Conference turris::womannotes-v3

well lessee

I've had Little Sh!t, a white male with blue eyes, deaf as a stone

Kushie, a little black male

Pushka, a black-and-white-spotted female who got lots of baths (she hung out
	under drippy-oil cars too much)

Pipsqueaker, it described the sounds she made as a little tyke

GrayKitty, aka SkittyCat, gray w/white paws and a white wishbone-shaped mark on
	her chest, who was the scardiest scaredy cat you've EVER met.  Once
	saw her catch a dragonfly in flight

Breda (means "sister" in  Cahuengua or Casta, not sure which) our current
	reigning queen.  She was dumped - healthy, friendly, and already
	spayed - in our backyard when Tracy was a toddler.  We kept her because
	she only scratched if Tracy really deserved it.

    Cat....
    
    an alley cat that didn't seem to warrant a name....we soon discovered
    that Cat was worthy of a lot more than a name.
    
    He is indifferent to what he is called...actually he calls us so what
    does it matter?
    

    
    
    Currently I have two boys   Dennis Orion Potvan Murray and the
    other is Leanord Bernstein MacMurray.
    
    Dennis got the Dennis Potvan part of his name because I made
    a comment to my boyfriend, who was giving the cat to me as a
    present originally but fell in love with him so kept him, that
    he was so wrapped up in hockey that he would probably give the
    cat a stupid name having to do with hockey.  Bingo he gives him
    a players name.  The Orion part was the name that my roommates
    and I had picked out for him.  Murry is my SO's last name.
    
    Leanord got his name because we picked him up on the day that
    Bernstien passed away.  No real reason for doing it, but he
    just seemed to have the same personality.
    
    I once had a female cat I named Sebastian after the Teddy Bear
    in a PBS series Brideshead Revisited.   All the other cats I
    grew up with had names that pertained to how they looked like
    Fluffy, Oreo and Patches.
    
    This was fun!!
    
    Michele

Bitch.  Especially when she is pawing at the door at 4 AM.

stupid-kitty.  Especially when she wants to be let out, let back in 5 minutes
   later, let back out five minutes later, let back in 5 minutes later...

Idjit - random times.

D!

    My feline friend started out life as Natasha...I had not learned
    that if you wait long enough, they name themselves...Natasha never 
    really fit.  She evolved into Rubbles, aka Rubs, aka Rubbletron, aka
    Rub-o-matic....because that's what she does, that's what she lives
    for, that's how her essence is defined....she does that little figure
    eight around your legs incessantly, maniacally, she can not be deterred
    from her purpose.  Has anyone tried climbing stairs with a cat rubbing
    back and forth against their legs?   Rather challenging at 3 in
    the morning when all I want to do is go upstairs from my bedroom to the
    bathroom and she thinks it's a fine time to rub.
    
    cheryl

    Augustus Caesar, a 1/4-black-3/4-sealpoint whom we call a "walnutpoint"
    and, to his face, Gus.  His father was Quintus Cicero, named after one
    of Gaius Iulius Caesar's more resourceful generals.
    
    Ming Li, who came from the humane shelter that way along with Siam, who
    is no longer with us.  He was nicknamed Sammy.
    
    Desdemona, Desi for short, who is too soft and cute to be anything
    else.
    
    -d

    
    Tai Sam Yon - She was Burmese, but we named her after our favorite
    		  Chinese restaurant on the south side of Chicago.  She
    		  died of feline leukemia at age 3.
    
    Beau Geste  - I was thinking of naming him (another Burmese) Beau
    		  Geste, but hadn't told anyone.  My wife came home from
    		  work and said one of her colleagues had dreamed that we
    		  named our cat Beau Geste.  I figured, it's GOT to be
    		  his name.  He's named after the Gary Cooper version of
    		  the movie, by the way.
    
    					- Vick

    Milo. [long version: Milo Bloom].  My perfect grey tigger tim-cat.
       I also call him 'son' and 'boy.'  He tells me that he traces his
    line back to Abyssinia, and listening to his voice I believe him. He is
    both a conversationalist and an orator -- his most recent oration had
    to do with the general disarray of recycling efforts in our home [he's
    in favour of recycling, but believes that it will inevitably fall short
    if his mother doesn't get the stuff to the Center SOON] and it lasted
    about 10 minutes.  Cleanliness is a priority in his life.
    
    Cardigan. [short version: Cardi].  The Cosmic Dust Kitten.
       Cardigan came to live with us, at age 2-ish, already possessing the
    perfect name. She is grey, long-haired and silky.  Whoever named her
    [Rita Tillson's sister, I _think_] has the Gift. She is the cat of my
    dreams -- I literally dreamed of a grey fluffy cat, an animated dust
    kitten, 2.5 years before she came into my life.  She is also a bit of a
    slut.  She molests shoes and steals sweaty clothing.  Her only
    character flaw is her absolute conviction that the cat next door is the
    Anti-Christ.
    
      Annie
    
      Annie

    Oh, wait, I forgot our outdoor cat.
    
    Mowzell - This is the phonetic spelling of Mousehole, a town in
    	      Cornwall where I once wrecked our rental car.  She is a stray 
    	      we adopted (the cat, not the car).  One day my wife was
    	      in the basement talking on the phone and picked up a dead
    	      zinnia blossom from the floor.  Only it wasn't a zinnia
    	      blossom, it was a mouse's head, all that was left after
    	      Mowzell (then unnamed) had gotten through with it.  My wife
    	      screamed and scared the person she was talking to, and me
    	      too.  That's when I thought of the name Mousehole (pronounced
    	      Mowzell, as the Cornish do).  There is a children's book out
    	      now called "The Mousehole Cat", about a cat who lives in 
    	      Mousehole, Cornwall.  The title is pronounced, of course,
    	      "The Mowzell Cat".
    
    						- Vick

    The most wonderful man I have ever known explained to me once that,
    after long, scientific study, he and his roommates had determined that
    dogs like dog names and cats like human names.

    Their dogs were Fido and Rover, their cats were Elizabeth and Essex.

    E Grace

Alright, who's going to type in Eliot's "the naming of cats..."?

