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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / May 2007A Pair of Cat's Names
Okay, I need a pair of cat's names. Two kittens, probably littermates, about 3 months old. The boy is black/white, the girl is grey/white. They belong to my neighbor but tonight they are staying with me because I want to take them for their vaccinations. (The neighbour wouldn't bother with this.) So, I need temporary names for them when I take them to the animal hospital tomorrow. Any ideas? Flippy. > Okay, I need a pair of cat's names. Two kittens, probably littermates, about > 3 months old. The boy is black/white, the girl is grey/white. They belong to > my neighbor but tonight they are staying with me because I want to take them > for their vaccinations. (The neighbour wouldn't bother with this.) So, I > need temporary names for them when I take them to the animal hospital > tomorrow. Any ideas? Congratulations on the new additions! I don't have any bright ideas, but I would suggest not doing as I did and telling the clinic office staff that the cat(s) in question don't really have a name because they are just strays you might not keep depending on the result of the exam. Oh, they put 'stray' on the file, but that cat lived with me for almost 16 years, so it was really a waste of time to put off naming her. I like giving cats short human names.  SignatureCheryl > Okay, I need a pair of cat's names. Two kittens, probably littermates, about > 3 months old. The boy is black/white, the girl is grey/white. They belong to > my neighbor but tonight they are staying with me because I want to take them > for their vaccinations. (The neighbour wouldn't bother with this.) So, I > need temporary names for them when I take them to the animal hospital > tomorrow. Any ideas? Thinking of English history, Lady Jane (Grey). So the boy gets to be called John Thomas to match. ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 <http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 >> Okay, I need a pair of cat's names. Two kittens, probably littermates, >> about [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > So the boy gets to be called John Thomas to match. Oh, no, he doesn't ever get called that. It is a slang name in the UK for a penis and it's not funny for a cat name and well you know it. I like you less for this suggestion. You refuse to get your tom neutered and he roams outside. We have spoken about this before. Is this connected at all with the kittens you have at the moment? Tweed > Oh, no, he doesn't ever get called that. It is a slang name in the UK > for a penis and it's not funny for a cat name and well you know it. > I like you less for this suggestion. Is "John Thomas" considered vulgar or something? I mean, it's not out of the realm of possibility that I might name a cat Willie or Dick or Peter or Johnson, even though those names all mean "penis" in the US. (OK, I doubt I'd name a cat "Johnson". Probably not Dick either. :)) But I wouldn't name a cat, say, "Pr*ck", which has a much more vulgar connotation, not to mention it being an epithet. Poor kitty, it would be like you were insulting him every time you said his name! I have a hard time believing that "John Thomas" is *that* rude - I mean it must be a pretty common name over there - but I defer to the UKers on that one. Joyce > > Oh, no, he doesn't ever get called that. It is a slang name in the UK > > for a penis and it's not funny for a cat name and well you know it. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > must be a pretty common name over there - but I defer to the UKers on that > one. Did you ever read "Lady Chatterley's Lover?" If so, you will know that John Thomas means what I said before and it not a fit name for a cat. Tweed >> > Oh, no, he doesn't ever get called that. It is a slang name in the UK >> > for a penis and it's not funny for a cat name and well you know it. [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Tweed I used to know a young man (when I was also young) named John Thomas. I believe there was also a fairly well-known opera or classical singer in the U.S. by that name. Joy >>>> Oh, no, he doesn't ever get called that. It is a slang name in the UK >>>> for a penis and it's not funny for a cat name and well you know it. [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Joy Here in the US there is nothing bad associated with the name. I know several John Thomases. It is not an uncommon name. One of them is my Dr. who I am going to see tomorrow. I can't wait to tell him what his name means in the UK. He will laugh. Bridget >>>>Oh, no, he doesn't ever get called that. It is a slang name in the UK >>>>for a penis and it's not funny for a cat name and well you know it. [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > believe there was also a fairly well-known opera or classical singer in the > U.S. by that name. "John Charles Thomas" - and he was a great deal more than "fairly" well known! On Apr 25, 6:54 pm, "Christina Websell" <spamf...@tinawebsell.wanadoo.co.uk> wrote: > <jXwXeXrXmXoX...@sonic.net> wrote in message > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > Did you ever read "Lady Chatterley's Lover?" If so, you will know that John > Thomas means what I said before and it not a fit name for a cat. But it was what Robert Heinlein named the _supposed_ protagonist of his juvenile SF novel <The Star Beast> and not only that, the real protagonist, JT's alien "pet" who turns out ot be a princess of a very advanced alien race, has a hobby of "raising John Thomases." Heinlein got all of that past an editor who obviously did not know English slang as well as he did. Will in New Haven -- > Tweed- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - >>>Oh, no, he doesn't ever get called that. It is a slang name in the UK >>>for a penis and it's not funny for a cat name and well you know it. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > Did you ever read "Lady Chatterley's Lover?" If so, you will know that John > Thomas means what I said before and it not a fit name for a cat. I suspect a lot of people would think it funny, rather than "not fit". It's true I didn't know the slang connotation, when I named my first cat "Peter" (it was my grandparents' surname), but I doubt that would have stopped me. >>> Okay, I need a pair of cat's names. Two kittens, probably littermates, >>> about 3 months old. The boy is black/white, the girl is grey/white. >> Thinking of English history, Lady Jane (Grey). >> So the boy gets to be called John Thomas to match. > Oh, no, he doesn't ever get called that. It is a slang name in the > UK for a penis and it's not funny for a cat name and well you know it. More a literary allusion. D.H. Lawrence, look it up. ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 <http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 >>>> Okay, I need a pair of cat's names. Two kittens, probably littermates, >>>> about 3 months old. The boy is black/white, the girl is grey/white. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > More a literary allusion. D.H. Lawrence, look it up. Oooohh. How patronising. Maybe I forgot, then, that I read it in Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence. Should I look it up again? It means what I said in the first place and is not a fit name for a male cat unless you want to make a fool of him. You are aware of this so I'm not sure why you suggested it to an American, who isn't. Tweed > It means what I said in the first place and is not a fit name for a male cat > unless you want to make a fool of him. You are aware of this so I'm not > sure why you suggested it to an American, who isn't. Maybe an American cat wouldn't mind, then? :) As smart as cats can be, I would not expect any cat to know or care what that name means. And even if they did know, cats are not cursed with human uptightness about body parts, so I doubt it would matter. So I wouldn't worry about the name's "fitness" for a cat. Especially considering, as we have been over the past couple of days of this thread, that quite a few *human* males sport that name! Joyce > > It means what I said in the first place and is not a fit name for a male > > cat [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > have been over the past couple of days of this thread, that quite a few > *human* males sport that name! You don't seem to have grasped my point. It's not that the cat cares or minds what his name is. It's a matter of dignity. John Thomas is not a fit name for a cat. You might as well call him "Pr**k here in the UK or whatever slang name you use for penis in the USA. It's just not on. Tweed >>>It means what I said in the first place and is not a fit name for a male >>>cat [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > him "Pr**k here in the UK or whatever slang name you use for penis in the > USA. It's just not on. IMO, the point is moot, anyway, since no one is likely to summon a cat by "Here, John Thomas" - far more likely it would be shortened to "Here, Tommy" in no time flat! >> John Thomas is not a fit name for a cat. You might as well call >> him "Pr**k here in the UK or whatever slang name you use for penis >> in the USA. It's just not on. > IMO, the point is moot, anyway, since no one is likely to > summon a cat by "Here, John Thomas" - far more likely it > would be shortened to "Here, Tommy" in no time flat! I know somebody who moved from Germany to Finland with her cat. She'd named it something cute and meaningless in German, which happened to be spectacularly obscene in Swedish (this was a Swedish-speaking part of the country). And the cat would *not* come in unless you called it loudly by its old name. It is not a good idea to try annoying your local fundies by naming your cat "Allah" or "Jesus Christ". Far too many people are likely to call it. ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 <http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 >>> John Thomas is not a fit name for a cat. You might as well call >>> him "Pr**k here in the UK or whatever slang name you use for penis [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > cat "Allah" or "Jesus Christ". Far too many people are likely to call > it. One of our rules for pet naming, especially cats, is how we would feel about standing and yelling that name out our front door at 11 PM, or walking around the neighborhood calling it. Jo >>>> John Thomas is not a fit name for a cat. You might as well call >>>>him "Pr**k here in the UK or whatever slang name you use for penis [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > standing and yelling that name out our front door at 11 PM, or walking > around the neighborhood calling it. When I was a toddler, my grandmother used to call me "Tootie" - Until she heard a neighbor woman in the alley calling her dog: "Here, Tootie, Tootie!" > Jo >>>>> John Thomas is not a fit name for a cat. You might as well call >>>>>him "Pr**k here in the UK or whatever slang name you use for penis [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > >> Jo When I was growing up, we had a dog named Honey. One day my Dad was working in the front yard, and Honey was out there with him. She started to wander off, so he whistled at her, and called, "Come here, Honey!" A young woman who happened to be walking by gave him a dirty look. After that, he never called Honey anything except Dog. Joy > One of our rules for pet naming, especially cats, is how we would feel > about standing and yelling that name out our front door at 11 PM, or > walking around the neighborhood calling it. > > Jo I always wondered what the neighbors used to think when I stood at the back door at 11 PM yelling "ROMEO!!, Romeo! Where are you??" Flippy. > I always wondered what the neighbors used to think when I stood at > the back door at 11 PM yelling "ROMEO!!, Romeo! Where are you??" That made me giggle. You might have made it even more effective by dressing in Renaissance garb and speaking in Olde English. :) I remember someone posting in this newsgroup quite a few years ago that they had a cat who responded to the words "cat food". That wasn't the cat's name, he had just learned those words and their meaning, and would come running whenever he heard them uttered. One evening the cat didn't come home at the expected time, and his humans got worried. So they start walking around the neighborhood, peering into bushes and calling "Cat food! Cat food!" That must have been quite a strange sight. I wonder who posted that? Tak, you probably remember, don't you? :) Joyce > > I always wondered what the neighbors used to think when I stood at > > the back door at 11 PM yelling "ROMEO!!, Romeo! Where are you??" > >That made me giggle. You might have made it even more effective by >dressing in Renaissance garb and speaking in Olde English. :) My all-time favorite "Calvin and Hobbes"-- and that's a hard call ;)-- has Calvin trying to leave the house, and being obstructed by his mom: Mom: Whither goest thou, young rogue? Can there be yet some infamy thou has not yet committed? Calvin: Thou dost wrong me! Faith, I know not where I wander. Methinks the most capricious zephyr hath more design than I. But lo: do not delay me for I am resolved to quit this place forthwith. Mom: Ay, but hear you this: I'll soon know thy business. Calvin: By my troth, I am off! The scene in the next frame switches abruptly to the living room, where Mom is glued to the TV, and Calvin is pulling a disgusted face. Calvin: Holy Schlamoley, isn't there a cop show on where they talk like real people? Mom: Shh! >I remember someone posting in this newsgroup quite a few years ago >that they had a cat who responded to the words "cat food". That wasn't [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >Joyce Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War > "Jack Campin - bogus address" <b...