Responsible, trying to keep the house in order: Sally
- Cautious, the one who saw this coming: the Fish
- Quiet until the very end, then the one who actually fixes everything: Little Cat Z
Method 1: Name a Pair After Thing One and Thing Two
In the first book, the Cat brings in a tall red box and lets out two characters at once: Thing One and Thing Two. They're identical in the story, distinguished only by the number on their chest, and they spend the rest of the book running through the house at speed. That makes the pair a natural fit for two cats adopted together, especially if they're already in sync — racing down the hallway, knocking things off the same shelf, that sort of thing.
- Thing One — slightly more likely to lead
- Thing Two — right behind, causing the same amount of trouble
Method 2: Borrow a Human Name Instead
Sally is the one human name the original 1957 book gives you. She's the narrator's younger sister, and in the story she's the more cautious of the two kids, watching the Cat's game get out of hand. If you want a second human-style name to pair with Sally, the book's narrator — her older brother — is never named on the page. The 2003 live-action film adaptation gives him the name Conrad, but that's a detail from the movie, not the original Dr. Seuss book, so it's worth knowing which one you're borrowing from if the distinction matters to you.
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Method 3: Pick a Side Character
The fish is the other named character worth considering, and it's the voice of reason in both books — the one pointing out, repeatedly, that the Cat should not be doing any of this. A name like 'Fish' or 'The Fish' reads as a dry joke on a cat, since cats are not exactly known for taking fish-based advice.
Method 4: Use the Alphabet Gimmick From the Sequel
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back introduces a different naming idea entirely. The Cat pulls Little Cat A out from under his own hat, and each little cat after that is smaller and hides another one under its hat, all the way down to Little Cat Z — 26 little cats in total, one per letter. Little Cat Z is too small to see, but it's the one that finally releases the Voom and cleans up the mess the others made. If you've got more than one cat in the house, or you run a rescue and need to name an entire litter at once, working straight through the alphabet — Cat A, Cat B, Cat C — solves the problem without anyone running out of ideas.
Here's the full shortlist side by side:
| Name | Who They Are | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| The Cat in the Hat | The confident, rule-breaking ringleader | A bold cat who starts every mess in the house |
| Thing One / Thing Two | An identical, fast-moving pair, released from a box | Two cats adopted together who move as a team |
| Sally | The cautious younger sibling, trying to keep order | A tidy, watchful cat |
| The Fish | The one who warned everyone first | A cautious cat who keeps its distance from chaos |
| Little Cat A–Z | 26 nested little cats, one per letter | Naming a whole litter or a multi-cat household at once |
None of these fit a cat whose whole personality is 'knocked a glass off the counter at 3 a.m.' rather than 'literary reference.' For that, our weird cat names guide leans into chaos directly, and our cartoon cat names list has more animated and illustrated characters to choose from if one Dr. Seuss book doesn't cover enough ground.
Want a name recognized well outside of Seuss altogether? Our famous cat names roundup covers cats known from beyond a single book or film.
Once the name sticks, the next fun step is figuring out what your cat is actually saying back. PetTalk - Pet Translator, listed on the App Store under that name, records a meow or purr and turns it into a short, playful read in seconds, right on your phone. It won't tell you whether your new Thing Two approves of the name, but it's a fun way to keep listening.
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Still reading about the signs?
Open Cat Translator and try a recording next time your cat talks. Free on iPhone, iOS 16 or newer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'Cat in the Hat' itself a good name for a cat?
It works better shortened to just 'Hat' or 'The Cat' for everyday use. The full phrase is recognizable but awkward to call out, so most people who use it end up shortening it within the first week.
What are Thing One and Thing Two in the story?
They're two characters the Cat in the Hat releases from a large box in the first book. They're identical except for the number printed on their chest, and they spend their time in the story running through the house and causing a mess, which is why the Cat eventually puts them back in the box.
Who is Conrad in The Cat in the Hat?
Conrad is the name given to Sally's older brother in the 2003 live-action film adaptation. In the original 1957 book, that character narrates the story but is never given a name.
What is Little Cat Z?
Little Cat Z is the smallest of the 26 little cats hidden under the Cat in the Hat's hat in the sequel, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back. It's too small to be seen, but it's the one that finally releases the Voom, the force that cleans up the pink mess the other little cats made.
Can I name two cats Thing One and Thing Two?
Yes — it's one of the most direct pairs to pull from either book, and it works best for two cats who were adopted together and tend to move as a pair, since that's exactly how the characters behave on the page.
