Spoilers Noonian Soong is still alive and we have seen him in Season 1

[Boris Skrbic]

“Data’s Day” (TNG) was all for Maddox’s benefit, so of course he would’ve known quite a bit.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Maybe but Altan seemed to be very fond of the cat, almost like a father who kept the pet of his dead beloved son around

Or the brother he never knew.

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

Also, some people just really like cats?

 

[Ronald Held]

Is an affinity for cats a Soong family tradition?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Is an affinity for cats a Soong family tradition?

No, I think that's ALF.

 

[Unimatrix Q]

No, I think that's ALF.

But i strongly doubt that Spot was being kept around as a guest for dinner

 

[SpocksOddSocks]

Might be kind of a misdirection, if there actually never was a "Noonien" Soong and it was always Arik the whole time

In my head canon, they are 3 different people, but Noonien and Altan are both genetic clones of Arik for obvious reasons. I mean, Arik was a geneticist after all.

But, as others said, I don't see a reason for him to pretend not to be Noonien. And also, he was less capable than Noonien on the consciousness part, so wouldn't make sense to me either. Same goes if Noonien was also Arik - Altan would still have Noonien's memories.

 

[mdtauk]

I think the name was just to give him the initials
A.I. Soong