PADUTCH-LIFE-L Archives

From: Sandee Cogan <>
Subject: [PD-LIFE] Cat names
Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 16:14:43 -0800 (PST)

I know I'm late, but unlike my school job that escalated and then abruptly ended a week before Christmas, my church job escalated to the week before, and then just got more busy until Christmas Eve, and now I finally have a break.

Growing up, the first cats I remember owning were brothers, white. Buford was named by my father and I had the privilege of naming the other Billy (after "oh no Mr. Bill........." now I'm unsure how at that age I knew that reference, I wasn't allowed to stay up that late according to later memories). The German shepherd we had at the same time that would steal mice from the cats as well as catch her own was named Sheba, also named by my father, I'm unsure why.

My father had a history with strange named animals. The one that I remember distinctly from pictures and stories is a very small black dog, maybe a chihuaha? that either belonged to my father or great-grandmother that was named Mortisha. That dog was a very vital part of the family's life and lives on in stories to this day.

Billy died jumping off the garage roof, Sheba was found laid out at the side of the garage on the morning of my 6th birthday - for some reason I didn't take it hard, animals die.... the same Great-grandmother told me that the dog had come by her window the night before and couldn't sleep so she gave her sleeping pills. I thought it was just Grandma trying to comfort me, but years later I told my parents and they think that that is the type of thing Grandma just might have done.

Buford lived with us until Figaro came home. My little brother named her, I don't know where he got the name, but she was called it forever. Mom took me to Brownies and Dad took David with him as he went to get firewood (the wood stove was the main source of winter heat downstairs at that time). He cut into a tree - and found that part had been hollow and a cat had left a nest. Figaro was the only one that survived, and we fed her with a medicine dropper until her eyes opened. She was the first cat in the history of my family that had a litter box and went to all scheduled vet appointments. Buford did not like Figaro because she always wanted to play and he spent more and more time away from home.

Two kittens followed Grandpa and David home from a walk one day, we each named one. I named the gray one "Smokey" - finally a name that made sense! I was fed up with the obscure names - and David named his "Rand". Figaro felt toward them what Buford did toward her and became scarce. David was in elementary school at the time - after I was married I figured out that he named the cat after the main character in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books (did he really understand those books?)

My husband vowed we'd never have cats, but we ended up inheriting a pair from our friends. They came with the names Daisy (black and white, symmetrical) and Lily (all grey except a white spot on neck). Jonathan's mother thinks the names were perfect b/c Lily was a very stately statuesque, don't pick me up cat - like lilies are gorgeous to look at but don't touch, whereas Daisy continues to be a come sit on your lap, beg for attention cat you can handle.

My brother could not endure the catlessness of the parents's house (Max died, and Smokey on his prowlings became friendly with the neighbors and was eventually adopted by them and became a house cat - he was two-timing us for about a month until we realized that both households had the same cat and is now a plump housecat with the name Tom) and David bought a teeny tiny kitten from a pet store. He is still very lank but after a year is finally filling out a little. David named him "Mr. Squiggles" ????? and the parents called him "cat" for a long time, but Dad now calls him Bin Laden "because everything is his fault"

Needless to say, if we get any more cats (I can't keep up with dogs, neither their exuberance nor my ability to catch my breath since I'm allergic) if I name them they will have normal names. If my father or brother get a cat though, expect the unexpected.


Sandee Cogan
AIM: iluvJofnin


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• [PD-LIFE] Cat names by Sandee Cogan <>