Our sweet Tiny girl is looking and feeling 100 per cent just three weeks after she presented her asthmatic distress by refusing to eat a treat. After much waiting and worrying on our part and tests and hospitalization for three nights on her part, she's back doing what she enjoys most, being a cat as she bats her superballs with athletic abandon, whacks her brother -- when he gets too close -- and blesses us early and often with nosebites, shoulder taps and general high spirits morning, noon and night. Sometimes it's a bit early when she and Baby start their relentless breakfast campaigns while we are trying to get a few extra z's, but like the meds and veterinary bills, it's a small price to pay for having her back in our loving arms.
"Dammit, Sissy, I really need to read you daily," emails blogfriend Annie of the most delightful AmbivaBlog in response to our own response to her "Kitty-Talk" blogpost this morning. Naturally, we couldn't agree with her more regarding the need to read our blog daily. In her post she invites her readers to reveal their most intimate whisperings to their feline companions:
Do you give weird nicknames to your cats? What is it about cats? Was T.S. Eliot right: The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter . . .
Sara at Raising Up Sunshine started this. I've often thought about it, but never thought of blogging about it till now. Go over and put your screwy cat nicknames in her comments. I did. It's a lot more fun and strange than most of those lame pop-culture memes about what TV series you watch over and over.
I was wondering: do only women do this? Give their cats lots of weird nicknames, I mean? Is it a mutation of the instinct for baby-talk and babbling language play between mothers and infants that revs up Broca's area in the little brain? I have a whole unique language of nicknames that I speak to each cat, and mothers have told me that they have just such a special language with each of their children. But T.S. Eliot's writing about it suggests that it may not be exclusive to the female gender.
As we told Annie/Amba in her comments, while we're sure it's not just a girl thing, it definitely derives from the mother-and-baby thing:
I think you're right about Broca's area in the little brain, and it's not just for mothers and their babies. I'm thinking of something I read -- and posted about -- that locates pleasurable feelings between mother and child and feelings between new lovers in the same part of the brain:
"And speaking of love," we added, "my husband [that would be Mr. Tuck] is, in fact, a much sought-after cat whisperer:
Tiny and Baby dissolve in heavy purring, rolling over -- sometimes falling over the side of whatever they are lying on -- and even drooling at the sweet nothings he whispers in their ears.
For full details, head on over to AmbivaBlog.
Update: As usual, Goomp says it best (in the comments):
Not a girl thing or a boy thing. It's just something that the kitties bring out in us humans. Kittykins, Lucykins, Little Miss Black Ears etc ad infinitum. Purrk the Lurk, Mr. P, Waterbaby, and so it goes.
Purrrrr.
Update: For more blogs you really need to read daily, head on over to Friday Ark #71 at Modulator.
Not a girl thing or a boy thing. It's just something that the kitties bring out in us humans. Kittykins, Lucykins, Little Miss Black Ears etc ad infinitum. Purrk the Lurk, Mr. P, Waterbaby, and so it goes.
Posted by: goomp | January 26, 2006 at 05:53 PM
The great hubby has a special song for Captain the Wonder Cat. I don't think the tune is original, in fact I think it is the same tune of one of those Southpark characters..the poopy one. Anyway, it's sweet. Captain likes it but Sabby runs to hide when he starts to sing his. It's, "We're having Sabaroni...it tastes like Sabaroni. Sabaroni's good to eat. Sabaroni's really neat......... On and on. It horrifies Sabby. Captain loves his. Can you tell which one the old COL favors?
Posted by: Laura Lee Donoho | January 26, 2006 at 10:41 PM
Worthy opinions on a worthy subject! Miss Patches Snowboots approves, rolling over and over to express her delight!
Posted by: pb | January 26, 2006 at 11:37 PM
"Sometimes it's a bit early when she and Baby start their relentless breakfast campaigns while we are trying to get a few extra z's..."
Oh, yeah. Familiar territory, that. At least Matata usually allows us an extra hour on the weekends.
Nicknames? Our cats' names are bizarre enough, but yes, we have 'em.
Hakuna: 'Kuna, 'Na, or Koonis.
Matata: 'Tata, or 'Ta, The Hairy Meatloaf, The Load, or Her Nibs.
Posted by: Elisson | January 27, 2006 at 10:07 AM
My cat's name is Frank, short for Frankinsence (because he was a stray, found just before Christmas). He is called every variation of Frank I can think of. Including famous Frank's like Sinatra.
He is also the subject (or victim) of "Frank Songs", which are basically any song in my head, usually Christmas Carols or TV Themes with the lyrics changed to Frank-related subject matter.
Posted by: Barry Johnson | January 28, 2006 at 08:44 PM