First things first- why do people laugh when I tell them that my cat’s name is Steve? I went and got a massage today (because my shoulders are shot and in pain this time of year why am I explaining myself to you people?), and my regular girl was out with carpal tunnel so she scheduled me with her friend who is filling in, and she just had to put down her St. Bernard and was all distraught so we talked about pets the whole time, and she just got hysterical, as many people do, when I told her my cat was named Steve. People always say something like “I just love that your cat is named Steve, etc.” I mean, I think it’s a great name and it fits him, but I don’t understand why people think it is so unusual.
At any rate, went to the pharmacy and picked up needles and insulin, and stopped by the vet to visit Ginger. Prior to stopping by, I had called, and her sugar levels were down to 300 and Harry was very positive that her blood glucose had dropped so much after just two insulin treatments. We talked a while and I asked that she stay another night to see if we can really get her stabilized before coming back and because I am still trying to figure out a feeding rotation, since Steve eats on his wet food on his perch and Lily, Rosie, Thurston, and Lovey all free freed on kibble all day, but I am not sure if I want to keep doing that because Ginger needs to be monitored and I want her on special food for now, so another day would be good for everyone involved.
Stopped by on my way home, and she looks so much better, and her nose was wet and healthy, and they were all oohing and awwing over her, and she just seemed much better. Tomorrow I go back and pick her up and learn how to give the shots and test her glucose levels.
So a good day. Also, I put clean sheets on the bed, and for some reason, even though I do it every week, clean sheets always put me in a good mood. BTW- the puppies are just getting faster and faster and faster. Like little fur streaks. We gave them a bath today because they smelled like potty, and they both loved it. WATER DOGS! Such a difference from Lily and Rosie- Lily acts like I am punishing her and Rosie is just generally bitchy when I bathe her because she is a JRT, and any time you make them do something that was not their idea it pisses them off.
scuffletuffle
Very glad to hear Ginger is doing better, but did I miss a post where all this came up before?
Suzanne
It’s because STEVE is the name of a middle-aged white man with a mullet, not a cat. It seems incongruous, and is therefore funny.
Found out Luna will probably need surgery to fix her ACL, and it is $3K. Vet has advised two weeks of anti-inflammatories to see if it gets better. I can’t afford $3K. Argh.
JPL
Great post and I am so pleased that Ginger is doing better. Is it possible that she becomes the mascot for the practice because of the various feeding schedules at your house. That will be difficult for her.
Buddy H
In my experience, people always laugh at cats with “human” names. I had a cat named George for many years, and that never failed to amuse people. I used to work with a woman whose cat was named “Ruth”
The diet change is important, along with the medicine. High protein wet food (but not the gravy kind) is best, from what I understand. The problem with dry food is it’s all starch. Pets love the stuff, but it’s not good for them.
I’m hoping a new diet will help Ginger feel better.
A neighbor of mine said her dog had diabetic symptoms that were helped by an adjustment to his diet.
Mark B.
My best friend has a cat named Steve. They named him that because he got caught in the fence and required several rounds of very expensive surgery to get back to walking OK, so we named him Steve Austin, after the Six Million Dollar man. He does look a little like Lee Majors. He’s a very furry ginger tabby.
Baud
Because we are constantly judging you.
Good to hear the news about Ginger.
Omnes Omnibus
Never mind
JPL
@Suzanne: I’m so sorry and I hope that other solutions work.
West of the Cascades
Having a cat named Steve is reminiscent of the fellow whose cat was named Eric (as was his fish) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnq96W9jtuw
jl
Steve is a normal short human person first name. I think same would happen if you called a dog or a cat or a hamster Jeff or Dave, or Sally or Michelle.
Some names are like that. Only exception is if you add a long nonsensical string of BS after it. For example, try this experiment: say your cat’s name is Steve Stupendous Maine Coon Cat Esq. See if they laugh. I would be interested in the result.
Who knows, the BJ blog has worldwide reach, and you might start a trend to give pets ordinary short human first names.
I get a pet any time soon, I sure am going to name it John. Ha ha. That would be hilarious. But, Duke of John G. would not. Why that is, a mystery of human psychology.
raven
@Omnes Omnibus: bad linky
Omnes Omnibus
@raven: That’s why I killed it.
raven
My first dog was Ralph. Here he is flying for a treat!
raven
And here’s Ralph with a stick on top of a truck!