@purr.demon.co.uk> wrote in messagenews:bogus- > > One of our rules for pet naming, especially cats, is how we would feel about > standing and yelling that name out our front door at 11 PM, or walking > around the neighborhood calling it. Many years ago some flatmates I knew didn't live with them ever or I would have stopped it (I had nothing to do with it- remember my cats all have weird names but even if I allowed the Fabulous Furballs out, no-one is likely to have been offended if I called "Redunzel. Sarrasine!" unless one of those names is inadvertently obsence in some other language I know nothing about) named their little white female kitten "Poofta" They lived by a very busy tube station and many a night they'd stand outside about 6.00 shouting "Poofta!" and if anyone said anything they could say "We're calling our cat in" As it was in tribute to commuters no-one did give them any hassle and after a while when the shock effect wore off for them, Poofta was usually called "Puffy" at home Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furballs > I know somebody who moved from Germany to Finland with her cat. She'd > named it something cute and meaningless in German, which happened to > be spectacularly obscene in Swedish (this was a Swedish-speaking part > of the country). And the cat would *not* come in unless you called it > loudly by its old name. Hmm, wonder what that was. I can't think of anything. Might be funny to know, though, that the Finnish word for cat, kissa, means 'to piss' in Swedish. SignatureMarina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. > > It means what I said in the first place and is not a fit name for a male cat > > unless you want to make a fool of him. You are aware of this so I'm not [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > have been over the past couple of days of this thread, that quite a few > *human* males sport that name! And if the cat DID know the meaning, it would probably add a certain swagger to his walk! (Especially if he were neutered, so his male ego needed bolstering.) >> > It means what I said in the first place and is not a fit name for a >> male cat > unless you want to make a fool of him. You are aware of this [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > swagger to his walk! (Especially if he were neutered, so his male ego > needed bolstering.) I don't agree with naming pets with such names, neither do I like birds being taught to swear. They are innocent. It's a shame on us to insult them like this. IMO. Tweed > I don't agree with naming pets with such names, neither do I like birds > being taught to swear. > They are innocent. It's a shame on us to insult them like this. IMO. Do you worry that some harm might come to the animal, as a result of the name or (in the case of a parrot) the swearing? That is, that someone would get hostile because of those things and take it out on the animal? I've never heard of any such incidents, but there are certainly some highly strung individuals who would not be hard to set off. But then in that case, I wouldn't want my animals anywhere near that person no matter what their names are. There are nutcases out there no matter what you do. Otherwise, I can't see what harm it does to the animal. A cat's dignity is not defined by a name given to it by a human. Now, falling off the windowsill, that's another matter. :) (Wash, wash, wash - I meant to do that!) Joyce > > I don't agree with naming pets with such names, neither do I like birds > > being taught to swear. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > windowsill, that's another matter. :) (Wash, wash, wash - I meant to do > that!) You have not understood my point at all and it is too late at night here in Britain for me to have time to explain it It's my bedtime. Tweed > <jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt@sonic.net> wrote in message >> Otherwise, I can't see what harm it does to the animal. A cat's dignity >> is not defined by a name given to it by a human. > You have not understood my point at all and it is too late at night here in > Britain for me to have time to explain it It's my bedtime. Maybe you should have waited to respond until you had had a night's sleep? You're right, I probably don't get your point. You said that giving a cat a name such as "John Thomas" would offend the dignity of the cat. I don't understand how. Cats certainly have a sense of dignity, I won't argue with that, but there's no way that a name given by a human, no matter how silly or crude, would affect a cat's dignity. (On the other hand, I suppose it could affect a human's dignity to have a cat with an egregiously stupid or offensive name, but that's another matter!) Once you wake up, maybe you could try again? :) Joyce >> > I don't agree with naming pets with such names, neither do I like birds >> > being taught to swear. [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Tweed May you sleep well. I think I get your point. However, in the case of cats, I don't think their dignity is much affected by their slaves. Molly for instance has never actually allowed that we even have the right to name her. Whatever we choose to call her is solely a reflection on us. Dogs on the other hand, at least in my experience really don't have much dignity to speak of. If it were left up to them they would spend their entire lives licking their butts and sniffing each others. I think that's why we need to be careful in naming them. If we wait for them to suggest a name or nickname by their own behavior, its likely to be less than dignified. Especially if we are naming they while they are still puppies. One thing that can make dogs and cats such relaxing companions for some of us, is that we don't have to be careful in what we say to them or what we call them. Only in how. They never misunderstand. Jo >>>I don't agree with naming pets with such names, neither do I like birds >>>being taught to swear. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > You have not understood my point at all and it is too late at night here in > Britain for me to have time to explain it It's my bedtime. Oh, I think we all "understand" your point - it's just that we a) consider it trivial and b) disagree with it! The only person who might find such odd-ball names embarrassing would be the person obliged to summon the animal by calling its name aloud, outdoors - and he/she presumable came to terms with the issue before the "christening". (I can assure you, the animal couldn't care less!) > Oh, I think we all "understand" your point - it's just that > we a) consider it trivial and b) disagree with it! The only [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > with the issue before the "christening". (I can assure you, > the animal couldn't care less!) Well, I don't know exactly what Christina's point it, but it does seem to me that naming an animal after a sex organ shows a rather odd attitude to either sex or the animal in questions. Attitude in the namer of the animal, of course; as you say, the animal won't know or care what its name is. It's other humans who might be offended or puzzled or wonder whether the owner's motivation is obsession about sex, or the desire to suprise or annoy or embarrass the neighbours or family members. That being said, I wouldn't have thought the original suggested penises to me - I know the term in that context, but it isn't common enough around here for that to be the first meaning I'd think of. The frequency of use of various slang expressions varies considerably from place to place. -- Cheryl > That being said, I wouldn't have thought the original suggested > penises to me - I know the term in that context, but it isn't > common enough around here for that to be the first meaning I'd > think of. The frequency of use of various slang expressions > varies considerably from place to place. It's close to zero here for the one I suggested. I've never heard anyone in the UK use it and I've only met with it in D.H. Lawrence's novels (as I said, it was a literary allusion, and on top of a historical one at that). A quick scan through Roger's Profanisaurus would suggest a lot more names that nobody anywhere would figure out on their own. ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 <http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 >> That being said, I wouldn't have thought the original suggested >> penises to me - I know the term in that context, but it isn't [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > novels (as I said, it was a literary allusion, and on top of a > historical one at that). You know very well that if you ask anyone in the UK what it means they will say penis. Stop trying to wriggle out of being found out suggesting to someone in another country that it's a good name for a cat. Tweed >>>That being said, I wouldn't have thought the original suggested >>>penises to me - I know the term in that context, but it isn't [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > say penis. Stop trying to wriggle out of being found out suggesting to > someone in another country that it's a good name for a cat. Children, children, hasn't this idiotic "controversy" continued long enough? Who but "Tweed" really GIVES a damn????? >>>>That being said, I wouldn't have thought the original suggested >>>>penises to me - I know the term in that context, but it isn't [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Children, children, hasn't this idiotic "controversy" continued long > enough? Who but "Tweed" really GIVES a damn????? OK. You don't get it. Once again you are not able to say so without being rude, Evelyn and now you add patronising. <sigh> >>>>> That being said, I wouldn't have thought the original suggested >>>>> penises to me - I know the term in that context, but it isn't [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > OK. You don't get it. Once again you are not able to say so without being > rude, Evelyn and now you add patronising. <sigh> It's probably a cultural thing. In the US it *vaguely* means penis, but it's usually used jokingly, and frankly I don't see any reason to take it as anything more than a joke. To think of it as demeaning to an animal is somewhat absurd. I guess it has to do with the level of self-consciousness one has about one's body (or bodies in general) and sexual inuendo, which, in my mind, is almost always taken harmlessly as a joke. SignatureJoey DoWop Dee Remember: It is To Laugh > It's probably a cultural thing. In the US it *vaguely* means penis, but it's > usually used jokingly, and frankly I don't see any reason to take it as > anything more than a joke. To think of it as demeaning to an animal is > somewhat absurd. Exactly! > I guess it has to do with the level of self-consciousness one has about one's > body (or bodies in general) and sexual inuendo, which, in my mind, is almost > always taken harmlessly as a joke. Taking the whole "controversy" as seriously as "Tweed" appears to do certainly makes one wonder about her! (How can ANYONE live with cats - or any non-human animal - and retain such a prudish attitude?) It's true younger generations take such things less seriously, and she may be a "senior citizen" - but so am I (probably more "senior" than she). >> It's probably a cultural thing. In the US it *vaguely* means penis, but >> it's [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > a "senior citizen" - but so am I (probably more "senior" > than she). Ah, good point. So, likely, it may not only be cultural but generational as well. (However, I'm a junion-senior citizen myself, 61-and-a-half, :-) and I'll never cease laughing at absurdities, no matter what they pertain to. I could imagine my long-departed Nonna laughing at the "John Thomas" controversy as well.) I have my ancestors to thank for that wonderful gift. SignatureJoey DoWop Dee Remember: It is To Laugh >>>> I don't agree with naming pets with such names, neither do I like birds >>>> being taught to swear. [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > with the issue before the "christening". (I can assure you, > the animal couldn't care less!) I think the world of Ketzl but it doesn't stop me from calling him things like Dirtbag, Fatso, Fuzzy No-Nuts (his Mafia name), Twink, Doofus and a host of others fitting the particular mood and situation. (I do call him by his real name, which he recognizes, when we're having a serious interchange.) I doubt very much that he minds being called any of those names, as long as I say it with affection or in fun, and overall he knows he's in charge. Heck, I even call him "Dawg" once in a while. He seems to like it. (How do I know this? Well, I just infer it, don't I?) SignatureJoey DoWop Dee Remember: It is To Laugh > I think the world of Ketzl but it doesn't stop me from calling him things > like Dirtbag, Fatso, Fuzzy No-Nuts (his Mafia name), Twink, Doofus and a > host of others fitting the particular mood and situation. LOL, I like "Fuzzy No-Nuts". It would be great if that name were appropriate for all male cats (except sphinx cats, of course :)). Joyce >>>>I don't agree with naming pets with such names, neither do I like birds >>>>being taught to swear. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > Oh, I think we all "understand" your point - it's just that we a) consider > it trivial and b) disagree with it! What a rude post. I don't consider it trivial at all. Yes, cats have no idea what their name might mean. Would you call either of your girls something like "Big Tits" or the C word? >>>>>I don't agree with naming pets with such names, neither do I like birds >>>>>being taught to swear. