I have found with younger cats what you call them doesn't matter too much. "Cats don't care what you call them as long as you call them for dinner." I adopted a 15 year old cat who had been named Alley (as in; Alley Cat). I thought she had too much class to be an alley cat, so I changed her name to Abbey because the similar sound wouldn't confuse the cat. Then there was my third cat, who I think thought his name was Max-get-off-of-there!
I know what you mean about "cries" though. Some cats can sound uncanily like a baby or small child. I have been startled some times when I thought I heard a cat in my yard, only to discover it was one of the kids accross the alley. I don't know exactly what the cats are saying, but I think this pleading meow is to get our attention. Whether they mimic this tone intentionally or it's a survival trait from Mother Nature, I don't know.