Suzanne
@JPL: Thanks. Here’s hoping the antiinflammatories will be enough to help her heal.
raven
And here he is with his brother Fred chasing a football.
Violet
So glad to hear Ginger is doing so much better! I bet the feeding schedule is going to be crazy. I hope you find a way to work it out. Ginger and her puppies are so lucky to have found you.
Buddy H
Isn’t most commercial pet food crap? I can’t speak for the dogs, but I know that lots of cat food brands are unhealthy garbage.
The latest outrage is the poisonous dog treats from China. I saw on the news that a pet food chain is planning to phase out the sale of these treats over the next few months.. What??
Why not, say, immediately?
Omnes Omnibus
OT: Christ, what an asshole.
Baud
@raven:
You used to have Cole’s habit of taking blurry pictures.
raven
@Buddy H: My pups get fish and sweet tater food.
raven
@Baud: Obviously 2 of the 3 have me in them so. . .
Omnes Omnibus
@raven: That’s no excuse.
Gin & Tonic
@raven: I like that you have Bob Ross in the background there.
Baud
@raven:
Ok, I’ll let you off the hook for those.
@Omnes Omnibus:
It’ll be interesting to see what’ll happen next month.
Omnes Omnibus
@Gin & Tonic: Ha!
raven
@Baud: This is Ralph’s son Henry at Lock and Dam #19 on the Big River!
Suzanne
@Buddy H: Mine gets the Nature’s Recipe from Costco, which is a dry kibble, but grain-free. I like to support Costco.
Baud
@raven:
Majestic.
@Suzanne:
Me too!
raven
@Baud: Ralph loved to fish!
JPL
@Omnes Omnibus: I didn’t link to it but yes he is an asshole.
Baud
@raven:
Is that you? He was a big doggie!
Omnes Omnibus
@raven: My cocker was frightened of water until my uncle picked him up and threw him a good 15 feet out into a lake. The guy came up swimming and loved it for the rest of his life. When he hit the water, I was already starting to rush in to rescue him – he didn’t need it.
Anne Laurie
Thanks for the good news, and the update, Blogmaster!
@jl:
If the stories are true, even Cole doesn’t call himself “John”, nor do most of the men legally named John that I’ve known. (Most of them introduced themselves with their last names — like Bond. James Bond — some used nicknames.)
But if I ever live with another big boned, grouchy old “red” tabby male, I am absolutely gonna name him Cole.
Pogonip
Cats laugh when Steve tells them his owner is named John.
max
@Suzanne: It’s because STEVE is the name of a middle-aged white man with a mullet, not a cat. It seems incongruous, and is therefore funny.
It’s the name of the (white) stoner with a mullet. Steve shouldn’t be playing with cat toys, Steve should be selling you a couple of joints. [Insert Far Side cartoon of Steve the cat hanging out on the corner selling Maui to some dude.]
Cole needs to name his next female animal ‘Marge’. And anybody who has a hamster should name it ‘Bob in Portland’.
Found out Luna will probably need surgery to fix her ACL, and it is $3K. Vet has advised two weeks of anti-inflammatories to see if it gets better. I can’t afford $3K. Argh.
Taimurlane slipped a disk in his neck last September. It was bad. There was only surgery (3K!) and steroids. In his case, an injectable mega-steroid. It worked. It gave him near-cholea levels of terrible black icky diarrhea which would have killed him had I not taken him back for atropine, but once we got that fixed, it worked. No neck collar for him anymore, and trying hard to avoid taking out the front door because he has a bad tendency to grab things and try and shake them to death, including once one of the porch supports, but it worked. So hang in there.
max
[‘Good luck, hope it works.’]
JPL
My son and his so have a maltese and they could not decide on a name. The vet had her labeled NoName and hence she became NoNa. It might be the best name ever. My other son had a cat named Alice and of course, he was the best cat ever.
Buddy H
Samuel Johnson had a cat named Hodge. He didn’t want his servants to resent the cat, so he would walk to the market and buy him food, instead of asking them to do it.