D!

    I call my cat Yasmine.  She's my baby, and since I'm single with no
    kids and always loved the name Yasmine if I had a baby girl, that's why
    I named her!
    
    My beloved cat Bear (who died three months before my SO died) was named
    by my former SO, who passed away.  Rick liked the name Bear because
    Bear was a himalayan and really fuzzy, like a bear.
    
    Tammi
    

    Chanel is a small, pitch black kitty monster with bright yellow eyes,
    and she's capable of reaching any place in my apartment. She keeps my
    whole apartment free of flies and gnats (I have to keep the wasps out
    because she goes after them too :-}) and she gladly answers my phone
    when I'm not at home - let's it ring only a few times before she knocks
    the receiver off the hook. She also plays 'fetch'. But about her name.
    
    She was named 'Chanel' by the friend I got her from, who was a fond fan
    of Coco and I didn't bother to change a name she had gotten used to
    already, especially since because of her small size she has a
    relatively short intestine meaning that on occasion she is able to
    spoil the atmosphere considerably.
    
    If she does so I do call her by her secondary name which is indeed
    long, sophisticated, literary Dutch and would me get set hidden here at
    the first attempt of translating it. :-)
    
    Ad
    
    

    I couldn't name all those I have had in the past....
    It would be a 200 line note! (-8
    
    Casey (K.C.) - One of my male purebred Korats.  His name was
    actually Kitty Cat, K.C., but the vet office spelled it
    like a name. He is also called Chubbles, because he looks
    like one of those fat toy bears, Kissyface, Butthead/face,
    Caseywasey,......
    
    B.K. - brother to above Korat.  So named by my husband, because
    when we went to choose a pair of kittens, there were 11 clones
    running around.  The breeder tossed a white stuffed buffalo onto
    the floor, and kittens (and cats, she had a total of 19 running
    around) came out of the woodwork.  B.K. was the one kitten left
    killing the buffalo, after all the rest lost interest and wandered
    off.  Hence, Buffalo Killer, B.K.  Also called BeeKey, Tweekie...
    
    Rusty - male domestic long haired red tabby w/white.  ALso known
    as just a plain ordinary cat.  He was one of a pair I rescued from
    a barn, from getting trampled to death by some bratty kids on three
    wheelers.  Remember that kid in school that never seemed to catch
    on?  That's Rusty.  He loves attention, especially from children.
    
    Pepper - male domestic short haired Mackerel tabby w/white.  Brother
    to above, same rescue scene.  Peckerhead, Pep,....this cat is one
    fast, wiry little guy.  
    
    Moochie - red tabby female Morris type.  Showed up at the back door
    begging for food one evening.  She was hungry (starving, actually)
    I fed her, she stayed.  Turned out she belonged to a neighbor, but
    now she is mine.  She decided to make our barn her domain.  Named
    because she used to come to mooch food.  Her original name was
    Budweiser.  She prefers Moochie.  She won't respond to Budweiser.....    
    
    HRH
    

   All of my cats have named themselves.

   My current cat is named Geronimo.  I picked him up when he was a kitten. 
   He "felt" like a Geronimo.  His mother was Burmese and his father was
   Siamese.  He is entirely black with huge green eyes.  It turns out that
   he is my "Buddha" cat.  He is peaceful and serene.  For a few years, he
   was only attached to me and would hide when anyone one else came to the
   house.  Lately, he has become equally attached to my fiancee and will
   come out to greet other adults.  He weighs 19 lbs., looks huge, but is
   very affectionate and gentle. 

   I had two other wonderful cats that I lost the summer before last when I
   tried to move to the mountains.  One was a female patchy gray who adopted
   me when I moved into a house on the westside of Colorado Springs.  The
   night I moved my furniture in, she just walked in and stayed.  She was
   Graybeth.  She always came when I called.  I found out later that she
   belonged to the next door neighbors, but they didn't care about her and
   said I could have her.  They called her Callie, but she never even looked
   up when I called her that.  She was definitely Graybeth and bore two
   litters before I could get her spayed.  She was a wonderful cat who often
   put Geronimo in his place.  She was about a third of his size.

   My third cat at the time was BJ.  I got him from a friend in Colorado
   Springs.  He was already named Black Johnson.  His former owner (before
   my friend) was a boy who had three cats that were orange, brown, and
   black.  He had named them Orange Johnson, Brown Johnson, and Black
   Johnson.  I always called him BJ.  He was all black with a white spot on
   his chest. He had a strange and sweet personality.  He was always the
   bottom of the pecking order with my other two cats.  He was not as
   affectionate as the other two, but always very playful.  I think he never
   forgave me for getting a dog that summer.  Being the lowest on the totem
   pole to two cats was one thing, but being lowest on the totem pole to a
   stupid (in his eyes), frisky puppy was just too much.


   							Terza

I don't really want to reply to this, but for the sake of our 3 cats who 
deserve the recognition I'll push myself (%-}

McCavity - (after TSE's poem) because she always hides and only family and a few
favored friends have seen her. She has fur like	velvet. Frankly, I think she 
is so secluded she leads a boring life.

Pita - short for pain in the ass, because he is, but we love him anyway. He is
always into something, and often at 3:00 in the morning.

7:30 (pronounced Seventhirty) - because he isn't quite dark enough to be called 
Midnight. At his last checkup, the vet said we should rename him eightoclock 
because he's grown so much. He and Killah, the dog, jointly chase and retrive
balls and anything else you throw that they can pick up and carry.

Our grand old cat Mitty (22 pounds) died about a year ago at age 19. He had 28
claws and his name was short for Mittens.

Bruce
   

    Obligatory cross-reference: If you want cat names (and/or the text of
    "The Naming of Cats") see VAXWRK::FELINE. [I've heard that folks who
    are allergic to cats have broken out from simply _opening_ that
    conference. ;-)]
    
    I'm an eclectic cat-namer - I don't go with a single theme. My
    15-year-old almost-Balinese is named Chiun, after the highly eccentric
    master assassin from "The Destroyer" - this, by the way, is a
    completely misleading name, as the cat is a total marshmallow. My
    15-year-old black-and-white stump-tailed Cymric (long-haired Manx) is
    Abigail, just because I liked the name. And my 3-year-old
    grey-and-brown tabby Manx is Sirocco, after the lead character in
    Varley's "Titan" trilogy; that one's closer to her real nature, but not
    perfect. She's a mercurial elf-cat, half wild and half loving, and I
    don't know that any one name would fit her perfectly...
    
