Newcat Needs Your Help
Once upon a Thursday before New Years, I was walking Brenda out after a lovely evening of Indian food and knitting, and we came across a little gray kitty outside my apartment building. Brenda hopped in her inlaws' car and sped off, and I stayed outside (in the cold, misty rain) and scritched the kitty. I don't always get too excited to pet outdoor cats, since you just never know where they've been. But this kitty was super sweet, and super friendly, and seemed used to human contact. I fed said kitty (it was ravenous), then fed it some more. Then said goodnight. Being the curious sort (me, not the kitty), I poked my head out the door once or twice more before actually going to bed. Kitty was still there, meowing at the door to my apartment building. I pondered bringing her in, but I just didn't.
Friday night around 11:30pm, there was a knock at my door. Unexpected knocks on my door do not always bring good news, so I was leery to open it at such a late hour. When I did open the door, however, there were two teenage girls in the hall with the previously mentioned little gray kitty. They said, "Is this cat yours?" I said, "No." They said, "Oh, okay." I said, "Was it meowing at my door?" They said, "Yes." I said, "Oh, okay." I waited a while after closing the door to be sure they were gone, then poked my head out the door. I looked outside the front door to the building, no kitty. I looked up the stairs under the green bench and... there was the kitty! I said softly, "Hi, kitty!" and it ran down the stairs and put its paws up on my door. So... I let it in. It ran all over the house, jumping up on things that the other kids aren't allowed to jump up on, knocking over things that the other kids aren't allowed to knock over, and basically acting like it had been there forever. I decided to let it spend the night. And it did, with me, in my bed. Sweet kitty.
Saturday I planned to flea bomb my apartment in hopes of giving the kids some relief. There was no way Krusty and Carrot were going to tolerate sitting in the car with the new cat for two hours (even though they had tolerated the new cat fairly well the night before), and I figured since it had been outside before, it could go out again while the bombs did their thing. I put Carrot and Krusty in the car, then let the new cat out the bedroom window. (Why? I don't know. It seemed right.) The bombs did their thing, we all went back inside, Carrot got a flea bath, Krusty got flea medicine, and the new cat was nowhere to be seen.
Saturday night Brenda came over again to celebrate the New Year, and we'd been sitting there a while, watching MacGyver, and I'd poked my head out the door a time or two to see if the new cat had come back, to no avail, when Brenda stuck her head out the door and said, "Guess who's here!" I said, "Let it in!" And she did. Newcat came in and scarfed down some food and settled on Brenda's lap while we knitted. Newcat likes to play with yarn.
Newcat has been here ever since. I think I let her out one other time, and she came back, so I figure she likes it with us. She has a little attitude and likes to get her way, so she fits right in with Carrot and Krusty and myself. She likes to keep me from getting work done, whether I'm on the computer or trying to knit.
I call this one, "Waiting For Something?"
And this one's just darn cute, no? So all of that to say this: Newcat needs your help. Though "Newcat" is convenient for now, it's sort of an offensive name. The other kids are not happy that it infers that they are "oldcats". We've had minor tiffs about this, and we all agree that Newcat needs a Newname. Therefore, Drunken Monkey Knits is proud to present...
*drum roll*
Contest Numero Two!
subtitled: Newcat Needs a Newname
Here's a list of names that have come out of various mouths at various times. All of these are good options, but not great options.
Friday night around 11:30pm, there was a knock at my door. Unexpected knocks on my door do not always bring good news, so I was leery to open it at such a late hour. When I did open the door, however, there were two teenage girls in the hall with the previously mentioned little gray kitty. They said, "Is this cat yours?" I said, "No." They said, "Oh, okay." I said, "Was it meowing at my door?" They said, "Yes." I said, "Oh, okay." I waited a while after closing the door to be sure they were gone, then poked my head out the door. I looked outside the front door to the building, no kitty. I looked up the stairs under the green bench and... there was the kitty! I said softly, "Hi, kitty!" and it ran down the stairs and put its paws up on my door. So... I let it in. It ran all over the house, jumping up on things that the other kids aren't allowed to jump up on, knocking over things that the other kids aren't allowed to knock over, and basically acting like it had been there forever. I decided to let it spend the night. And it did, with me, in my bed. Sweet kitty.