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > What a rude post. > I don't consider it trivial at all. That's not to say most of us here do not! (Can't you find more important issues to crusade about?) > Yes, cats have no idea what their name might mean. Would you call either of > your girls something like "Big Tits" or the C word? No, but I wouldn't insist that such names were insulting to the cats - who couldn't care less, even if they understood the meanings of the terms. (Considering the behavior intact cats exhibit when in heat, they would probably heartily endorse such names, if they DID understand!) >> Yes, cats have no idea what their name might mean. Would you call >> either of your girls something like "Big Tits" or the C word? > No, but I wouldn't insist that such names were insulting to > the cats - who couldn't care less, even if they understood > the meanings of the terms. (Considering the behavior intact > cats exhibit when in heat, they would probably heartily > endorse such names, if they DID understand!) LOL, that's funny. I'm sure you're right. Non-humans don't share our prudish attitudes about the body, do they? That said, I admit that it would make me sad to see a cat named something that is insulting in our culture. I would *feel* like I'm insulting the cat whenever I said its name. Which is probably what Tweed has been getting at all along. However, I think it's important not to confuse one's own emotional reactions from the reality of the situation. If it made me unhappy to give a cat an insulting name (insulting from my perspective), then I wouldn't do it. But that doesn't mean it's morally wrong to do it, if someone else chose to do so. I mean, what if I wanted to make a positive statement about the body part in question by naming my cat after it? Would that be insulting to the cat? Intention is important, too. For that reason, if someone I didn't know were to name their cat, say, "Sh*thead", I would be alert to potential animal abuse or neglect, as such a name *might* (I emphasize "might", because it might not) indicate a nasty attitude toward the cat. I would be far more concerned about that than about the name itself. I guess what I'm saying is that just because something might *feel* wrong, that doesn't mean it *is* wrong. What a weird thread. :) But I like it. Joyce > if someone I didn't know were to name their cat, say, "Sh*thead", > I would be alert to potential animal abuse or neglect, as such a > name *might* (I emphasize "might", because it might not) indicate > a nasty attitude toward the cat. I would be far more concerned > about that than about the name itself. Like when a colleague of mine found a stray cat on his doorstep with a label on his collar saying "My name is Fuckface and I live on the motorway". It's hard to imagine how anybody could do that, I would guess the result of a relationship breakup. Happy ending anyway, my co-worker adopted the cat. ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 <http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 On May 5, 8:49 am, jXwXeXrXmXoX...@sonic.net wrote: > For that reason, if someone I didn't know were to name their cat, say, > "Sh*thead", I would be alert to potential animal abuse or neglect, as such [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Joyce In that case you'd either be talking to a fan of "The Jerk" (where Steve Martin had a dog called "shithead") or me, where our late lamented queen-o-the-household, Ted, rejoiced in being christened exactly that name. We didn't name her, but neither did we feel it necessary to change her name after she came to live with us. My mother's heart-cat, Psnott, was chistened Snot-pott because of a smudge on his nose that looked just like he needed to wipe it. We adjusted the spelling to Psnott because he was an expert at the silent "p"! (particularly later in life when his kidneys started to fail) An acquaintance called his cat "pussy licker", which didn't do much for me, but he got an enormous kick out of standing outside his worst- house-in-best-street hovel yelling for her. "Puss" didn't mind one bit and most of us who knew her called her by her abbreviated name. My aunt almost got away with calling her Alsation (German Shepherd) pup "wherdi", short for "where did he wee", but it mutated into Wombles via a long series of intermediate names. His canine companion was a very, very stout spaniel called "Supergirl", which emphasized exactly how super she wasn't (she wasn't a good match for the family). Really, our current batch of Spock, Persephone (Queen of the Underpants Gnomes) and Fox are really all very conventionally named by comparison! Tish > On May 5, 8:49 am, jXwXeXrXmXoX...@sonic.net wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > > Tish LOL, I like "Wherdi" :-) I don't want to be misunderstood that I think pets ought to all have traditional names. I like unusual, offbeat names too. And I *have* been guilty of allowing children to name their own pets, and my daughter could come up with some doozies. Her first two kittens, she was about 3 or 4 years old, and named them "Los Angeles" and "Nashas". I suppose those were words she heard on TV and in her little kid brain they sounded quite regal and fitting for cats. (yeah, "Nashas" was prounounced an awful lot like "nauseus." Sherry I had never heard the term John Thomas being used to mean penis, but I'm in the US. Odd and unusual names are the norm over here...Our cat's name is Woodgie, because my daughter (not a little kid, BTW)says that is what you say when you tickle a kitten...So let's get over this one and change the subject to weird pet names? Kathy > I had never heard the term John Thomas being used to mean penis, but I'm > in the US. Odd and unusual names are the norm over here...Our cat's name > is Woodgie, because my daughter (not a little kid, BTW)says that is what > you say when you tickle a kitten...So let's get over this one and change > the subject to weird pet names? > Kathy Ok, done. I also call Ketzl (which, some people think, is a weird enough name. I don't) "Pizza-Face" although he hasn't got one zit, never had and probably never will. I think he thinks it relates to his quasi-Italian-Jewish heritage. SignatureJoey DoWop Dee Remember: It is To Laugh >> I had never heard the term John Thomas being used to mean penis, but I'm >> in the US. Odd and unusual names are the norm over here...Our cat's name [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >I also call Ketzl (which, some people think, is a weird enough name. I don't) What could be more perfect for a kitty than Ketzl? >"Pizza-Face" although he hasn't got one zit, never had and probably never >will. I think he thinks it relates to his quasi-Italian-Jewish heritage. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War >> I also call Ketzl (which, some people think, is a weird enough name. I >> don't) > > What could be more perfect for a kitty than Ketzl? Nothing, in my mind, but to a lot of folks it seems like an odd name until I explain that it means kitty or kitten. Some of the other "pet names" that emerge spontaneously with reference to said feline might tend to be off-putting to some, which is maybe why I don't use them all the time or when others are around (and I won't repeat any of them here) but I think it's a cultural thing there, too. Neapolitans (which I'm not) and southern Italians in general (of which I am one) have a habit of calling people they're fond of nicknames that might sound insulting... it's a way of letting someone know you love them. :-) SignatureJoey DoWop Dee Remember: It is To Laugh >>> I also call Ketzl (which, some people think, is a weird enough name. I >>> don't) [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > one) have a habit of calling people they're fond of nicknames that might > sound insulting... it's a way of letting someone know you love them. :-) When I was a child, the neighbors across the street had a female blue cat named Gee Whizz. I loved Gee Whizz. She was the mother of my first cat, Frisky, that was my 10th birthday present. MLB >>>> I also call Ketzl (which, some people think, is a weird enough name. I >>>> don't) [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > named Gee Whizz. I loved Gee Whizz. She was the mother of my first cat, > Frisky, that was my 10th birthday present. MLB The rest of the story: I remember the father looked at the pregnant stray female who wandered in stating "Gee whizz" what will we do with that cat? They kept her and she subsequently had several batches of kittens. This was way back in time before they spayed cats. He was a kindhearted man who liked animals and kids. He taught us (my brother and me plus his two kids )to play Rummy and Poker. All the talk about what your grandparents called you when you were a kid, reminded me that my grandma always called us Squirgee and to this day, I have no idea if it means anything,but I've called my granddaughter that a couple times myself.... Kathy aka Squirgee... > All the talk about what your grandparents called you when you were a > kid, reminded me that my grandma always called us Squirgee and to this > day, I have no idea if it means anything,but I've called my > granddaughter that a couple times myself.... > Kathy aka Squirgee... Hmm. Squirgee... Woodgie... there seems to be a certain sonic connection there. :) Joyce > All the talk about what your grandparents called you when you were a > kid, reminded me that my grandma always called us Squirgee and to this > day, I have no idea if it means anything,but I've called my > granddaughter that a couple times myself.... > Kathy aka Squirgee... My mother used to (and still does on occasion) call me "gogga" or "goggoitjie", which is grub or "little grub" in Afrikaans (caterpillar- type grub, not messy person, although both could equally apply). I'm sure that had *nothing* to do with me becoming an entomologist! Tish >> All the talk about what your grandparents called you when you were a >> kid, reminded me that my grandma always called us Squirgee and to this [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >Tish That's adorable! Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War I let a friend's child choose Mandy's name, and I just thought Betsy looked like a Betsy (when I realized she wasn't a tom!) - solid, sensible, calm. The latest cat was named Moses by his rescuer, but I wanted to name him Sam, partly as a reminder of another black tom I knew years ago who sadly ended up at the bridge prematurely. He'd been named Satan, which I disliked, but 'Sam' or 'Sammy' maintains the 'S' sound. I have a soft spot for neglected tomcats whose roaming nature and tendency to spray tends to cause thoughtless humans to discard them. Anyway, poor old Satan is long gone, but I remember him sometimes when scritching the very Biblically-named Sam/Moses. I've mentioned Harry-the-Cat before - he's actually titled <G> - Sir Harry Smudge The Cat - although he usually goes by simply 'Harry'. I've noticed that it seems to be more commone these days to give pets human names. I've always done it, and although I've known one or two people who don't like the idea of an animal having a human name, I know more who don't mind; some of whom would actually be honoured if a cat were named after them! SignatureCheryl Cheryl Perkins skrev: > I let a friend's child choose Mandy's name, and I just thought Betsy > looked like a Betsy (when I realized she wasn't a tom!) - solid, sensible, [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > -- > Cheryl I know an old man named Harry. He calls his cat Potter. Elisabet > Cheryl Perkins skrev: > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > I know an old man named Harry. He calls his cat Potter. > Elisabet- Hide quoted text - Haha. One of our board members is 96 years old, his last name is Nelson. His cat's name is Mandela. Sherry >I let a friend's child choose Mandy's name, and I just thought Betsy > looked like a Betsy (when I realized she wasn't a tom!) - solid, sensible, [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > more who don't mind; some of whom would actually be honoured if a cat were > named after them! Somehow, some human names seem appropriate for pets, like Sam, Ben et al. Other seems strange, like Julie, Valerie, Stephanie, Vanessa, Stephen, John, Philip. My friend had a Rottweiller called Valerie, ruined her street cred ;-) Tweed > Somehow, some human names seem appropriate for pets, like Sam, Ben et al. > Other seems strange, like Julie, Valerie, Stephanie, Vanessa, Stephen, John, > Philip. > My friend had a Rottweiller called Valerie, ruined her street cred ;-) I'm sure I've posted this before, but a friend of a friend named her cat "Barbara". Definitely goes in your second category (IMO). Joyce > > Somehow, some human names seem appropriate for pets, like Sam, Ben > et al. > Other seems strange, like Julie, Valerie, Stephanie, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Joyce I once knew a cat called Trevor, I also knew one of her kittens. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk > I once knew a cat called Trevor, I also knew one of her kittens. LOL :-))) My second cousin has a cat called Alan. Also second category, I feel! One of the problems of fostering is dreaming up new names for litters of kittens. One particularly long-term foster mum resorted to using scientific names in desperation (been through herbs, spices, wildflowers etc), and eventually reached virus families. I believe 'Rhabdo' and 'Adeno' were used but I did have to actively dissuade her from using 'Herpes' despite it being a 'perfectly valid scientific name', and "yes it does sound Greek, but we do want the kittens to find homes!" Deb. Signaturehttp://www.scientific-art.com "He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would; He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield > Somehow, some human names seem appropriate for pets, like Sam, Ben et al. > Other seems strange, like Julie, Valerie, Stephanie, Vanessa, Stephen, John, > Philip. > My friend had a Rottweiller called Valerie, ruined her street cred ;-) > > Tweed LOL. I agree 100%. I had two cocker spaniels once (sorry to mention d*gs) named Chuck and Mousse. Mousse was chocolate colored. I had to take him to the vet once, and we were in the waiting room where they had these little stalls you could sit in while waiting. They called my name, and I got up and said (loudly enough for all to hear, unfortunately) "C'mon, Mousse; it's our turn." Everyone in the waiting room looked over to see what kind of huge, mongo dog was going in for a checkup... why else would he be named "Moose"? When he came around into view, in all his spaniel fluffiness and big-eared cuteness, the room burst into laughter. I had long since given up explaining that it was "Mousse, like the dessert; not Moose, like antlers." SignatureJoey DoWop Dee Remember: It is To Laugh >> Somehow, some human names seem appropriate for pets, like Sam, Ben et al. >> Other seems strange, like Julie, Valerie, Stephanie, Vanessa, Stephen, [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > dessert; > not Moose, like antlers." LOL! Joy > LOL. I agree 100%. I had two cocker spaniels once (sorry to mention d*gs) > named Chuck and Mousse. Mousse was chocolate colored. I had to take him to > the vet once, and we were in the waiting room where they had these little > stalls you could sit in while waiting. They called my name, and I got up and > said (loudly enough for all to hear, unfortunately) "C'mon, Mousse; it's our > turn." > Everyone in the waiting room looked over to see what kind of huge, mongo dog > was going in for a checkup... why else would he be named "Moose"? > When he came around into view, in all his spaniel fluffiness and big-eared > cuteness, the room burst into laughter. LOL, great story! Joyce >I had long since given up explaining that it was "Mousse, like the dessert; >not Moose, like antlers." We had one poster with a cat named Vette. As in Corvette. That must have been confusing at the vet's. :) > We had one poster with a cat named Vette. As in Corvette. That must > have been confusing at the vet's. :) LOL - good one! They would just have to refer to the vet as TED. :) Joyce >> I had long since given up explaining that it was "Mousse, like the dessert; >> not Moose, like antlers." > > We had one poster with a cat named Vette. As in Corvette. That must > have been confusing at the vet's. :) One can only assume that Vette went to the vet in a 'Vette. SignatureJoey DoWop Dee Remember: It is To Laugh >>> I had long since given up explaining that it was "Mousse, like the dessert; >>> not Moose, like antlers." [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >One can only assume that Vette went to the vet in a 'Vette. Or otherwise, he went to the Tedde. :p Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War >> Somehow, some human names seem appropriate for pets, like Sam, Ben et al. >> Other seems strange, like Julie, Valerie, Stephanie, Vanessa, Stephen, John, [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >I had long since given up explaining that it was "Mousse, like the dessert; >not Moose, like antlers." The Jack Russell that played Eddie on "Frasier" was named Moose. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War > My friend had a Rottweiller called Valerie, ruined her street cred ;-) > > Tweed Now in that case I gotta agree, a poor choice of name is an insult to an animal. Jo >>> I also call Ketzl (which, some people think, is a weird enough name. I >>> don't) [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >one) have a habit of calling people they're fond of nicknames that might >sound insulting... it's a way of letting someone know you love them. :-) My maternal grandparents are from Salerno & Palermo, so you know I have a *very* quick fuse! Sometime's we're going to the living room, around supper time, and Five will be just sauntering around then turn, look at me then *RUN* and jump into *MY* chair, sit there and meow at me! She gets a new "Chinese" name then - Foo King Cat! :D We can sit there watching TV and Five will sit in Kathi's lap and just look at me. As soon as I get up to get us some Cokes, that furry bugger will *leap* into my chair and take it over! OTOH, we've "trained" each other quite well. When I have Five's C.E.T. dental chew, she is most loving, pounding out biscuits on me for minutes on end, at which time she gets her treat. Then she's "Sweet Miss Five" :) Signatureannoyed@net.spammers Craig, Kathi & "Cat Five" the tabby girl > My maternal grandparents are from Salerno & Palermo, so you know I have a > *very* quick fuse! Sometime's we're going to the living room, around supper [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Five will sit in Kathi's lap and just look at me. As soon as I get up to get > us some Cokes, that furry bugger will *leap* into my chair and take it over! I like the Chinese name... but all kidding aside, the real Mandarin word for cat is Mao, pronounced with a high-steady tone, much like the sound of a cat's meow. For those whose newsreaders display an x-face, the chinese symbol you see is that for cat, i.e., mao. SignatureJoey DoWop Dee Remember: It is To Laugh >>>> I also call Ketzl (which, some people think, is a weird enough name. I >>>> don't) [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >My maternal grandparents are from Salerno & Palermo, so you know I have a >*very* quick fuse! Mine are from Palermo, the Moorish town. ;) Northern Italians used to refer to Sicily as "down in Africa." ;) Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War >>>>> I also call Ketzl (which, some people think, is a weird enough name. I >>>>> don't) [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Make Levees, Not War I can beat that: My paternal grandparents are from *outside of* Palermo. Nonno from Enna (which I have found on a map of Sicily) and Nonna from Villa Rosa, which was about as hard to find as the proverbial needle. Mafia aside, (since "there's no such thing as the Mafia" anyway) Sicilian culture and history is very complex. What an amalgam. SignatureJoey DoWop Dee Remember: It is To Laugh >>>>>> I also call Ketzl (which, some people think, is a weird enough name. I >>>>>> don't) [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] >Mafia aside, (since "there's no such thing as the Mafia" anyway) Sicilian >culture and history is very complex. What an amalgam. Good book: http://tinyurl.com/2t9yns Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War >>>>>>> I also call Ketzl (which, some people think, is a weird enough name. I >>>>>>> don't) [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > > Make Levees, Not War Thanks. I may add it to my growing collection. SignatureJoey DoWop Dee Remember: It is To Laugh > I also call Ketzl (which, some people think, is a weird enough name. I > don't) I certainly don't. My grandmother always called me that. (Well, ketzela, since I was a