    The naming of cats _is_ a difficult matter, but since they don't
    usually answer to them anyway it doesn't seem to bother them much!
    
    -b

My solid black short hair is named Laveau ("eau" pronounced "oh") after
Marie Laveau, once the voodoo queen of New Orleans, where I grew up.
Now that I live in Atlanta, no one gets it! :-)

My grey tabby is Tasha, because when I was looking for a cat at the pound,
a little girl walked up to me and out of the blue said, "If I had a 
kitten, I would name it Natasha".

Roseanne

[reposted after amendments!]

   Thomas - an extremely large (14lbs) muscular cute tabby, 4 years old, named
   	    after Tom from Tom and Jerry.  A mistake if I ever I made one.
   	    Thomas is utterly soft in the head.  When the cat-maker was
   	    giving out brain cells, Thomas was last in the queue.  But he
   	    is truly adorable.  His nicknames are The Boy and Big Git (or
   	    BG for short).

   Muffin - 3 years old, a small, rotund tabby with a face like the moon!  
   	    She was originally called Missy (got her from the Cat's Protection
   	    League) and I wanted her to keep that name which is the 
   	    nickname of one of my heroines, but I was talked into calling
   	    her Muffin, my mum used to call me that when I was a kid.
   	    Her nicknames are Wuffle, Wugga Wugga Wuffle, and Nugget.

   Both my babies are completely mad, but then so are all cats.  One of 
   Thomas' favourite games is "Let's sit on someone's lap when they're 
   on the toilet".  It's amazing how a cat's purr reverberates around a
   bathroom.  Muffin likes to throw herself against the legs of the kitchen
   table and is a very clingy cat - would sit on you all day given half the
   chance.  Both of them love to come to bed with me - Thomas will either
   sleep in the bed or on his bean bag.  Muffin sleep on top of the duvet
   but between my legs - makes turning over in bed very difficult.

   One of their most favourite games is to chase "milk rings", the strip
   of plastic around the top of a plastic milk bottle - this will literally
   keep them amused for hours.  And they will eat ANYTHING - cheese, ham,
   broccoli quiche, beef curry, salt & vinegar crisps.

   They're cute, they love me and I love them, more than anything else in
   this world.

   Goldy.

Classic black and white moggy.  Teelif, phoenetic spelling of tea leaf/thief
because he is. Approx 5-7 years old. Independent and condescending, he was 
starved & beaten before I got him, he is now sleek and sassy :-)

Mouldy tortoiseshell, mostly grey. Kiki, came with the name. Approx 3-4. Very 
affectionate. Skinny, graceful but dead clumsy !

Both were rescue cats, so ages not really known.

    My current feline guests are:
    
    Calvin, a neutered semi-long haired [99.9%] black female.  Mostly
    mute, rather lady like unless eating a grasshopper, that was funny.
    
    Hobbes, a neutered mail grey tiger.  Various vets have called him
    handsome and I think he knows it.  Anticipates the next chair to
    be wanted by anyone and takes it.
    
    Tiger, a neutered mail orange tiger.  Very friendly.  Responds to
    anything with a chirp.  Known to tear open bags "because they are
    there."
    
    Spook, a long haired black stray.  After some midwinter scrap had
    left him with a huge wound on his neck, I caught him and got him
    fixed up (in more ways than one) at the vets.  He is now much
    more friendly, much better groomed, and much heavier (8.7# to 15#)
    though he often turns down offers of food. Sometimes he stays for
    the night.
    
    Orangy.  A stray orange tiger.  Visits occasionally, has better food
    offers eslewhere.  Very friendly.
    
    My wife's family's cats:
    
    Lucas. Known as Mr Cat in his younger days.
    
    Curry.  Orange Tiger, thrives on rabbit.
    
    Trash.  Found in a trash can.
    
    My former cats:
    
    TC, a black and white female
    Popcorn, a multicolor, like autumn leaves
    Groucho, grey tiger female, sister of Popcorn.
    Stranger, long heaired Orange Stray.
    Kitty, a black and white female.
    Reddy, was Freddy when I got her, but you can guess the rest.
    Sambo (?), son of Reddy.
    
    ed

    Ninja is my orange-and-white tabby kitten. My husband got
    to name him, because I named our dog, who is a beautiful
    merle Collie, Buffer. (Partly for his color, partly
    for computers. My dog before Buffer was named Teco.)
    
    Bill named Ninja Ninja for various reasons, one of which is 
    that he's a little warrior who attacks animals much bigger
    than he is.

    My "kids" are:
    
    1) Jasmine, or "Jazz"...a black one-part-Siamese two-parts-clutz...she's
       my "baby". My ex-wife named her, because she liked naming animals after 
       precious stones. Our rabbit was "Onyx". Her dog was "Mandy" (she was
       also into Barry Manilow ;'))
    
    2) Meghan, or "Meg"...a grey and white mix, who is the most out-going
       (and adventurous) cat I've ever had. Always getting into trouble,
       and leading the others into trouble as well. 
    
    3) Gwen...the "Starer"...Meg's sister...was the runt of the litter...she 
       usually just sits in windowsills and stares at the others. But...she
       *does* have her "moments"...whereby she'll all of a sudden and without 
       warning, just decide to herself that it's "PLAYTIME!" and proceeds to 
       POUNCH on one of the others. It's hysterical (and surprising) to see.
       Both Meg and Gwen are named after my twin cousins, very appropriately 
       too, I must say, considering their personalities.
      
    
    4) The "New Kid On The Block"...Patches...was an outdoor cat given to
       me to watch by a friend of mine. Patches should be nicknamed "Scratches"
       temporarily, as she makes an attempt to adjust to the others. But, the 
       name "Patches" refers, if you hadn't guessed, to her coat of many colors.
          