Roger Moore
@Omnes Omnibus:
Apparently, there are some people who don’t believe he’s being partisan, and he wants to set them straight. It’s hard to see any other reasonable interpretation of that statement.
Omnes Omnibus
@Roger Moore: Quite decent of him, amirite?
Shana
I’m with you on fresh sheets. Several years ago we got a feather bed topper to put on our bed. When I change the sheets I shake it out so it fluffs up again before I put the new sheets on. When I get in to bed that night I always sigh deeply as I sink in. Hubby always laughs at me, but dang it feels good.
Roger Moore
@Pogonip:
They hear his name is John and that he’s going out for a “massage” and draw the obvious conclusion.
JPL
@Roger Moore: I assume that the conclusion is that the animals live with a klutz.
SiubhanDuinne
@Omnes Omnibus:
With every day that passes, this Bibi story pisses me off more and more.
Gvg
All of my families pets my entire life have had people names. other kinds of names seem odd and fake to me. I have not had much reaction to it that I noticed though I recall my mother explaining to me that her mother was uncomfortable with my cats name of Alice because grandmas own name was Alice. at 3 I had not known Grandma had a name other than grandma. I guess the kitten mitts had a pet name.
Alice Mitts Charlie Sandra Smokey Manda Eric Sarah Angel Bonnie Tad Emily Willow Rikki Merlin
JCJ
Does Steve watch the Penguins with you like Dave the Cat watches the Ducks?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAmNoFO_fag
mkd
@Gin & Tonic: I had to go back to check for Bob Ross in raven’s pics. A sweet memory came back. My now 28 year old son was a Bob Ross fan at the age of two and his grandfather built him a small easel with the big paint brushes and a pretend bucket of paint so he and Bob could paint together during the PBS showings. (This probably embarrasses him now but it was a lovely thing to watch him shake his brush off against the easel legs just like his buddy Bob) Like Mr. Rogers, it was the soft voice of friendliness that appealed to my toddler and other toddlers. Oh and at about the same age he mistook a life size Joseph in a nativity tableau at a store for “Norm Abrams”. Yes, the indoctrination started early.
Mobile RoonieRoo
You free feed kibble. Okay, now I know why your dogs are so freaking fat.
Omnes Omnibus
@SiubhanDuinne: Yeah, the Senate Dems offered him a hand to help pull himself out of the PR quicksand and he swatted it away.
ruemara
@Suzanne: kickstarter? I don’t have much but I get paid soon and I can kick in a fiver for loving pet in honor of my two loved ones.
mclaren
Because, knowing the balloon-juice commentariat, these mooks probably wonder whether your massage had a happy ending.
Explaining things to the commenters on this site is like reading Aeschylus to a cage of hyenas: it merely insults your intelligence, and enrages the hyenas.
SiubhanDuinne
(To be sung to the tune of “Santa Baby,” preferably by John Boehner doing his best Eartha Kitt impression. With apologies.)
Mr. Bibi,
Please come and talk to Congress real soon,
They’ll swoon,
G.O.P. will be there,
Darling Bibi,
So hurry on to D.C. tonight.
P.M. Bibi,
The Democrats may boycott your talk,
They’ll walk
Out on you when you speak,
Mr. Bibi,
But hurry on to D.C. tonight.
Think of worries that you’ve calmed,
Think of all the countries that you haven’t bombed.
Can’t you go on TV (Fox)
And fuck up diplomatic talks?
Mr. Bibi,
The White House won’t be meeting with you,
You Jew.
It’s a racist rebuff,
But dear Bibi,
Please hurry on to D.C. tonight.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@raven: I’ve always enjoyed those pictures of Ralph. Thanks for sharing them.
John Cole +0
@Mobile RoonieRoo: My dogs are not fat at all. They are in superb shape. You can feel their ribs and everything just like you are supposed to feel them.
Steve, on the other hand, is fat as fuck and he only gets two small cans of wet food a day.
David Koch
Can you imagine, 32 million people (10.4M Exchange QHPs, 7.8M OFF-Exchange QHPs, 200K SHOP, 13.9M Medicaid/CHIP) have received health insurance in the past year.
What failure. Too bad we didn’t listen to our Progressive Betters and “Kill the Bill!”
wasabi gasp
Soften folks up with your imaginary friend named Li’l Boots, then Steve won’t sound so weird.
