NAME THE KITTEN!
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| At one-week old. |
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| At one-month old. |
Need-to-know information....I paid my first visit to the kitten we're planning to adopt and will be visiting her again next weekend.
She is the biggest female in the litter and obviously the alpha. In fact, she hissed at me and arched her back! None of the other kittens did so. In fact, they did the opposite and crawled all over me. She sat back and observed — and finally warmed up to me. On her terms.
We haven't "officially" named her yet — although Mr. AOW and I are leaning toward Minxy — based on the definition of minx, of course. But we're open to other suggestions.
She looks as if she's wearing boots. I'd probably go with that ...
ReplyDeleteMustang,
DeleteBoots in the back, mittens in the front.
Mittens is cute, too.
DeleteSocks. Socksy.
DeleteThe CLINTONS had a cat named SOCKS when they were in the White House, Ed.
DeleteThey gave poor Socks away when they left for greener pastures. I wonder if Socks ever knew he was just a prop?
So, she really is a she after all? I remember you weren't quite sure when we first talked about it.
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, I'm so glad you're going to adopt her –– for her sake as well as yours.
At one mnth she is already beautiful, As a newborn kitten she was merely "precious," I sremember suggesting at the time that you call her that –– Precious.
Now maybe Feisti would work better –– or how about Miss Hissy Fitt?
Just promise us one thing please:
DON'T call her HILLARY!
};^)>
Hillary? HELL, NO!
DeleteFT,
DeleteThis kitten is the one that all prospective adopters had been drawn to Every time!
It's her boldness, I think.
I am reminded of Cameo -- the same situation.
Mr. AOW and will be very lucky indeed if we find ourselves sharing space with "another" Cameo. Not that any two cats are the same, but they can be closely aligned.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteFrom everything you've said I think you should call her FEISTI.
DeleteWhy not? After all you've had DUSTI and MYSTI, so FEISTI seems a logical progression –– and it fits her temperament from the way you've described her.
CAMEO was unique. I doubt any other cat could live up to the special role CAMEO played in your lives.
I do see the great similarity in their gray and white coloring if not their markings, however.
FT,
DeleteSo far, she has Cameo's personality. **smile**
Very cute. I'd call her "Lucky". She's getting some great "owners" (if a cat has such a thing). :)
ReplyDeleteNo way does any human own a cat. It's the other way around!
DeleteWe thank you, Thersites, for the compliment about our taking good care of our kitties.
The French have been known to ask the question, "Do I play with my cat, or does my cat play with me?"
DeleteA little eerie when you stop to think about it. };^)>
Pistachio
ReplyDeleteJust for something different.
Um, she'd get nicknamed Pissy. LOL.
DeleteIt's bad enough that Amber now answers to "Faithless Whore!", which I began calling here because she kept company all day and all night with TMW while she was here for those 11 months.
If you insist on naming her after a nut, MACADEMIA might work better. It sounds more feminine than Pistachio . Besides there's nothing either green or red about this kitten.
DeleteWe could always go back to Shakespeare and call her GRAYMALKIN, although that has rather sinister connotations from Mediaeval folklore.
If you used GRAYMALKIN, you'd probably wind up calling her GRAMMY
I still like FEISTI better. ;-).
FT,
DeleteTMW likes Feisti too.
Before Dusti, Mysti, and Cameo, Mr. AOW and I had Starr, Honey Bunny (aka "The Pood" and "Pooter"), Clarence, Charmer, Pom Pom (aka "Peeper"), Sheba, and Pandora (aka "Pandy" and "Pandora Doll"). Each special and unique in his/her own way!
Well, Nutti might work, too. LOL.
DeleteMr. AOW doesn't like that name, though. He favors Graycie and Minxy. I guess that if she submits to Amber, who is herself submissive, we'll name her Gracie.
We could call her "Her Grace Minxy." LOL.