    

    Don't own one myself, but...
    
    - My favorite cat of all time was a spunky scawny hyperkinetic stray
    kitten with a thin gray coat which outlined all his sinews. His owner
    called him something silly, but we all called him "Iggy".
    
    - Another memorable totally nonhuman (i.e., no one could possibly say
    "she's just like one of the family") cat of my acquaintance is named
    Bufett. A total mad warrior cat.
    
    - My friend Christina has a couple of cats; the best-named one is
    Orlando (after the Virinia Woolfe book).
    
    - My favorite fictional cat name is Simone Simon.
    
    Ray

    Present Cats:
    
      Muffet - Named after the little "dagget" critter that was on
               Battlestar Glactica....It's ears would rotate, all
               over the place, Muff's do that!  Muff is a big black
               13 year old who thinks he's a dog....He follows me
    	       down the driveway to the mailbox and back!
    
      Oscar -  My husband named this one while I was busy trying to
               come up with "just the right name".  He just said, he
               looks like an Oscar....So Oscar he is - 12 years old,
               another black kitty.  He's a scardy cat, when the
               doorbell rings (even if it's on TV!) he's Gone!
    
     Pandora - Well deserved name!  This is a cat with an attitude!
               If there's a fight in the house, she's in the middle 
               of it!  She's also black (notice a theme here?) and is
               4 years old.  She hisses at all strangers and is great
               to answer the door with on the trick or treaters at
               Halloween, she'll hiss right on cue!  I never get the
               same kids two years in a row......;-)
    
     Cocoa  -  Our sealpoint siamese, she is 3.  She was named for the
               gorgeous cocoa colored shadings in her coat.  She is so
               quiet most of the time, not your typical siamese at all.
               She's also pretty spacy....sometimes it takes her a few
               seconds to react to a bat in the face from one of the
               other cats....It's rather comical to see....Earth to
               Cocoa....Come *in* Cocoa! ;-) ;-)
    
    Past Loves:
    
    Munchkin - A beautiful black kitty that ended up on my doorstop one
               day with two badly broken and re-healed front legs, and a
               back leg with a bb shot through it - because his front
               legs had healed so funny he was *very* low to the ground.
               Didn't slow him down one bit, and he was one of the most
               affectionate cats I've ever owned.
    
    Angie   -  My little lady, another black cat, the first I'd ever owned
               (cat that is, not just a black one).  She always knew how
               I was feeling and was always a comfort.  She used to climb
               my leg when she was feeling playful....I tried to usually
               be wearing jeans when I saw that glint in her eyes! ;-)
               She was named for a Rolling Stone's song, which now brings
    	       tears to my eyes when I hear it.....I miss her so very much.
    
    Cats at my home while I was growing up - too too numerous to mention!
    
    bright blessings,
    -HA

    None were mine (my Dad was highly allergic to cats).
    
    Jalopy - black and white tabby.  Belonged to a roommate, but spent
             most of his time with me as my room was the warmest.
    
    Chewy -  was found by a former boyfriend at Mt. Wachusett Reservoir.
             Was appropriately named as it would eat everything in sight
             whether it was hungry or not.
    
    IttyBits - Cousin's Siamese.  Never grew very big.
    
    Fat Stuff - Same cousin.  This one was HUGE!!
    
    Brando - Another roommates.  My most memorable experience with this
             orange, neutered, male tabby was when he decided to use
             my bed as his litter box at 5:00 AM!!!!  Got hit by a car
             a few months later.
    
    Tit and Tat - one is a silver Persian, the other is a Himalayan.
                  Both female.  Owned by some friends.  Their dog is
                  named BJ :-)
    
    Pumpkin - Orange, neutered male with no bones.  Very friendly and
              great with kids.  Belongs to my friend's grandchildren.
    
    Linda
    

    Oh OK,...
    
    My two furry-purry's are now Giselle and Albrecht.  Giselle is a long
    haired buff colored, prissy, tabby, and Albrecht is a black Burmese
    with a white heart on her chest.  They're named after the ballet;
    but each have double paws the size of catcher mitts so they really
    don't look like dance-cats.
    
    Another love of mine was Chewbacca.  A 22 lbs. black and white tiger.
    Named after the huge furry thing in Starwars.
    
    Maia
    
    

    Well, you'll find the LONG form of our cat stories in VAXWRK::FELINE.
    Here's the short form:
    
    We're currently owned by six furpeople.  Three of them came to us
    pre-named: (Chalkie, Cleo, and Ralph).  They were living in the
    household of my mother-in-law's ex-second-husband, and were being
    treated none too gently by the man's grandkids... so we rescued
    them 8-)
    
    We got one other cat from that household, but we got her as a
    kitten so we were able to name her... or more accurately, she
    was able to name herself.  For some reason, the name "Athena"
    just came to mind when we were taking her home, so Athena it
    was!
    
    #5 and #6 we got off the streets.  #5 was pure black (even has
    black whiskers and toenails), so we call her Ebony.  #6 is a
    black-and-white longhair with curly eyebrow whiskers... when she
    looks up at you through the whiskers, it looks like she's wearing
    wire-rimmed glasses, so we called her "Lunette" (French word for
    eyeglasses).  This can be shortened to "Loony" when she's being
    a bad kitty 8-) 8-) 8-)
    
    --jim
    

    I have four cats who graciously allow me to live with them.  All are
    Siamese.
    
    Cleo - she is a tortie point with a ton of personality.  She is 5 years
    old and still acts like a kitten.  I bought her as a kitten and we
    called her the imp then.  She is very sensitive to me and knows just
    when to cuddle or pull some stupid stunt, like chasing cursors across
    the terminal screen!  She is a joy to have around.  She is also the
    mom-cat of the other three.  I was on an Egyptian kick at the time I
    got her and she is named after Cleopatra.
    
    Katie - She is 4 and a wuss.  She is the scapegoat out of the bunch. 
    She is a very loving animal and loves to curl up in my lap and chew her
    tail. This is a very odd trait of hers.  But then, she is a very odd
    cat.  She is a seal-point and is from Cleo's first litter.
    
