The Cathouse

[Guest]

I started a thread a few months ago about a lonely cat living next door to us who was spending all of her time at our house. At the time we thought about kidnapping her and giving her away to a good home.

Well, that didn't happen, unfortunately, but the kitty (we call her Midnight) decided to do something about being so lonely. She had four kittens two months ago. Joy.

The kittens now spend all their time at our house playing with our children. Our children are now naming them.

Of the 3 black and 1 tiger striped, we have Tiger, Mini-Me, Shadow, and my daughter wants to call the last one "Darkie.'

I know she got that name from Black Beauty. She doesn't understand the negative connotation, I don't think she'll budge at our suggestions - I think we're screwed.

Any suggestions? (Like moving out of town?)

 

[rgraham666]

Just shorten it to 'Dark'

Or try to sell your daughter on a really cool name like Darth Vader.

Or when people complain point at your daughter and say, "It was her idea." Who can get mad at a cute, innocent kid?

 

[Guest]

I started a thread a few months ago about a lonely cat living next door to us who was spending all of her time at our house. At the time we thought about kidnapping her and giving her away to a good home.

Well, that didn't happen, unfortunately, but the kitty (we call her Midnight) decided to do something about being so lonely. She had four kittens two months ago. Joy.

The kittens now spend all their time at our house playing with our children. Our children are now naming them.

Of the 3 black and 1 tiger striped, we have Tiger, Mini-Me, Shadow, and my daughter wants to call the last one "Darkie.'

I know she got that name from Black Beauty. She doesn't understand the negative connotation, I don't think she'll budge at our suggestions - I think we're screwed.

Any suggestions? (Like moving out of town?)

For female: Felicia Noir, From the latin for Black Cat.

I had a friend who used a non-PC name for a black cat, just to see peoples reactions. All was well untill the cat got out and the kids went chasing it, yelling...

BOOFER!!!​

 

[Rimmugýgur]

I'm partial to "Scratch Fury, Destroyer of Worlds" (stolen) and "Mr. Tremors" (not as stolen)

 

[TheEarl]

For female: Felicia Noir, From the latin for Black Cat.

I had a friend who used a non-PC name for a black cat, just to see peoples reactions. All was well untill the cat got out and the kids went chasing it, yelling...

BOOFER!!!​

The test of an animal's name is to work out whether you would be willing to yell it out in public at the top of your voice. My dog Basil was named by his former owners and it was hell shouting "BASIL!" cause every smart arse passer-by would make some crack about Fawlty Towers, apparently blithely unaware that every other passerby had made the same hilarious comment.

There's a family near us with an adorable little terrier whom they named Buffy. I'd just feel silly yelling "Buffy!" (for those who don't watch the show, it is the standard thing to yell when in life-threatening danger).

The Earl

 

[Guest]

Great suggestions, all - thanks!

And Earl, I suppose you're right.

It wouldn't do to yell out the window at night -

"Here, pussy, pussy, pussy!"

There's no telling who might show up.

 

[BlackShanglan]

I recall our parish priest, Father Ralph, telling us that once he was at a house where the dog was behaving very badly. The family kept correcting it - "No, Patches! Bad Patches! Patches, come over here!" The dog completely ignored them and finally they admitted rather shame-facedly that the dog's name was actually Ralph. For this reason all of our pets have non-human names - or at least what used to be non-human names. You never can tell.

All right, SSS here's the thing that you really, really should do. Talk to your neighbor about spaying. It's not as difficult as it sounds. I was in the delicate position myself once with an elderly neighbor whose adopted stray had produced four kittens rapidly approaching breeding age. I was nervous about how to offer help or advice, but all I really had to do was go over and admire the kitties and say how beautiful they were and how much fun they must be. She immediately expressed concerns about being able to take care of so many, and I was then able to offer a solution through my workplace (the local Humane Society). They did a low-cost spay/neuter and were especially keen to help prevent exactly that sort of problem. By evening the mom was spayed and back home and the kittens (already weaned) were up for adoption. Within three days mom was healed and the kitties were in new homes - having been spayed themselves before heading out.

And a good thing too. Cats can reproduce at 6 months, a fact that your neighbours might not recognize. I can still recall talking to a desperate and horrified woman who had adopted a stray cat less than a year ago. Mama gave birth shortly after that; now Mama was pregnant again, and so were two of the babies. The poor woman was about to go from zero to probably sixteen cats in about eight months.

Check your local facilities and programs. If you haven't got a shelter that does low cost s/n, try vets. Many will offer lower rates for that sort of situation. Once you know the best way to deal with it, talk to your neighbour. Be admiring, friendly, and upbeat, and let them know what's out there. In my case, I took the cats in myself; my neighbour didn't drive and I was, ahem, "going to the shelter that afternoon anyway." But if you've got any time to do it, do give it a thought. Otherwise, Mama cat will never be lonely again.

