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Post by doctork on Nov 5, 2011 21:57:57 GMT -5
There is the saying that "Dogs have masters, cats have staff." So Howard and I have a new job as staff for a little kitty that showed up on our doorstep on November 1. It is not my fault! He always blames these incidents on me, because of that time a thousand years ago when a neighbor brought two kittens over, thinking they must belong to us, and I took them in because they obviously needed a home, but I knew Howard did not want any more cats, so I hid them in the bathroom for a few days, until one of the kids spilled the beans and I was caught red-handed, but by then, well what are you gonna do?
This time, Howard walked inside while I was sitting there unawares, minding my own business, until he said "Look what I found" - a little bitty coal black kitten with a white heart on her chest and 3 white toes on her right front paw. She was shivering and crying when Howard found her so he brought her inside, as we both think it is not a good idea to be a black cat on the loose around Halloween. Perhaps she was even acquired for Halloween and abandoned after the holiday was over, who knows. We put her out again the next morning when we left for work, but there she was again that night, and I certainly wasn't going to leave her out in the cold!
Anyway, she is very sweet and cuddly, with incredibly soft shiny fur, and she purrs if you even look at her, and she loves to crawl up on your shoulder and perch there. The other cats (we have 3 already, and that is the reason we are living in Winslow instead of Flag - too many pets) have adjusted already, and seem to like her too. They did make her run the gauntlet that first night, surrounding her and daring her to go use the litter box or get food from the food dish; she stood her ground and passed "the test." However that is much better than the time we had one cat, and another stray showed up on our doorstep so we adopted him, and then the first cat proceeded to go under the bed and hide there for about a year.
So. I think we now have a new cat.
What should we name her?
I thought "Midnight" because, well, she is black. My husband says that is not politically correct.
How about Murray, since the APHC show was broadcast from Murray KY today, and we used to have a cat named Murray - after Murray State, no less! That's a good name! But no, we are not allowed to give a new cat the same name as a previous cat.
Any ideas?
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Post by joew on Nov 5, 2011 22:36:16 GMT -5
Congratulations!
Since she's sweet and cuddly, how about Cuddles?
or
Whiteheart
Purrball
Toussainte
Coalpuff
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Post by jspnrvr on Nov 6, 2011 7:55:59 GMT -5
So let's total up so far: "Midnight" not Politically Correct. For the life of me I can't see why not; you could call her "Tarbaby", 'cuz you're stuck to her and can't let go, but that gives people hissy fits these days. Political correctness is not one of my concerns. Me, Personally, I wouldn't use Midnight 'cuz of the white dabs. And Murray is a guy's name; I'm not into this androgynous business.
"Whiteheart" is cool, joe, and I really like "Purrball".
Three white toes...."Digits"?
Set out in the morning and still there in the evening; standing her ground with the other cats? "Persistence" comes to mind as a quality, from there you could get to "Little Sister" or "Sister" or "Sissie" or "Sis".
And that perching on the shoulder business sounds cute; at least until she puts on more weight and decides to start playing with earrings!
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Post by BoatBabe on Nov 6, 2011 9:41:56 GMT -5
Well, now. I have always named my pets with long legal names, and called them by a one syllable nickname; two syllables at the most.
Just like kids, they only heard their full names when they were in trouble.
Full names look good written down at the doctor's office, instead of "Snookie."
That was a good breakdown of know facts, Jay.
One question: Are you sure that she is a "she?"
I also didn't rush into naming anyone. I waited until I knew their personality more, and then their name just showed up, sort of like your new kitty.
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Post by BoatBabe on Nov 6, 2011 9:42:50 GMT -5
BTW, great storytelling, doc!
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Post by brutus on Nov 6, 2011 9:54:30 GMT -5
The last cat we got was just an itty bitty kitten when she arrived. Sort of mischievous in her ways. Leave a grocery sack on the floor, and she will, invariably, have to snoop inside. She would grab something and try to run off with it. When she'd get chewed out, she'd simply walk away as if to say; "I ain't doin' nuttin', with her head down a bit, like she was laughing to herself. Now, she's a gray/blue/yellow, but I named her "Snickers" for the mannerism I described. Now, at 6 yrs old, she hasn't outgrown her ways either!  ~B~ |
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Post by doctork on Nov 6, 2011 10:22:27 GMT -5
BTW, great storytelling, doc! Thanks! I learn from the best of course - every October. I am pretty sure that she is a "she," though I admittedly am an MD, not a DVM. However, when our animals have been taken to the vets, especially if they are sick, one of the things I've noticed when the vet explains what is going on is that mammalian physiology is mammalian physiology - lots of similarities. Though when Mittens the cat got Chest X-Rays, it was more like a cat-o-gram - that is, you can see the neck the chest, the abdomen, the pelvis. That's OK - it's the same when you get a CXR on a newborn - more like a baby-graph, as you get almost the entire infant. I like all the name suggestions - Toussainte seems appropriate, given the the date of her appearance, plus it can apply to either gender. But like BB says, whatever name we choose, it also has to have a short nickname. I don't know why Howard thinks "Midnight" is not PC, but he says that black people find it offensive. How does he know this and the rest of us don't? Consider that for the past 20 years we have lived in West Virginia (nearly all white), Whatcom County (white, Native American, Asian), the Blue Ridge Mountains (almost all Scots-Irish), and now northern AZ which seems about evenly divided between white and Native American. So I am not sure how he knows that "Midnight" is not acceptable. Now our last cat named Murray was also female, and she did not mind having an androgynous name. But she got lost, disappeared and we never saw her again even though I played the role of Doc Ventura, Pet Detective most admirably - hiking the expansive neighborhood day and night, placing newspaper ads, tacking flyers on telephone poles, fielding hundreds of phone calls, Still, I failed, so maybe we shouldn't choose that name. I like Persistence too - lots of nicknames, plus whenever someone says I am "stubborn," well I say "Nope, I am persistent, not stubborn." Our other cats are Mittens, Johnny (The Terrorist Cat), and Snowy (aka Found At Large in Snohomish County). Keep those suggestions coming! I think BB is right - we will settle into the right name as we get to know her. |
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Post by liriodendron on Nov 6, 2011 10:57:33 GMT -5
I will do some research on this while I am on the reference desk this afternoon!