    Skeeters - Skeets got her name because when you pick her up she
    squeeks.  She is also a seal point and was the only girl out of 7
    kittens in Cleo's second litter.  She was a loud mouth when she was
    born and is still the first to the food bowl.  She was born over weight
    and I have never been able to get the extra weight off of her.  Her
    favorite play is to be rolled over on her back so she can attack my
    arm.  She also loves to play with a long piece of yarn and is
    constantly bringing it to me.
    
    Alex - He is also from Cleo's second litter and is a beautiful
    red-point.  He is very eccentric, jealous and aloof. He never wants to
    cuddle unless Cleo is cuddling with me.  He loves to play fetch and has
    *HIS* toy, which no one had better touch.  He is mortal enemies with
    Katie and has banned her from the bedroom.  He is named after Alexander
    the Great.  When I was trying to find a name for him, I dreamt about
    Alexander the Great, hence his name.
    
    

I have Sylvester - he had that name when I got him, he was a year old. He does
look just like the cartoon cat. He's 19 years old and still going strong. 
His house name is Silly-Cat and he plays like a kitten, except he always uses
claws.

His brother Uncle Mao was eaten by an owl when we lived in the Colorado outback.
liesl

    I tend to pick names that I think are real pretty but that no kid would
    appreciate having...
    
    Jonah - who turned out to be female after the name stuck.
    Noah - the most popular cat on the block
    Ezekiel - who turned into Zekey pdq...

    My mum has had *loads* of cats over the years and here are some of
    the names :
    
    Joely Jelly Tots (Pussy with a heart of gold but no brain whatsoever)
    Uglybug    (human killing seal point siamese)
    Jumbo Jet  (also called b*mhole 'cos she trys to thrust it in your
                face all the time)
    Catkin     (Also called Fatty/Fatso/Blobby/Gutbucket - can't imagine why)
    Pussy Willow (also known as Fruit Bat due to being a very skinny
                  tabby point siamese that looks like a fruit bat)
    Dribbles   (Soppy old Tom who would bring you a brace of birds then
                dribble all over you)
    
    
    My sister inherited the catbug and has four at present :
    
    Pendragon (being a pure white cat it of course enjoys rubbing itself
              on the underside of oily old cars)
    Gollom (sees humans as a necessary inconvenience)
    Boris  (Big fat brute who is a bully to the others, you can actually 
           hear this cat coming)
    Lewis  (inherited cat hence the sensible name and the soppiest thing
           to ever walk the earth)
    
    I had a cat as well which I called Splat or Splatty. Even as scatty
    felines go this cat was a total nutter. Claws courtesy of Gilette.
    
    Jerome.
    
    PS -  All of them have displayed the tendency to be in mortal terror
          when *you* actually want to stroke *them*. They are convinced you
          have a machete ready to kill them. This tendency actually has
          the effect of making you want to kill them.....with a machete.
                            

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
   It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT
          NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
  Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey - 
  All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
  Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter -
  But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
  A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
  Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
  Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum - 
  Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
  And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no humand research can discover - 
  BUT THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
  The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
  Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
    His ineffable effable
    Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name. 
    
    					- T.S. Eliot

    I've already mentioned the Grey Moth-er and St. Fidgetus.
    
    Moth's first litter was one (1) kitten: Catterpilar, Pilar for short.
    Before that, we'd had Leif Erikson (She was a *great* explorer.)
    whose brother was Dusty (He explored too, but all he ever brought
    back was -- You got it.) and whose sister was Ol' Paint, a calico
    of white background with occasional patches of brown and black.
    Earl took two from another litter and gave them the biblical names
    Layla and Sayva (Do not accept my spelling.), for their coloring.
    Earl's parents had Miss Jellyfoot Toastwalker.  The Lewises got
    three kittens and named them Grammar, Rhetoric, and Logic, for a
    perfectly trivial reason.  Many, many years ago, my mother named a
    litter of kittens after the directors of boys' choirs: Nigel [rest
    of name forgotten], Jim Bennett, Guy Vance Carpenter, and Herr
    Doktor Roman Zielinger.  We kept Judge.  (Judge?  What?  Which cat
    was that, you ask?  Judge was Guy Vance Carpenter's nickname.
    Therefore....)  Roman was taken by my grandmother, and renamed to
    "satan".  Then she moved into a little house behind the Handsel
    and Gretel Gift Shoppe....  (I'm not making this up, you know.)
    
    					Ann B.

    
    My crew???
    
    All female, all brats--aren't they all?
    
    In order of age:
    
    Momma Kitty, alias MK, alias Crotchety Old B**ch :-):  Calico that
    	adopted me cause neighbors fed their cats only occasionally.  I 
    	don't really know how old she is, but is getting on so must be 12-
    	14 years old.  I know that years on the street must have taken a 
    	life or two.
    
    Duchess, Furball, Klutz:  Black and white longhair that also adopted
    	me, see above.  She got the name because that is the image she 
    	projected when I first saw her--she is a *good* cat acter! 
    	Actually, her first name was Eat n' Run, which was what she did!
    	Now she's just wierd, she will sit and stare into the water bowl 
    	for what seems like hours, then suddenly put her paw into it--
    	pulling it out and looking at it as if saying, "now how did you get
    	wet???"  silly cat!
    
    Isis (poor choice), Fatso (closer!), Houdini (opens closed doors well!)
    	She was also rescued from the same neglectful family, but she was 
    	just a kitten.  Had horrible manners when she was young and came
    	close to getting strangled a few times!!  She has mellowed out some
    	in her old age, about 7 years old now, but is still somewhat of a 
    	pain!  She's a grey and black tiger who is *somehow* related to 
    	Garfield--at least by wieght!
    
    Sable, Sweetheart, Mommy's Baby:  Can you tell who's the favorite?? :-)
    	Actually, she is a sweetheart.  She's all black except for a couple 
    	of dozen white hairs on her belly.  The only time I *really* get 
    	annoyed with her is when she sticks her nose in my face when I'm 
    	trying to fall asleep!  Otherwise she a *great* kitty!  She comes 
    	when I call her(well, 90% of the time!), she talks to me, and she 
    	loves to cuddle in my lap or on top of me in bed.  She rolls over 
    	and loves to be petted on her belly, and she loves for me to throw
    	her superball which I bounce off walls and such and she chases.
    	Sable's about 5 years old and such a joy to be around.
    
