This thread is like deja vu!
My band (also soul/funk) had the same dilemma when we started, first name chosen was FUNKIT (already named here by someone) and there was the chance to play around with the words and make it FUN KIT (also mentioned here). In the end we decided to quit the FUNK or SOUL word games and we simply became GROOVES. What's funny about this thread is that i read the names of a lot of funk/soul bands that are actually playing right now here in Portugal, from memory i recal FUNKENSTEIN, FUNK OFF, FUNK U... there's really no much more room left for funk band names... stop thinking about it and call yourselfs a different thing. From your OP i would say "THE CATS".
Cheers