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Post by Jane on Nov 6, 2011 11:55:35 GMT -5
Lily is a nice name.....
A neighbor had a black cat she named "Ni Coal".
My cats were Max (the devil cat), Lucy, Murphy and Lily.
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Post by jspnrvr on Nov 6, 2011 12:37:23 GMT -5
Well, now. I have always named my pets with long legal names, and called them by a one syllable nickname; two syllables at the most. Just like kids, they only heard their full names when they were in trouble. Full names look good written down at the doctor's office, instead of "Snookie." Not to "hijack" the thread, but in the same vein, my brother's theory for naming children is that the names should look good when written out in full....on either a campaign poster, or a wanted poster! |
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Post by BoatBabe on Nov 6, 2011 15:56:39 GMT -5
Good one, Jay!  |
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Post by liriodendron on Nov 6, 2011 20:52:16 GMT -5
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Post by Nomad-wino on Nov 6, 2011 21:07:52 GMT -5
I would name her Matilda, yes, that's what I'd name her.
Mike
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Post by doctork on Nov 6, 2011 22:47:30 GMT -5
Hmm, all of the above are good, and yes Mike, Matilda is a very good name!
I am only half way through the Black Cat Names and already I have seen a number that I like:
Ace
Bandit
Cinnamon Cinder (well Cinder was on the list, and I remembered that old song "Cinnamon Cinder" by Pastel Six, which makes a good nickname - CC)
India (but not India Ink)
Raven (Raven is an important character in most Native American traditions)
Sambo (if Howard doesn't like Midnight....)
Finished the Black Cat Names List, so now, the name generator came up with Blacktop and Quinella
The fictional list yields:
Boris (from Armistad Maupin's "Tales of the City" - I loved those books)
Eureka
General Sterling Price (from "Rooster Cogburn," but being USCG backgroun, I'd probably go with "Admiral Sterling Price")
Mehitabel
Slinky Malinki
Thomasina
Fellini/Jake
TDC (That Darn Cat)
Morris/Tonto
Penelope
Rascal (fro CSI - I watched that episode!)
Lotsa names, we'll have to see which one fits. I'll see if I can find camera with a way to upload a picture.
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Post by doctork on Nov 6, 2011 22:51:10 GMT -5
Look at all the names I got from your suggestions!! Thanks Lirio. BTW, "Whiteheart" is growing on me too. |
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Post by doctork on Nov 6, 2011 22:58:01 GMT -5
The last cat we got was just an itty bitty kitten when she arrived. Sort of mischievous in her ways. Leave a grocery sack on the floor, and she will, invariably, have to snoop inside. She would grab something and try to run off with it. When she'd get chewed out, she'd simply walk away as if to say; "I ain't doin' nuttin', with her head down a bit, like she was laughing to herself. Now, she's a gray/blue/yellow, but I named her "Snickers" for the mannerism I described. Now, at 6 yrs old, she hasn't outgrown her ways either! ~B~ Murray used to grab things and run away with them too! Her favorite was ink pens, she just loved pens. We could never figure out where all of our pens went. Until we would vacuum behind the desk or the sofa, and we would find about 20 pens hidden there. |
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Post by doctork on Nov 8, 2011 19:25:35 GMT -5
While we decide on a name, I have been calling the kitten "Small Black Cat." Some friends of ours had a Dalmatian puppy whose permanent name became "Spotted Dog" in just that fashion.
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Post by BoatBabe on Nov 20, 2011 21:56:20 GMT -5
We named "Cat" that same way, doc. |
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Post by rogesgallery on Dec 7, 2011 13:42:11 GMT -5
Doesn't seem as if the little waif has a permanent name yet. I would name her something that would reflect your new surroundings. Mosi is the Navaho word for cat if you like the generic. Shideezhi is little sister and Yazhi means little one. One or both of her parents could have been Navaho you know.