Omnes Omnibus
@wasabi gasp: That plan involves too much 1970s pop music.
Mike in NC
@SiubhanDuinne: Durbin and Feinstein wanted to grant Bibi an audience to save face. Did something change? No AIPAC checks forthcoming?
Leslie
Glad Ginger is doing so much better. People laugh because Steve is an absolutely hilarious name for a cat.
Suzanne
@ruemara: You’re a sweetheart, thank you. I’m going to see if I can get my tax refund, and see if it will cover the surgery.
Don K
Good to hear Ginger is doing better. I think Steve is a fine name for a cat. We had a cat named Billy who was just the sweetest thing. He walked with a swagger and thought he was a badass, but it wasn’t true.
When I was a kid I had a dog named Edna, and my sister had dogs named Maggie, Jake, and Heidi, so human names for pets are fine by me.
Mike J
@jl:
Nobody ever really laughed at my cat Pete’s name.
It too more explanation for a different cat, Schatzi, than Pete.
SWMBO
@Suzanne: One of my husband’s coworkers had his dog jump off a bridge onto a boat deck and take out both “wrists”. This was on a family vacation in Costa Rica. When he got the dog home, he started the rounds to find out what could be done. The orthopedic vet recommended custom leg braces. They put the ligaments back in place and made a cast of the leg the way it should be. The new fiberglass braces hold the ligaments in the correct position and the dog can walk easier now. He still can’t walk the usual long walk but he can at least do a couple of short walks now.
My daughter’s JRT blew out her knee and the hardest thing was getting her not to jump off the couch. She went through the shots and massage therapy and hydrotherapy. There is a place in Orlando (Hip Dog Hydrotherapy) that has worked with dogs for strength and conditioning. They put life preservers on the animal (not sure if they do cats) and have them swim for 5-15 minutes at a time. It worked miracles for her dogs and their various problems but the water takes a lot of the stress off the joint.
Good luck and keep us posted.
CaseyL
@jl:
Maybe it’s a Seattle thing, but lots of people here have been giving pets “human” names for many years. Pamela, Maggie, Molly, Clyde, Oscar, Jeannie, Mac, Cecil, Gracie… no Steves, though.
Suzanne
@SWMBO: The vet said that a brace is an option, but that he doesn’t recommend it for a younger dog (she’s five). He recommended waiting two weeks to see if the anti-inflammatory works before deciding. So that’s the plan.
Suzanne
@CaseyL: All my animals have human named. Steve is just….funny.
SWMBO
@John Cole +0: You assume that Steve isn’t hitting the dog feeder when no one is looking.
Mike J
@Mike J: * took
wasabi gasp
@Omnes Omnibus: Maybe John could just wear bell bottoms and a fro. Again, Steve will seem much less weird.
Kevin
I think of two things with the name Steve. One, it’s my brothers name. But two, and this one makes me laugh, is this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfqiC92INO4
about 2:08 in. And i just can’t hear the name Steve without hearing “did Steve tell you that per chance? Hmmm…Steve”
Omnes Omnibus
@wasabi gasp: Hmmm… I’ll do myself the favor of not forming a mental pictu…. Fuck! Too late.
SWMBO
@Suzanne: Milo (the coworker’s dog) is 7 and the vet didn’t want to operate unless it was going to have a negative impact for the rest of his life if he didn’t have surgery. Surgery on these things are tricky because it’s hard to get the patient to cooperate.
Keep up the antiinflammatories and ask about hydrotherapy later. Get the swelling down first. The vet told my daughter that JRT’s have weak knees and eyes. They had problems with Sassy but at least she alternated problems.
rikyrah
Rahm Emanuel is in a runoff.
Howard Beale IV
@Suzanne: My Red Persian is named Ozzie. Didn’t bother to rename him when I adopted him. Prior to him, my 16-year old Himalayan was named Minuet, and my tortie kitten (who sadly didn’t last long) was named Voodoo.
SWMBO
@wasabi gasp: JC should wear bell bottoms and a fro? What, you want him to give up naked mopping and act more normal?
Omnes Omnibus
@SWMBO:
Mike E
Steve was my dad’s name* and more than a few acquaintances wanted to call me that, too. Heh.