    Jasper, Velcro, Little Sh*t!  Another aquisition from the street, 
    	(forgot to say that Sable was _picked_ from a litter) she is also
    	all black with a few less white hairs on her belly than Sable.  But
    	they're *not* related, honest!  This is my shoulder sitter, and a 
    	clinger as you can see by her 2nd name.  She's also the most 
    	mischievious of the bunch, the one with the most energy!  Her
    	favorite toy is the ring off a milk jug!  She will play with those
    	for hours and even longer if you throw it for her to "fetch"!
    
    All in all, quite a bunch!  They keep me company and let me know what
    it means to be alive!
    
    
    Debbi and furry friends  :-) 
    

    
    We have Garfield Eric Dempsey, named by my husband!  We call him Garf
    for short - he's a beautiful tabby, very affectionate and weighs a ton!  
    
    We did have Mischief, a lovely half-Persian grey, but she went missing
    one day about three months ago, at the same time as quite a few other
    cats in the neighbourhood.  Seems there may have been some cat-stealing
    going on in the area.  If only I could get my hands on the people doing
    it ... Garfield (and us) misses her so much, and it's so awful not
    knowing what happened.
    
    Sam
                          

    I have Medea, aka "Dea", or called "Daiblo Gateau" by my boyfriend.
    She is a Burmese, all sable with big yellow green eyes.  She was a 
    queen I got from a breeder who changed to breeding Cornish Rexes.
    She is very petite, only 5 lbs, but very muscular.  She's the most
    affectionate cat I've ever had, and can't stand not to be not touching
    me no matter where I am or what I'm doing.  Unless there's a man other
    than my boyfriend visiting...  There can be a roomfull or woman and
    one man, the woman being cat lovers and the man not, and she will still
    insist on going to the man only.  She's also the most playfull cat I
    ever had, but will only play with toys (mostly milk rings) that aren't
    cat toys I've brought home for her.  She hates all other cats...  I
    moved back home for a year with my parents and thier cats, and she
    would not allow the other cats up to the second and third floors, and
    even tryed to keep them in just one room in the basement level if she
    could!  Even the huge tomcat they have was afraid of her.  She has a
    haunting voice and eyes that I think scare them more than her size.
    She is also the most vocal cat I've had, even moreso than our Siamese.
    She is a cat of extremes!
    Other cats we've had: Cocoa and Siam, siamese, Siam had a zigzag tail
    and was crosseyed, a real nut.  Lucky (calico), Desperate (black and
    white patches), Midnite (all black), these were all rescues.  Then
    Jezebel, and orange and white tabby we got from a farm.  She was the
    mother of many orange and whites, most of which we kept.  We always
    had about a dozen running around the house.  Some of my favourites
    were Pumpkin, Tom, Popsicle (we were lucky to find him in time, he
    had crawled into the freezer when someone went to get ice cream)
    and Tigger.
    
    
    /gina

    Well, the kitten came to us already named -- PB for Peanut Butter,
    which was his color when he was *real* tiny.  Now he's more the color
    of my tea with cream.  He chews on my ear as I try to comb my hair in
    the morning.  (I know I wanted someone to nibble my ears, Lord, but a
    cat wasn't *exactly* what I had in mind.)
    
    Spooks is a black-&-white short hair.  So named after a couple of weeks
    living with us, as she "spooked" at everything that moved, followed by
    that run from one end of the house to the other and back again with 
    bounces off walls in the middle.
    
    And then there was Cattina, a long-haired calico.  She patiently
    tolerated the baby's pursuit of her for many months - including
    tail-pulling and hair tugging.  And then, when the baby was about 9
    months old, she decided it was time for a lesson, gave a gentle
    scratch, and ended the tormenting with that one time.  Almost like she
    waited until the baby was old enough to put 2 and 2 together and figure
    out what he had done wrong.  The only time she ever willingly got in a
    car (and we moved her across country 4 times) was when I finally had to
    take her to the vet to put her to sleep.
    
    Alison

    ...be careful what you ask for!  You just might get it!
    
    E Grace

    
    	My husband and I are owned by four of the furry critters..
    
    	Brandi - is really my husband's cat.  She's about 6-7 years
    		  old now.  He got her when he was a senior in HS
    		  so I guess I'm a step-mom.  She's brown tabby and 
    		  white....and a moose!  Can't stand to be bothered
    		  by the other three, it isn't dignified to 'play'.
    		  nicknames: fatso, tubbolard, brandikitty.
    
    
    	Sasha - brown/black tabby and Maine Coon.  Is momma's baby.
    		  Adopted her from my cousin when she was 6 weeks old.
    		  She's the first to come say hello to strangers.  And
    		  gets *very* jealous when I'm paying attention to
    		  the other cats.  Nicknames: poophead, pouffytail,
    		  momma's pretty girl.
    
    	Chloe - blue/cream point himalayan.  Adopted her from my 
    		  husband's brother when she was about a year old.
    		  She's a beautiful cat but VERY skittish and not
    		  really bright.  She and Sasha hate each other.
    		  Her favorite place to sit is a kitchen chair...
    		  she'll sit there for hours on end.  Nicknames:
    		  Chloechloesmooshface, the abominable snowcat,
    		  the wimp.
    
    	Audrey - lynx point siamese that we adopted from the shelter.
    		  the most affectionate cat I've ever known.  She's
    		  about a year old now but is still very small in 
    		  size.  she instigates fights and chases with the
    		  others.  if you even think about her, she'll purr.
    		  Her favorite place to sit or sleep is atop a 
    		  shoulder.  she's a pain in the butt but she's
    		  so darned cute, we can't stay mad at her for more
    		  than a second.  Nicknames:  pumpkinhead, munchkinface,
    		  little one, the pest.
    