Saturday I planned to flea bomb my apartment in hopes of giving the kids some relief. There was no way Krusty and Carrot were going to tolerate sitting in the car with the new cat for two hours (even though they had tolerated the new cat fairly well the night before), and I figured since it had been outside before, it could go out again while the bombs did their thing. I put Carrot and Krusty in the car, then let the new cat out the bedroom window. (Why? I don't know. It seemed right.) The bombs did their thing, we all went back inside, Carrot got a flea bath, Krusty got flea medicine, and the new cat was nowhere to be seen.
Saturday night Brenda came over again to celebrate the New Year, and we'd been sitting there a while, watching MacGyver, and I'd poked my head out the door a time or two to see if the new cat had come back, to no avail, when Brenda stuck her head out the door and said, "Guess who's here!" I said, "Let it in!" And she did. Newcat came in and scarfed down some food and settled on Brenda's lap while we knitted. Newcat likes to play with yarn.
Newcat has been here ever since. I think I let her out one other time, and she came back, so I figure she likes it with us. She has a little attitude and likes to get her way, so she fits right in with Carrot and Krusty and myself. She likes to keep me from getting work done, whether I'm on the computer or trying to knit.
I call this one, "Waiting For Something?"
And this one's just darn cute, no? So all of that to say this: Newcat needs your help. Though "Newcat" is convenient for now, it's sort of an offensive name. The other kids are not happy that it infers that they are "oldcats". We've had minor tiffs about this, and we all agree that Newcat needs a Newname. Therefore, Drunken Monkey Knits is proud to present...*drum roll*
Contest Numero Two!
subtitled: Newcat Needs a Newname
Here's a list of names that have come out of various mouths at various times. All of these are good options, but not great options.
Smacky
Spanky
Sheba
Doormat
Knitty
Monkey
Beeber
Miami Sweet Love
Barbie McMuffin Pants
Sweeter
The terms of contest two are as such: Give me your ideas for a new name for Newcat, and whichever name I like best will be her new name. Whoever comes up with the name I like best will win a prize. (Notice to all of you non-knitters who read this blog, and I know you're out there: Prizes are awarded based on who wins the prize. If you aren't a knitter and have no yarn appreciation [shame on you!], you will not receive a yarn-related prize. I think I know my readers fairly well, and will award prizes based on who you are, not who I am. So feel free to join in the fun!)
I agree wholeheartedly that Contest Two is very subjective, but keep in mind you will be affecting every day of my life for the rest of the life of Newcat and beyond. I'll take name ideas through Friday, January 13, 2006, and will announce the winner next Monday. Ready? Set? NAME MY CAT!!!
5 comments:
Newcat is such a cutie. Congratulations on your latest addition to the family!
I look at her and think of this book I read when I was a little girl. It was about a little gray kitten that got locked in a play room with Raggedy Ann and Andy and lots of other toys. They all worked together to help the little kitten get back to her home. The drawings look EXACTLY like Newcat.
So I give you.... "Kitten Little."
And since Newcat may not be a kitten, nor is she little anymore, how about "Desperado" or "Smokey the Bandit," given her mysterious life on the run before taking up shelter with you?
And finally, in honor of my sister's favorite pet nickname for my childhood kitty, I offer up "MarneyCat" (the first syllable rhymes with "bear").
I offer you Grimalkin, Khan, and Katya.
For some reason Grimalkin popped into my head when I was considering names. I thought was odd until I looked it up and discovered that it means cat. Apparently I tucked that away in my head at some point.
And Khan because then you'd have Krusty, Carrot, and Khan. Awww! Blah. It could be in honor of Ghangis, Shere, or Chaka, whichever seems most appropriate.
And Katya, just because I can. I used to call Sophie Katya sometimes. Once again, just because I could.
Sam thinks your cat should be named "Jazz" in honor of our cat. Maybe you could call her "Jazz Encore."
Boomerang? Since she just keeps coming back.
(you're so lucky she chose you! Teak chose me and we've been together for 8 years now).
I'm not convinced that "Newcat" is offensive to your "oldcats"...I'm pretty sure that naming our gray cat "Newman" didn't make Sean feel like and "oldman". Newman definitely votes to stick with "Newcat". I kind of liked "Smacky" because it made me laugh. I'll get Maggie's vote when she gets up...
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