*Not really…he was a furriner and took that name to fit in here.
Mike E
@rikyrah:
Truth.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Mike J: Inside Reds joke?
JohnK
@Suzanne: We rescued a 6 year old with a diagnosed “ACL” problem. She was very over weight but we got her weight down to normal. The vet still checks her knees every time we go in but her ACL problem seams to be resolved. Good luck with your dog. Maybe things will work out.
Olivia
Steve is a perfectly fine name for a cat but not a dog. Stupid cat and/or dog names are Mark, Adam, Ryan,Todd, David, Chad, Jason.
Suzanne
@SWMBO: I had a cocker who also tore the ACL (yes, I know, the CCL), but hers healed and surgery wasn’t required. Luna is bigger (Pit/Lab mix, 70 pounds). The vet just loves her so much. As do I. I miss taking her running.
Omnes Omnibus
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): You may have been living near Cincy for too long. Or I may know too little about baseball. Or, come to think of it, both.
SWMBO
@Omnes Omnibus: Just substitute naked mopping
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33o32C0ogVM
RaflW
A friend had a Dalmatian named Larry. It was a great name for him.
ruemara
I can’t talk about Steve. My tuxedo was Rudy Clayton Tyrone Vazquez neé Smudge; my small Steve lookalike is Otajamakushi Taifu; his adopted bro is Kage Basho. Hey, these are the names that worked for them.
Omnes Omnibus
@Olivia: The key for determining a stupid pet name is how silly will one will sound yelling it through the neighborhood when the beast inevitably gets out. Fluffy and Pookie are high on the no list.
Omnes Omnibus
@ruemara: My cocker was pedigreed and had a very long official name, but we shortened it to a one syllable version for everyday use. He didn’t seem to mind.
ETA: Sort of like how on Downton Abbey the Marquess of Flintshire is known as Shrimpy to his friends.
SWMBO
@Omnes Omnibus: Molly Ivins said never name a dog Shithead either. It was hard not to laugh when you were yelling, “No, Shithead. Stop Shithead.” etc.
Suzanne
My kid is watching an episode of “Parks and Recreation” that just had a great joke on MRAs. I can’t help but note that all MRAs are fugly and cannot get laid consentually by any woman ever.
Omnes Omnibus
@Suzanne: I
No offense, but, well, duh.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus: I didn’t say it was a breakthrough. It’s still funny.
Olivia
@Omnes Omnibus:
I never thought of that; you have a valid point.
But running through the neighborhood yelling Jason, or Ryan seems kind of sad, if not as silly as Pookie.
I think yelling “Mark, Mark, Mark” sounds pretty silly. Like a dog barking with a speech impediment.
patroclus
Wow! No Chicago thread?? I decided to vote for Chuy Garcia against Rahmbo and I was surprised to see that Chuy made a run-off, which will be held in six weeks. He gave a good speech tonight and has a legitimate chance to pull off the upset if he can rally the anti-Rahm vote (Rahm 45; Chuy 34) from the other three candidates.
Chuy is kind of a legend in Chicago progressive politics. He was a major force in the pro-Harold Washington coalition in the 80’s, was the first Hispanic elected to the State Senate and is now on the Cook County Board; essentially the floor leader for Toni Preckwinkle. Ho only reluctantly entered the mayoral race, starting slow, but finishing strong. And definitely gathering momentum tonight. Rahm will probably bury him in ads, but I’m hopeful that Chuy could make this a legitimate race. Turn-out today was terrible and Chicago needs a healthy debate about the issues.
Mike J
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): The “took” was correcting my typos of too.
The two cat names were because of Pete Townsend and german for darling.
I know nothing of the Reds.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
@rikyrah:
Rahm thought he would be the next Daley, but he’s just another Bilandic.
Suzanne
@Olivia: I named my cats after people, real or fictional, that I admire or remind me in spirit. I’ve had Nico, PJ (Polly Jean), Clarice, Zelda, and Scout. I have a feeling that a Ripley will join the crew at some point.
Major Major Major Major
Testing new vpn, 123, can you hear me major tom
ETA: cool! Pardon the interruption
Omnes Omnibus
@Suzanne: To my knowledge, I have never met an MRA dude, but I make assumptions. BTW, I have known fat, ugly guys who have been lady killers. They’ve been smart, funny, and actually interested in the women they met.