    	We had a little black kitty that died about a year ago.  His
    	name was Duke.  He was very sick and very small so we gave
    	him a big name.  He was very loveable and ate like a horse.
    	Nicknames were: our little guy, dukey, piglet.
    
    		JJ
    

I've shared living quarters and 10 addresses with a brindle-gray sweetie
over the last 9+ years.  Lint Brain will be 10 in March, we'll probably
have a party.  She has white paws and a splash of white at the throat;
slightly wild green eyes, especially when the three-year-old comes near;
and comes running for attention when the appropriate beckons are used (no,
the noises aren't secret, but they aren't transliterable, either.)

DougO

    
    My current cats are brother and sister.  I found them as 4-5 week old
    kittens in the Haverhil Dog shelter, terrified and sitting in their
    mother's litterbox.
    
    Spike - looks like Garfield.  We named him Spike because that is a
    macho name and he is a wimp.  The vet actually thought Spike was
    going to die because he was so sick when we got him.  He is still
    a wimp and he's three years old now.
    
    Pretty Girl, aka Lady - Spike's sister.  When we got her, we thought
    she was a he and we called her Opus for no reason at all.  Then
    we found out she was a girl and we called her Lady, due to lack
    of creativity on our part.  Then when people would meet these two
    cats, Spike would get so much attention cause he's so handsome,
    that I started calling Lady, Pretty Girl.  So she wouldn't get
    an ugly complex.  Now I only call her Lady when she's bad.  I
    still call her Pretty Girl even though the vet says she's obese.
    (She's the boss-kitty over both Spike and my dog Katie.)
    
    I used to have a cat named Snoopy and a dog named Tigger.  Tigger
    as in the tiger from Winnie the Pooh and Snoopy as in the cartoon
    about a dog.  Yep,  sort-of reverse names.
    
    Rachael
    

    I have  Benson, Mandy (most often called Manda-Panda) and Onyx.  My
    daughter has Gomez and Alexandra.
    
    Mom & Dad had a Siamese named Tai-Lin and a Himalyan named
    Nebbechenezer (Nebbie or Nebs).  They inherited my brothers cat
    Ghengis.  He still has Brutus (Himalayan) and Bruiser (Persian).
    
    

    My cats:
    
    Jade - I got the idea from Mick Jagger's daughter, Jade.
           When I read that I thought, Good name for a Siamese
           cat, which Jade is.  
    
    Frodo - (Jade's son)  My ex said we could keep him as long
            as he got to name him, and that's what he picked.
    
    Raven - I had decided at some point, a long time ago, that
            Raven would be a good name for a black cat, which 
            Raven is, of course (with long fur & double paws,
            he's beautiful).  I think I got the name, originally,
            from the Edgar Allen Poe poem.
    
    Julian - I just like the sound of it and way it looks written.
             But, I guess I got the idea from Julian Lennon
             originally.  (Actually, I always name my cats after
             the children of rock stars.) :-)
             But, his nicknames are Jules and Jewels.
    
    My daughter's cat:
    
    Ace - after a character she liked that Keifer Sutherland played in a movie
    
    
    Lorna
    

    
    One of my problems is remebering all of them.  A lot of ours came
    named since they're a collection of strays and out-placed cats...
    
    Curious George -- large, white, blue-eyed, double-pawed male who
    	cannot tolerate closed doors.
    
    Boss Tweed -- ticked tabby with white, the Head Cat, born in a
    	South Bronx junkyard.
    
    Pipsqueak -- dilute calico with enormous eyes, usually configured
    	in the "who me?" look, but capable of savagery against cats
    	that offend her.  (Also, lust object of old, neutered George.)
    
    Punkinhead -- orange tabby, lean and fast, and the world's friendliest
    	cat.
    
    Maxwell (Black Max) -- all black and capable of teleportation,
    	fascinated with all flying things, fur as glossy as acrylic.
    
    Bailey -- cream tabby (the color of Bailey's Irish Cream), with a
    	perpetually serious expression.  Thinks deep thoughts and snorts
    	when he eats.
    
    Spider -- solid gray and elusive, fond of yowling in distant rooms
    	to let you know how lonely she is.
    
    Jasper -- grey and white, with asperations to the position of Head
    	Cat with size enough to challenge.
    
    Scooter -- Turkish Van (mostly white with tiger patches on head and
    	tail), plays in water, gets into everything, tweaks the noses
    	of the older cats.
    
    Stripe -- black and white, feral cat who will only be held at feeding
    	time.  Madly in love with the next cat.
    
    Jennifer -- black and white, prone to occasional temper tantrums, but
    	very willing to share her Victorian bed with two people.  Does not
    	understand why Stripe follows her.
    
    In memoriam:
    
    Spats Growltiger -- large dark orange tabby who fought with his
    	siblings for 2 years straight.  Affectionate, sensitive, and
    	the original sleeping cat.  One of a kind.
    
    (I won't even go into the 4 dogs or the turtle.)
    
    Ron 

    My first entry in WN, and I couldn't resist, since cats are absolutely
    my favorite animal in the whole world!  I have five neutered males:
    
    T.K. -- Stands for Tabby Kat, which sounded better than T.C. (Tabby
            Cat).  He is very large with an incredibly big head so is
            affectionately referred to as Baseball Head, Base for short.
            T.K. was a stray who adopted us.
    
    Nikki-- All black longhaired cat adopted from shelter and named while
            there.
    
    Kelsey--Sealpoint, purebred Ragdoll cat.  He is the first cat I ever
            bought, drove all the way to NJ to get him!
    
    Herbie--Blue lynxpoint Himalayan cat.  I got Herbie from a local
            breeder (pre-named) who couldn't use him in her program.  He
            was neutered and placed with me at 2 years old for a small fee.
            Herbie stands for Herbie-the-Lovebug.
    
    Taja -- Siamese/Himalayan cross, rescued from a shelter that was going
            to destroy him because he was sneezing!!  He's shorthaired, and
            extremely hyper and talkative.  He's my possessed kitty!!
    
    
    That's my crew, and I'd have more if it weren't for a certain
    husband...!  He loves them, just feels that five is plenty (for now
    anyway -- Smile!)
    