Shanglan

 

[Guest]

Shang -

The only problem here with our neighbors is our neighbors, unfortunately.

They don't take care of their children very well, I am certain they would not even consider spaying their cat. This cat, by the way, is one left of three they originally had. The other two cats are gone; one was hit by a car, one has disappeared. But Midnight can't be nine months old yet herself.

We used to allow their children over to play with our kids (their kids are older, but still elementary age). We have great kid climbing toys and lots of room for kids to run. Problem was, they began bringing over more and more of their family. That wouldn't be a bad thing, except one day we had 12 kids in our backyard - not our own - and a high school age girl was handing a baby over the fence to one of the younger kids to play. That did it for me. It is a bit much when your own children cannot get on their own swingset and climbing toys because of so many uninvited guests. I sent them all home and we haven't had them over since.

Nope. I'm not a babysitter.

But - apparently I am a catsitter.

I completely agree with you, Shang. The animal needs to be spayed. Both for her health and because there are many Tom cats roaming the neighborhood.

I just don't know how we can do it. Well, we still envision kidnapping Midnight and giving her to someone else, of course, but I don't see any way of spaying her without their knowledge (and I really don't want to pay for it). We are looking for homes for the kittens. We have no problem with sneaking them away one at a time to good homes.

Anyone want a 9-month old black cat, very friendly? Sweet disposition, good mommy, lap sitter and feet warmer?

Maybe I'll go put up posters.

 

[Guest]

Actually - we do have a wonderful vet. We're going to ask him what he can do about the situation.

 

[Guest]

All of my cats I named after Wizzards and Sorceresses. Questor Thews and Sorscha were the last two. The two black cats I had a long time ago were named Merlin and Bavmorda.

 

[Guest]

 

[McKenna]

All of my cats I named after Wizzards and Sorceresses. Questor Thews and Sorscha were the last two. The two black cats I had a long time ago were named Merlin and Bavmorda.

I had a cat once I named Archimedes. Not exactly a wizard, but fun nonetheless.

I really like "Sorscha." That's a fun one!


Ok, a new name for the kitten:

Diablo
Oreo (might work best on a black/white cat)
Fudge
Coco
Sooty
Dartagnan (ah what the hell, maybe convince the kids to change the other names to the rest of the musketeers)
Kitty-Wan-Kenobi
Napoleon Bonapaws
Furrgus (get it? ha ha, snort)

 

[BlackShanglan]

SSS -

Good luck with the vet. I hope he can help. And good luck with the neighbours - they do sound like idiots. The one ray of hope is that they may be mostly careless and uninterested in responsibility. That's hopeful because such people will often not mind if someone else does the responsible thing for them. They can be easier to deal with than the ones who identify themselves with their pets and develop intense personal resistance to the idea of neutering based on whether they themselves would like to be neutered.

Good on you for looking for homes for the kittens. You're a hero.

Shanglan

 

[Guest]

 

[Guest]

Oh, I love these names!

We came up with a few more -

Smudge - (firefighter term for small fire not yet extinguished?)

Inky

Smokey

Blackie - our daughter likes because it is also the name of a horse in Black Beauty.

My husband, of course, is pushing for Buckaroo.

*sigh*

 

[CharleyH]

I started a thread a few months ago about a lonely cat living next door to us who was spending all of her time at our house. At the time we thought about kidnapping her and giving her away to a good home.

Well, that didn't happen, unfortunately, but the kitty (we call her Midnight) decided to do something about being so lonely. She had four kittens two months ago. Joy.

The kittens now spend all their time at our house playing with our children. Our children are now naming them.

Of the 3 black and 1 tiger striped, we have Tiger, Mini-Me, Shadow, and my daughter wants to call the last one "Darkie.'

I know she got that name from Black Beauty. She doesn't understand the negative connotation, I don't think she'll budge at our suggestions - I think we're screwed.

Any suggestions? (Like moving out of town?)

DAMN - thought this was about whores. I am allergic to cats. Go on.

 

[Guest]

DAMN - thought this was about whores. I am allergic to cats. Go on.

Here, pussy pussy pussy.

 

[CharleyH]

Here, pussy pussy pussy.

Pubic hair does does wonders some times I like petting.

 

[Guest]

Pubic hair does does wonders some times I like petting.

Mmmmm.

So do I.

 

[stormkitty]

Here, pussy pussy pussy.

Isn't that a line from the movie Yellow Submarine?

A friend once told me a story of why you shouldn't name your dog Sex. One part was that one time the dog ran off. The owner went searching for it, a cop asked him what he was doing, and arrested him when he replied that he was looking for Sex. I wish I could remember the rest of it.