Omnes Omnibus
@Olivia:
I choked from laughing.
Anne Laurie
@Omnes Omnibus: I named the cat I had in high school Puck, which was fine for an little black kitten who loved to play hockey with bottle caps.
After I’d left for college, he got out of the apartment, and my poor mom had to walk around our working-class Bronx neighborhood yelling his name…
ETA: My beloved first Papillon was AKC-registered as “Lord Galahad”. He answered to Galliard, or Gally — and, of course, I told people his last name was Threepwood.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Mike J: Oh- it would have been very inside. Pete as in Rose and the name of ( one time team owner) Marge Schott’s St. Bernard, who came to home games with her.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus: Sure, there are plenty of guys who don’t have great looks but have good personalities. But I have met a few MRA dudes, and most of them are average at best, but have horrible personalities.
Omnes Omnibus
@Anne Laurie: In a Simpsons episode, a flashback showed Homer shooting down every name for the soon-to-be-born Bart by coming up for playground taunts for the name. I just follow the same principle. My dog was Beau.* That wasn’t too bad.
*I accidentally capitalized dog in that sentence. Freudian. He was my Dog, indeed.
SiubhanDuinne
@rikyrah:
How are you? Out of hospital? We’ve been thinking about you and wishing you well.
Mike J
Wow, synchronicity.
I was just listening to the News Quiz that aired Friday. There’s a segment about Brian the horse. He was to become a police horse. The cops said they would change his name to something heroic if he made the cut. People named Brian took offense.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006r9yq
Go to 24:48
“I think animals with human names are fun like cats called Steve “
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus: There was a great SNL skit with Nicolas Cage like that.
Olivia
@Suzanne:
We have a Bubba, Zoey, Stitch and Turtle. We had Sam, the best cat ever, but he is gone now. We had Marilyn and Monroe, beautiful flame point long hair Siamese, who spawned Norma and Gene. My sister has Ripley, the big fat dog. We just kind of look at them and the name sort of pops up.
Major Major Major Major
We had dogs Fred and Selkie, ferrets Rikki and Sketch, and now a cat named Samwise.
Fred was an asshole.
Coincidence?
Omnes Omnibus
@Suzanne: The people I imagine becoming MRAers are exactly average at best – in every way. Fat and charming. Ugly and brilliant. Handsome and stupid. All have a chance. Meh in all ways? MRA candidate, unless you realize that there are completely meh women too and you know your level.
seaboogie
@Omnes Omnibus: True Dat. It’s why I named my first (in adulthood) cat “Stelllaaaaa….”. Followed by Zoe the cat and Seamus the Golden pup. I like human names for my critters, but they need a bit of “zip” to them, and also have at least two syllables that are not easily confused with other words so that they know when I am calling them.
I frequently pick up lunch at a noisy local place where they call your name to pick up the lunch at one counter and the beverage at another. In the din, every one-syllable name sounds pretty much the same, hence my pet-naming strategy. Another lunch place I used to phone in the order and the staff (mostly hispanic) were also working in a noisy place. I once placed the order under my actual name (Beth) which was apparently understood as “Doug”. From then on I ordered as “Lupita”. Three syllables and clear as a bell to everyone concerned.
Also, because I often shortened Seamus’ name to “Shea”, when I taught him to “shake”, the command was “give paw”, which he clearly understood. Other people would ask him to “shake”, and he’d be all “Yeah, I’m here.” Damn, I miss that dog – best soul that I ever knew!
Major Major Major Major
@seaboogie: one of my friends always gives his name as Beyoncé at coffee shops and diners and such. Works pretty well.
Omnes Omnibus
@seaboogie: As I understand it, dogs can learn several hundred words, but they can’t do context.
Olivia
@Omnes Omnibus:
“I choked from laughing”
My evening is complete.
Omnes Omnibus
@Olivia: One does try to please.
delk
How about a cat named Paul?
Suzanne
@Major Major Major Major: I have a fake name that I use in those myriad situations that come up in which you need a fake name. Y’all are cool here, so you can know: “Desdemona Driscoll”.
Mike J
@Suzanne: I always give “Mr. Sexypants.”