    
    --Roberta
    

    Hi Roberta, looks like the FELINERs are migrating to WOMANNOTES.
    
    Here's my crew.
    
    Amelia Earhart  - So named because when she was younger she used to
    (AKA: Me Cat      literally fly through the house.  Brown tabby with
     or MeMe Cat)     white.  She's my head of household. 
    
    Bailey's Irish Cream - Her color is called blue-cream, sort of a mix
    (AKA:  Bay Cat    of gray and tan.  This is also known as dilute
     or BayBay Cat    tortoiseshell.  A cat show judge once told me tortie
    		      personalities are like a candy bar.  50% sweetness and
     		      50% nuts.  Fits Bailey to a tee.
    
    Carrie Nation   - Was found at 3:00am one morning outside crying her
    (AKA: Care Cat)   lungs out.  She came home to visit and never left.
                      My SO at the time suggested we name her Lady Blue or
                      Bonnie Blue but both those names were too ladylike
                      for this little (big now) rabblerouser.
    
    Paddy O'Kitty  - Lived on my patio, hence the name.  She was all black
                     with gold eyes.  She had a litter of kittens which I
                     was able to catch; they were all wild at one time. 
    		     She has a new home, and new name...Paddy Paws.
    
    Domino         - Paddy's son, also black with gold eyes.  New name is 
    		     Baghera (spelling?) after the panther in jungle book.  
    		     He has a new home too.
                     
    Onyx O'Kitty   - Paddy's son, black with gold eyes, and 20 little white
    (AKA:  Onnie     hairs in his bikini area.  I'm keeping this one.  He's
     Cat or Baby     such a love.  Tried once to change his name to Daniel
     Boy)            Boone or Davy Crockett since he is pioneering new ways
                     to give me gray hair but I decided Onxy really fits
                     him better.
    
    Shadow         - Paddy's daughter, yep, she's black with gold eyes too.
    		     Her new name is Shelby. 
    
    
    I've also named most of the strays I feed at a vacant building by my
    home or on my patio.  To date they are:  Pixie and Dixie, Tabby Cat,
    Silver Tabby, Panda, Pixie Kitten, Whitefoot, Whitefoot kitten, and
    LBK (little black kitten).  Not very original but it helps me to have
    something to call them.
    
    Jan

    
    re: .48
    
    I have a cream colored persian name Bailey (after Bailey's Irish
    Cream)... but I'd say he's more like 75% nut...

    
    Mona

    
    My cat has three names;  
    
     Gimli,  name from "Lord of the Rings"/"The Hobbit"
    
     and Flea Bag + Stupid   when he's  wants in and out every 5 minutes!!!
    
     He's 9 human years old now.... gettin up there...
    
    
    
    

    Hee hee--my cat has more than one name too!
    
    Maggie, after Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady.  She's a gray tiger,
    that we adopted from the Humane Society.  When someone found her,
    she was abandoned, pregnant and starving. (I could relate :-)) So 
    I consider her tough, but despite all she's been thru, she came
    'round in a couple of months, now she actually curls up on my lap
    and purrs.  She didn't purr for about two months after we took  her
    in. 
    
    Other names, depending on my mood-- Mag-pie, Mag-tape, Mag-got (I know
    it's bad), and sometimes yes, Flea-bag Mag.
    
    Kim

    We just got a couple of new kittens, against my wishes - not what we
    needed to go with 4 cockatiels, a gerbil, a cat and a dog.  But I will
    adapt, however if they poot outside of the litter box one more time....
    
    I did think my children came up with some good names:
    
    Smoke or smokey - 	Because she is a dark brown calico and reminded my
    			daughter of smoke.
    
    Tiger Lily -	Because she is a grey tiger striped cat.  My son
    			wanted to name her tiger then found out she was a
    			girl and added the "lily", after the Peter Pan
    			character.  This is the cat I could gladly do away
    			with, mouthy and poots on the newspaper, however my
    			son would probably "do away" with me if I did
    			anything to "his" cat.
    
    Linda B
    
    I used to like cats until we got so many animals.

My favorites from the past:


	T-Shirt		A black cat with just a few white hairs
			on the chest the way you used to see on
			some guys when a couple of their chest
			hairs would hang over the tank top type
			Ts (o.k., I'm old).

	Lips		Another black cat with the only white
			hairs during a curl on the lips.

Current:

	Elf Kitty	Rescued stray who had to have part of
			one ear (and tail) taken off because
			of a fight (or whatever).  Does look 
			like what I think of as very elfish.

Barb

     
      
     	Roadi		I found him on the side of a highway, the day
                        after I decided that I wanted my ex- to have
                        the family cat, so that he would have someone
                        to care about. Also known as Roadster cause
                        he still rips around the house; Roadkill for
                        what he would have been if the Goddess hadn't
                        intervened and Roadmonster 'cause even though
                        he's the cutest cat out of all the cats in my
                        cat family he's also a little terror and he
                        knows it.
    
        Winnie          She came named from the shelter, but we also
                        call her the Winmyster cause she's the older,
                        smarter cat and she likes to watch Roadi do
                        something he's going to get into trouble for.
    
    
    Smiles,
    
    -Andrea
    

I have just discovered that I am allergic to my own cat. I have had
her only three months and the allergy has just become severe now. For this
reason, I have to find another home for Bubble. It breaks my heart to
do this, but I don't know what else I can do. I'm putting this in
    wn because I think, although I'm not 100 percent sure, that Bubble
    prefers women. She is definitely less scared of women.

Bubble is a very pretty, affectionate cat. She has beautiful black and
white markings, like a man wearing evening dress. Her fur feels like
mink, as she is part Siamese. She is declawed and therefore does not
go out of the house. Her previous owner had other nondeclawed cats,
and they picked on Bubble, so this may be a factor in who should take
her. She is very healthy.

If someone should take her and it doesn't work out for some reason,
I will take her back, as I want her and you to be happy.

Because of the allergy, I may have to find someone who could take her
temporarily until I find a home for her. So if you could take her only for
a while, please let me know that also. I would prefer to avoid this, as she is
initially very traumatized by change, but it may become necessary.

Eileen