Hilfy is a character in C.J. Cherryh's "Chanur" books. This series is about, among other things, a race of space-faring cats. Most of the business and space travel is done by the females because the males are less able to control their emotions - especially the more violent ones.
Hilfy is the niece of Pyanfar Chanur, captain of the ship "Pride Of Chanur". When I got my first cat after buying my house 8 years ago, I named her Hilfy because Pyanfar was too big a name to live up to and, as she was 6 weeks old, she was little fluffball. Hilfy or HilfyKitty became my persona across many of my on-line activities because it was a name that was very rarely already taken.
-Dell