The Naming of Cats is a Difficult Matter…….

For your pleasure and edification, this weekend’s blog is word for word an online conversation between Our Good Chef Kelley, Saint Beth the Vet, and me. Here’s the background: Our Good Chef Kelley likes to name some of the foster cats, and we told her next time they came around, she could do so. After being foster-free for 12 hours, we agreed to take in kittens from three different rescuers – a momma and three babies from the shelter immediately, and two sets of three feral kittens from two rescuers trying to trap them, as and when they managed to. Plus one male cat from a lady who was getting drop-offs at her house and couldn’t afford to neuter him amongst all her girl cat pets (not spayed). All of them were to go to Dr. Beth before coming here, to get checked out.

You can guess what happened, can’t you? No sooner had the shelter cats arrived than the feral trappers informed me they’d caught the kitties and the lady with the drop off dropped him off. Beth went from 0 to 9 Bookstore cats in the space of an hour. We can pick up the thread from there as Beth tries to talk Kelley through the naming process.

  • Beth (2:38 pm): We have a Female torrid and Black male Grey who thinks he is badass

     That is tortie not torrid
     and an orange long hair male

    Then we have the sickly ones. Grey female Orange make and tortie female

    All need names

    And the little sick runt Erin has, that Wendy took this afternoon.

    Kelley (2:42 pm): Mom = Berenice Dilute tortie = Morella Orange male = Prospero Gray tabby = Montressor

    It is Edgar Allan Poe time smile emoticon

    I don’t wanna name the sick one till I know he is gonna make it

     Beth (2:43 pm): That’s the one I’m not sure of sex either

     baby 2

    Kelley (2:45 pm): Wait hang on. There is a black male too?

    Beth (2:45 pm): Yes

    Kelley (2:45 pm): So mama and five kittens?

    Beth : 6

    Kelley (2:46 pm): One mama, six kittens?

    Beth (2:46 pm): Plus the sick one

    Kelley (2:46 pm): So plus the sick one, 1 mama and seven babies?

    Beth (2:46 pm): Yes

     And orange boy

    baby 1Kelley (2;54): 1. Mom 2. Black male 3. Orange male 4. Dilute tortie 5. Gray male tabby 6. Gray male? tabby with Erin 7. ? 8. ?

  • Beth (2;55 pm): Another tortie kitten and adult male orange and grey male solid

Kelley (2:55 pm): Ok so all of these do not belong to the mama?

  • Beth (2:56 pm) : Nope

    Kelley (3:10 pm) : I’m so confused. Sorry. Are there 9 total?

    Beth (3:11 pm) : Yes if u count Erin’s

    I’m not helping. I’m brain dead

    Kelley (3:12 pm) : Ok gotcha

    Is OK Wendy didn’t tell me about all of the others

    Mom = Berenice Dilute tortie = Morella Orange male = Prospero Gray tabby = Montressor Black male = Pluto Tortie 2 = Annabel

    Who am I missing?

    Other than the sick one. I am missing 2

    Beth (3:15 pm) : Adult orange male and kitten orange male

     So which one is prospero

    Kelley (3:16 pm) : Is there a sickly orange kitten and a well orange kitten?

    Beth (3:17 pm) : Sick orange and healthy adult

    And grey bad assbaby 3

  • Kelley (3:34 pm):

    Confused again. I named an orange kitten Prospero. Is there another orange kitten or just an adult orange?

    Beth (3:35 pm): Adult

    Kelley (3:36 pm) : Healthy adult orange = Luchesi (loo-kasey)

    Ok so that is everyone but badass gray?

    Is the solid gray male the badass?

    Beth (3:37 pm) : He certainly thinks so

    Kelley (3:38 pm): The only one I haven’t named is the solid gray

    Let’s call the badass Montressor and the tabby boy can be Valdemar

    And that should be everyone except sick baby. Right?

    Wendy (3:40 pm): Y’all are so cute

    Kelley (3:40 pm) : Ok cool. ROFL. Wendy I didn’t know there were so many! Hehehe

  • Wendy (3:41 pm): Neither does Jack.

    They’re coming in groups of 3

    The rest are hanging with Auntie Beth awhile

     He’ll never know how many there are if they come in clumps.
    So now you know, gentle readers: neither the life nor the online presence of a rescuer is ever dull.
    baby 4

Angus still Sees Clearly from One Eye

DSCN0455Good morning everyone. My name is Angus and I’m a foster cat at the bookstore. I’m the last one here, and Mom says not to be upset about that; it’s just that people don’t understand black cats. She says someday soon somebody’s gonna walk in here and pick me up and find out what a great snuggler I am and how pretty my purr is, and they’re gonna take me home.

She says it a lot. I think she’s trying to make me feel better.

See, I have this wonky eye. My left eye has kind of a second eyelid over it. It doesn’t hurt and it doesn’t bother me much, since I don’t have to hunt for food anymore. When I was a little kitten out with the feral colony at the high school, it was kind of a problem, so I used to be pretty skinny. Mom says now I’m “solid.”

But the eyelid is, well, it’s kinda ugly so I know people look at me and then look away. Mom says the way I lift my head to see on that side is endearing, and somebody’s gonna love me for that. Again, I appreciate her efforts to keep my spirits up.

Being a black cat – with just a few white chest hairs – and having a bad eye, and then being about 13 weeks old, it’s like three strikes in a one-strike world, y’know? Is anybody ever gonna love me?

Although, I do have one thing going in my favor. I’m neutered. Didn’t hurt a bit. Worst part was skipping breakfast. Mom took me to the clinic and this pretty little blond nurse held my paw and told me to be brave, and then I got sleepy, and then I woke up and could have all the food I wanted. Nothing to it.

Mom says lots of people are looking for boy cats already neutered, and any day now…..

Yeah, yeah. I don’t mind what kind of home it is. I like dogs and I like other cats, (that’s me with my foster brother playing Boxes) and I LOVE people. Carry me, cuddle me, pull my tail (gently, you know). Just don’t call me late to dinner. I got a lot of love to give, y’know? I just wanna get started.042

So, maybe sometime soon, someone will walk in here like Mom says, and look at me, and I’ll look at them, and that’ll be that. I’ll be ready. I’ve got my favorite jingle toy all picked out – Mom says I can take it with me -and maybe a blankie. I’m ready!!!!