Suzanne
@delk: My ex husband has a cat named Waffle. I love Waffle and wish I had joint custody.
Omnes Omnibus
@Suzanne: I use “Omnes Omnibus.” It worked in Brittany leading up to the French Revolution, so I figure it will work here and now.
ixnay
Our cats are named Bill, Ted, Ringo, and Noodle. What’s the prob w/Steve?
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus: I have an architecture-related nym that I used to use more, too. But I like keepin’ it real.
Violet
Sarah Palin claims she named the not-atually-a-service-dog that her son used as a stool Jill after her college roommate. If I were Sarah Palin’s former college roommate I’m not sure I’d know how to interpret that.
Omnes Omnibus
@Suzanne: “Flying buttress?” “Cantilever?
Omnes Omnibus
@Violet: Quoi? And then quoi again?
seaboogie
@Omnes Omnibus: Since dogs are so absolutely literal, I believe that context mostly eludes them. However I did learn with my really intelligent pup that if you keep commands really simple (no extra words beyond the command ones) that they can apply them to a situation. Seamus had an absolute understanding of prepositional actions (up, over, down and even “through” in a pathway sense). He learned left and right (to the astonishment of many) and the difference between ‘see up’ and ‘see down” vs. “jump up” and jump down”.
The first time that I gave him a completely new command with familar words “paw up”, BOOM! – he just did it. But it really is about the capability of the pup (and bid-ability of the breed) and more importantly the bond and discipline* between canine and human. I totally hit the jackpot with my first and only dog so far. *Humans being the ones needing to discipline themselves in consistency.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
@delk:
We are watching my new “Batman” DVDs right now. We’re supposed to believe that busty Bond Girl Jill St. John could successfully disguise herself as Robin.
Don’t care, still love it anyway.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus: Hah, no. Besides, there’s way nastier architecture terms than “flying buttress”.
seaboogie
@Mike J: I think that I am going to go with “Ms. Awesome-Sauce”. In the din it will probably sound foreign, likely be misspelled in fantastic ways, and I will enjoy myself immensely.
Omnes Omnibus
@seaboogie: That was basically my point. Nuance escapes the lovely bastards. In words… Words with gestures changes things. Smart dogs pick up those combinations quite well.
Omnes Omnibus
@Suzanne: I know. Why do you think I used it?
seaboogie
Not so sure with Seamus (aka the Boogie, hence my nym). I could tell him the plan for the day “Beth go out, Beth come back and Seamus and Beth go for a walk “after”, and he would sigh and go lie down. Or I could tell him, “Beth go out, Beth come back after, and Seamus and Beth go for a swim(!), and he would plop himself down with such alacrity like “I am one behaving motherfucker and let’s get this process in motion!” I could tell him somthing would be “soon soon soon” and he’d get excited, and “after” was one thing, but “after after after” would elicit a disgusted sigh and absolute disappointment as he plopped down, resignedly. The Laurence Olivier of dogs, he was.
SiubhanDuinne
@Suzanne:
That cat must be waffly cute.
Violet
@Suzanne: I often use “Elvis” when ordering at the kind of restaurant where you have to give a name.
Violet
@Omnes Omnibus: What part didn’t you understand?
Omnes Omnibus
@Violet: Honestly? I don’t understand a word that woman says – Damn it , I really do try.
Origuy
I had a college roommate, a Dead fan, who would give “Sugaree”. His first name was Jeff, which was all too common, and his last name was Polish and almost unspellable.
wasabi gasp
Just watched Maleficent… and wowee! Not only is Angelina Jolie absolutely stunning, but it’s like she was made to play that role. Pretty sure it’s the best I’ve seen from her.
Major Major Major Major
@wasabi gasp: I enjoyed it, saw it with a date in the theater… Second half was predictable but I suppose that’s the point now isn’t it.
Beautiful movie though.
Radio One
guys can be total trolls when it comes to naming pets that aren’t dogs. The first cat I had as a little kid I named “David Banner,” from the 80s Incredible Hulk tv show. I remember enthusiastically insisting that adults call him not just “David” or “Dave,” but “David Banner” every time they referred to the cat in conversation.
seaboogie
@Radio One: My friend has a dog name Buster Posey.
wasabi gasp
@Major Major Major Major: Yes, Disney classics is probably not where to go for plot twists, but they have beauty mastered.