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Post by BoatBabe on Dec 7, 2011 21:00:07 GMT -5
Yah, what's up, doc?
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Post by doctork on Dec 7, 2011 23:23:52 GMT -5
We decided her name is "Small." Her favorite big brother is Snowy, and they are best buddies. Snowy is a "rex," weighs more than 20 pounds. Small is, well, small, maybe 3 pounds.
So, we have renamed Snowy, and he is now known as "Big."
Big/Small White/Black
Snowy doesn't mind, as he loves any attention even from another cat, and will answer to any name, in fact he purrs and strolls over if you even look at him. He is kind of "the middle child" of our (previously) 3 cats. Mittens is clearly the Top Cat, while Johnny The Terrorist Cat is always naughty and attention-grabbing.
We have a lot of cats. I need to get our dog back from NC.
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Post by BoatBabe on Dec 8, 2011 23:14:51 GMT -5
And when will getting your dog back from NC happen, do you think? THAT will be a Kitty-astrophy!  |
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Post by doctork on Dec 12, 2011 9:15:57 GMT -5
Dog likes all the cats except Johnny the Terrorist Cat, and those two love to hate each other, would be lost without each other.
Big (TAFKAS, or The Animal Formerly Known As Snowy) and Corky like each other. Mittens ignores and avoids Corky, but is not afraid of him and will hiss abd scrtch at him if he gets too close. So Small has models to copy.
We're not expecting problems, just "Oh him again? We thought we were done with him."
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Post by gailkate on Dec 12, 2011 9:46:01 GMT -5
Small is a fine name ( so long as she doesn't develop a complex). I think most cats will answer to anything if they're in the mood. If they're not, they're geniuses at looking impervious. It' funny how a cat can make you feel invisible.
Did we know about Snickers and Cat? I don't think so.
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Post by BoatBabe on Dec 12, 2011 23:54:33 GMT -5
Ahhh, Cat's story. That's a good one.
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Post by doctork on Dec 12, 2011 23:57:46 GMT -5
Okay, I'll bite (no pun intended).
Tell us the story of Cat.
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Post by BoatBabe on Dec 14, 2011 1:11:37 GMT -5
"Oh, Cat! Why Don't Ya Come On Home?"
Garrison's song still gives me fits of giggles!
Cat was adopted by my Mom in Montana during my junior or senior year of high school. He was a feral cat. I don't know how my Mom met him, but she did.
In those days, Mom taught second grade (day shift) and my step-dad worked the swing or graveyard shift at the saw mill. They hardly ever saw each other.
Mom had always left her bedroom window open for "fresh air." Fer cryin' out loud! Forty below zero, and Mom had to have her bedroom window open for fresh air.
Our only source of heat at that time was a wood stove, an old 50-gallon oil drum laid on its belly with legs soldered on, standing on a bed of bricks. That baby could pump out some serious heat when we were home, and we had it roaring in the winter. We damped it down when we were gone during the day, and it was a little cold when we got home from school, but it soon blasted the house with heat when we stoked it up at night.
Mom still had to have her bedroom window open for fresh air every night.
Cat started coming around and Mom fell in love with Cat. She left food out for him during the day. He slept with her at night. Cat only liked Mom. He didn't come into the rest of the house. He didn't like us. He didn't try to be an indoor cat. He liked outside. I hardly ever saw him before I left for college. I mostly just heard about him.
My sophomore year in college I heard a lot more about him. Cat discovered that a family of skunks had made a home under our Montana house. Cat decided he had to intervene.
Apparently it was quite a fight. The skunks did leave, but they left their mark.
My entire family had to leave the Montana house, and they went to stay with friends. The house was so skunk-sprayed that no one could live there, for about six months. They left dishes of apple cider vinegar around, which they replenished regularly on visits, weeping tears of skunk spray each time.
Mom still kept the bedroom window open and left food for Cat.
When they were finally able to move back into the house, even canned goods had to be thrown away, as the skunk spray had infiltrated the cans. Clothes hanging in the closets had to be burned.
Cat was never seen again, but in deference to my Mom, he has been held in Family Reverence to this day.
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Post by brutus on Dec 14, 2011 8:06:26 GMT -5
Did we know about Snickers and Cat? I don't think so. I think this may have been the first time I mentioned Snickers. Our older cat is named Jerry Lee. We got him as a kitten, rescued from a family of alley cats. At the time, we had an older cat named, Ben. The vet suggested Jerry for the little guy's name, as in Ben and Jerry's. As Jerry grew, he discovered the piano. He loved walking up and down the keyboard, stopping, back tracking a bit, then continuing to a certain point only to turn around and retrace his steps. We were serenaded to sleep many nights this way, or woken up during the night. Thus, the "Lee" was added to his name. Jerry Lee! ~B~ |
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Post by gailkate on Dec 14, 2011 9:51:19 GMT -5
 An image or the skunk-fighter is going to be impossible to find. |
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Post by brutus on Dec 14, 2011 22:04:18 GMT -5
An image or the skunk-fighter is going to be impossible to find. ;D Love it, Gail! ~B~ |
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