girl.) She also just called me "kitten". But I never connected those two names as being the same word, because when I heard "ketzela", it sounded like "kettle" to me, so that's what I thought of. (And I never questioned why my grandmother would be calling me "kettle". :)) Joyce > > I also call Ketzl (which, some people think, is a weird enough name. I > > don't) [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Joyce I'm sorry if I am repeating myself, here but your story brings to mind my wonderful very late Godmother, who used to greet me in her best Sicilian with "chi si bedd'", which translates to "you're so cute", more or less, but which sounds like "kiss a bed!" and I always wondered, but never asked her, why she wanted me to kiss a bed. SignatureJoey DoWop Dee Remember: It is To Laugh >> (And I never questioned why my grandmother would be calling me >> "kettle". :)) > I'm sorry if I am repeating myself, here but your story brings to > mind my wonderful very late Godmother, who used to greet me in her > best Sicilian with "chi si bedd'", which translates to "you're so > cute", more or less, but which sounds like "kiss a bed!" and I always > wondered, but never asked her, why she wanted me to kiss a bed. Hee hee... the mysterious world of grown-ups. :) Joyce > >> (And I never questioned why my grandmother would be calling me > >> "kettle". :)) [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >Joyce I remember distinctly when I was little thinking people were talking about an elephant named Gerald. It turned out to be Ella Fitzgerald. :P Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War >> > I also call Ketzl (which, some people think, is a weird enough name. I >> > don't) [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >sounds like "kiss a bed!" and I always wondered, but never asked her, why she >wanted me to kiss a bed. My grandma always used to say about "che faccia brut!" which means what an ugly face. But I never thought my grandma thought we were ugly. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War > My grandma always used to say about "che faccia brut!" which means > what an ugly face. But I never thought my grandma thought we were > ugly. That's what I'm tawwkin' about! :-) SignatureJoey DoWop Dee Remember: It is To Laugh > I had never heard the term John Thomas being used to mean penis, but I'm > in the US. Odd and unusual names are the norm over here...Our cat's name > is Woodgie, because my daughter (not a little kid, BTW)says that is what > you say when you tickle a kitten...So let's get over this one and change > the subject to weird pet names? OK, how do you pronounce "Woodgie"? Do the oo's rhyme with "wood", or with "food"? One of my cats is named Smudge, but several years ago, a woman I knew who had Scottish accent would call her "Smoodge", with the oo's like the ones in "wood". So I sometimes call her "Smoodgie" or, by extension, "Smoodgie Woodgie". I had no idea that Woodgie was the official word to say when tickling a kitten! :) Joyce > > I had never heard the term John Thomas being used to mean penis, but I'm > > in the US. Odd and unusual names are the norm over here...Our cat's name [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Joyce I didn't know that either, but saw a video and a girl doing that squishing kind of tickle that you do with a soft kitten and she said "woodgie, woodgie, woodgie"... We pronounce it with Wood before the gee....You kind of run the dee and the gee together, you know? :-) Maybe not.... Kathy I don't know if this would upset anyone here, but when I discovered that Lily's birthday (April 21) was the same day as Hitler's, I went around the house for about a week calling her my little Miss Adolf Hitler. She never goes outside so I never had the need to call her that where anyone else would hear. ;) Lily & her mama SignatureIrulan from the stars we come to the stars we return from now until the end of time. > On May 5, 8:49 am, jXwXeXrXmXoX...@sonic.net wrote: >> [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > > Tish Irulan kirjoitti: > I don't know if this would upset anyone here, but > when I discovered that Lily's birthday (April 21) [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Lily & her mama Actually, Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, not April 21. I know this because my dad's born on April 21 too, is half German and used to live in what back then was Germany, but now belongs to Poland. SignatureChristine in Laitila, Finland christal63 (at) gmail (dot) com photos: http://photos.yahoo.com/christal63 photos: http://community.webshots.com/user/chkr63 > Irulan kirjoitti: >> I don't know if this would upset anyone here, but >> when I discovered that Lily's birthday (April 21) >> was the same day as Hitler's, I went around the >> house for about a week calling her my little Miss >> Adolf Hitler. > Actually, Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, not April 21. I know this > because my dad's born on April 21 too, is half German and used to live > in what back then was Germany, but now belongs to Poland. Well, if you think it's bad to share a birthday with Hitler, I recently took a Stupid Internet Quiz (TM) called "Which Famous Leader Are You?", and I came out as Adoph Hitler. Other people who took the test were like Gandhi and Abe Lincoln and Einstein, and I'm Hitler?? When someone else posted that their result was Saddam Hussein, I felt much better. :) In case you have a burning need to know which famous leader you are: http://similarminds.com/leader.html Joyce > In case you have a burning need to know which famous leader you are: > http://similarminds.com/leader.html > > Joyce FWIW I got Abe Lincoln. I guess I won't be going to any plays any time soon. SignatureJoey DoWop Dee Remember: It is To Laugh > > In case you have a burning need to know which famous leader you are: > > http://similarminds.com/leader.html > > > > Joyce > FWIW I got Abe Lincoln. > I guess I won't be going to any plays any time soon. Nor I to any bunkers. Joyce jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt@sonic.net kirjoitti: > > Irulan kirjoitti: > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Joyce Took the test, I'm Hitler too... :) SignatureChristine in Laitila, Finland christal63 (at) gmail (dot) com photos: http://photos.yahoo.com/christal63 photos: http://community.webshots.com/user/chkr63 >jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt@sonic.net kirjoitti: >> [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > >Took the test, I'm Hitler too... :) I'm Einstein!!!! Guess all those people who have called me "Einstein" in my life were right!!!!! Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War "Kreisleriana" <kreisleriana2@yahoo.com> wrote > I'm Einstein!!!! Einstein here too :) Not too sure about approaching his intellectual ability though. Purrs Gordon & the FF |
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