@Radio One: I goof about John giving Steve a weird name, but I’m probably worse, as I just call our cat whatever pops into my head at the moment: Fudgy Pants, Squeezy Cheeks, Pumpkin Head, Box Sitter (cuz, you know, she’s sits on the box…any box), Fuzzy Britches, Snoozy Tuesday, Pukeypuss…on and on and on.
seaboogie
@wasabi gasp: My first cat was named Mindy, which we never called her – even once. She also went by Puss, Snitface, Babycat, and Whifferannieowski. She lived to be 24 years old, perhaps waiting to hear what else we would come up with, even after she went deaf. Though lacking in imagination, “Puss” was what stuck in an average moment.
BubbaDave
My black cat adopted on Friday the 13th is named Murphy’s law, generally shortened to Murphle. My almost-one-year-old-and-please-God-let-him-grow-out-of-crazy-kitten-brain-soon cat is named Barnabas, because he was originally intended to be a barn cat at a friend’s farm.
The nice thing about Barnabas as a name is the natural segue into Barnabarian or Barnabastard, depending on how annoyed I am at any given time.
Montarvillois
My cat was named The Imp, on file at the vet’s as Louie, Honeybuns has stuck.
AxelFoley
@David Koch: Heh.
Manyakitty
My cats are Heisenberg (Heisenmeow, Heisenhandsome, Heisenmonkey), Schrodinger (Schrodingduder, Lovebug), and Mme. Curie (Manya, Ladybug).
My dad picked Schrodinger’s name when he realized this was as close as he was likely to get to grandchildren, and the rest fell into place. I figure I can work my way through the attendees of the 1927 Solvay Conference if I need more names (except for female physicists, since Marie Curie was the only one there.)
Paul in KY
It’s like having a cat named ‘Jim’.
NCSteve
@Suzanne: Ahem.
I’d have to have hair to have a mullet.
Hunter
Why do people think it’s weird to have a cat named Steve? My last cats were Ben and Millie.
Elizabelle
@wasabi gasp: There was a little bit of a plot twist at the end that I liked tremendously. Different take. Maleficent was one of my fave films last year.
Olivia
My sister had a cat that she named Tristan. He passed on and a few years later she had a son and named him Tristan.
Tinare
It’s the really ordinary human names for animals that is funny. A friend had a dog named Bob and that always cracked me up. My niece’s cat was Andrew which was especially funny as she has an uncle Andy.
JoyceH
I think these days it’s a lot more common to give pets human names than it used to be. Perhaps because we’re more willing to consider pets family members and say that out loud rather than the ‘it’s just a (cat) (dog)’ of previous generations. But it seems to me that we tend to give dogs very common human names (Maggie, Molly), while the cats get the grander and more unusual names – Julius, Otto, etc. So when a cat has a very common name that many humans have, it just sounds sorta humorous.
I was at the vet once and the tech came out to the waiting room and asked the people with the cat carrier, “So this is Larry?” – and it just amused me. Of course, my first cat was Roland and the second was Winston – I suppose a lot of people found those funny.
My current dog is Jazzy, which is my first pet without a human name, though it tends to be a human nickname, I find.
Gotta wonder if anyone names their cats Fluffy, Mittens, Whiskers, Snowball, etc anymore…
hedgehog the occasional commenter
Our two black kitties (littermates) are Shadow (longhair) and Midnight (shorthair). We adopted a calico named Tinkerbell from one of the attorneys I work for; they were going to turn her into a barn cat. She pretty much lives up to her name. Shadow tends to follow Midnight around (thus the name) and is very shy.
Trinity
We have a cat named ‘Bird’. People look at us sideways.
And it is not because she makes chirping sounds. She has marks on her front paws that look like she is flipping us the bird. Most days I call her ‘Angry Bird’ because she generally looks at me like she is displeased.
Love her to bits though. Wouldn’t trade my scars for anything.
Jado
People laugh at the name Steve for a cat because they subliminally remember this movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S90VPU62_FM
and they are wondering if you are the one putting pizza in his wallet to save for later.
I like Pizza!! Great party, Steve!