FT,
DeleteCameo didn't like to be called Cameo. That long-a sound was too close to no. She swat us for calling her Cameo -- no matter how sweet the tone of voice we used. Sheesh.
So, she became Cammy (Cammi) and Cam-Cam. Those were the names to which she'd respond in a positive manner.
FT,
DeleteMaybe we should go with "Her Grayce Feisti Little Minxy.
}:^)>
DeleteKat.
ReplyDeleteEd,
DeleteOriginal name, huh?
Ed, I named one of our recent ferals as TC The Cat.
DeleteTC was a good name for him.
Oddly, a feral living on the back deck is called Kitty. Never thought I'd use that one.
TC the cat like top cat. Like the cartoon?
DeleteEd, no. TC was just The Cat. He was a cool dude but he was an inside/outside cat. Went out one day and never came back.
DeleteYeah, Teecee might work.
DeleteBy the way, Amber's full name is Amber Josephine -- A.J. Josephine because she wears a coat of many colors.
AOW, in the movie Logan's Run, Peter Ustinov's character pointed out that all cats have three names. The name they are usually called, then their Formal name, then the name the other cats call them. (We've got at least one cat with an AKA of Bastard!)
DeleteKid,
DeleteYes! I'd forgotten about that in Logan's Run!
I was hoping to visit with this delightful (but headstrong) kitten again this weekend. Alas! Too many road closures for the annual Marine Corps Marathon!
ReplyDeleteThe lady fostering this litter of kittens will be stopping by here with a blanket containing this kitten's scent so that our ebony tortie Amber can get a snoot full. And I will be giving A. a pillowcase containing Amber's scent to the kitten so that the kitten can get a snoot full. One way for the two to get acquainted until the kitten's weaning is complete. Maybe in two weeks. I hope!
BTW, A. is one of my former piano students -- from 20 years ago. We recently became reacquainted on Facebook. That's how I found this cute kitten.
Frankie is the first name that hits me, but I usually name cats based upon their personality, so....
ReplyDeleteKid,
DeleteWhy Frankie?
Ol' Blue Eyes?
DeleteThat's part of it. Of course all kittens have blue eyes. I was also thinking of Frank's personality.
DeleteAlpha.
DeleteChairman of the Board.
That works too. Seems consistent with your other chosen names.
DeleteBTW, the lady who is fostering this litter has been calling her "Graycie." This kitten is the only one in the kitty family to have a gray nose.
ReplyDeleteMaybe wait until a personality shines through.
DeleteYeah, we've though about waiting.
DeleteShe may surprise us, but we suspect that she will be the alpha cat here -- never mind that Amber is about 5 years older.
This kitten definitely challenged me. She wasn't afraid. Not at all! She resented my looking her straight in eye. Sassy little minx!
I had to pretend to ignore her to get her to be even willing to let me pick her up. Hehehe. BTW, she's not acted like this with anyone else. A was stunned -- and a little frightened; first a dog person, she doesn't really know her way around kittens.
Kind of sounds like she might be afraid of you. If true that will go away quickly.
DeleteWell.. kittens are almost always very trusting lovers unless someone does something to make them afraid - not that I can imagine you did.
(Little Deja vu here btw with what I just wrote fwiw)
Kid,
DeleteOr, maybe she was practicing a new skill.
She may have sensed eagerness on the part of A. and me. A. is nearly as excited about our taking in this kitten as Mr. AOW and I are!
I keep going back to looking her straight in the eye right away. Alphas don't like that -- not at all. She was standing her ground for a while. Perhaps she sensed that I was going to take her away.
She got over it and snuggled with me plenty when she no longer perceived me as a threat. Certainly, none of the other kitties perceived me as a threat -- not even the mother kitty.
Who knows AOW, and I should have included this in the last comment, but ANYTHING could be responsible for it. She may associate you with a bad experience for any of 1000 reasons.
DeleteOur cat Handsome Howard hates when strangers come to our home. He gets into his foxhole and doesn't come out until they leave. I think it goes back to our kitten fostering/adopting days and specifically when a girl came and adopted his brother (Tank). I think he is afraid someone is going to cart him off. Alpha? could be any of 1000 reasons but it's good she has warmed up to you.
Kittens do share a big bond with their litter mates. Maybe you should adopt them all? :-]
Yea I know.
Though we were able to get most of our adoptees to adopt two litter mates on the idea that the two of them will always have a friend, and you will never have to worry about them getting into territorial wars and making messes. More than once we had adopters email us and thank us for getting them to adopt two instead of one.
We'd love to adopt them all -- including the wonderful mama kitty. BTW, all but the momma kitty have been spoken for. A. has a lot of Capitol Hill; neither are her friends. All are 30-somethings.
DeleteMr. AOW and I hope that this kitten we're committed to adopt will bond with Amber. Amber has always been the submissive kitty in a multi-cat situation. It is obvious since the deaths of both Cameo and Mysti that Amber is lonely. Grieving, I think. Amber wasn't buddy-buddy with Mysti, but she was with our alpha cat Cameo. Man, I really miss Cameo. Every day.
Our kitties are indoors-only kitties. Although this house isn't large by 21st Century standards -- this house was built about 1930 -- there is plenty of room for territorial wars not to be horrid. And if this kitten precipitates problems with territory, A. will take her back. At least 3 other people hope that I return the kitten. I doubt that I will, though. I've taken the precaution of stocking up on Feliway Spray. I've used it once before, and it worked like a charm.
My little Priscilla –– a pewter-gray longhair with a sweet "pussycat" face –– had a gray nose too –– pink tongue –– and glowing topaz-colored eyes. She never weighed more than 7 lbs., but she was proud and indeendent, very smart and had lots of character. She had me nust whlere she wanted me –– and she knew it –– the little minx.
DeleteShe lived only ten years, seven-and-a-half-months, and then suddenly developed an aggressive form of cancer.
It was two years ago January that I had to have her put to sleep, and not a day has gone by that I don't mourn the loss of her dainty, elegant, always-partly-aloof, utterly charming presence.
HOWEVER, black-and-white Winner soon to be fourteen, and little Mr. Pussy, the blind, brown-gray tabby with the longest legs and the longest tail I've ever seen need my care, and inspire much affection.
The little fellow has a sweet face that looks a great deal like your Mysti, AOW. And he's got courage. I love to see the way he stands up to WInner who is more than twice his weight.
Winner has always been a prima donna, and would love to be the ONLY cat here, but she has finally accepted Mr. Pussy –– if a bit grudgingly. They roughhouse together frequebtly now, and he really gves her a run for her money.
I used to worry they mght hurt each other, but I can see now they probably enjoy the tussle.
So happy to get an update on the soon to be new member of the household. I guess I would suggest waiting until she got to your home and you got a "feel for it." Either way, an exciting time looms ahead! Lots of mischief.
ReplyDeleteIt's something for Mr. AOW and I to look forward to! Our lives are filled with lots of unpleasantries since Mr. AOW had a stroke in 2009.
DeleteNothing can break up a household spat
ReplyDeleteFaster than a charming household cat!
/\___/\
< o o >
A gorgeous troublemaker! I used to call my beloved MG (tomcat) "you Minxy cat" because of his impudent wiles.
ReplyDeleteBaysider,
DeleteI'm sure that she will be a troublemaker. Our Cameo was.
Our Cameo, as a young cat, climbed up onto the mantel and knocked off the two kissing angels, hereafter renamed Headless and Assless. Fortunately, the kissing angels were not shattered and could be re-glued. I can't say the same for the cut-glass fruit bowl.
SO do you have a name?
ReplyDeleteZ.
DeleteTo whom is your comment directed?
She's gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling she'll name herself :)
ReplyDeleteCube,
DeleteShe’s both beautiful and smart. Scary smart! Much like our beloved Cameo was at the same age.
We’ve decided on the name Minxy.