Today, our umpteenth trip to the animal shelter, we came home with a parcel.
This is a boy cat. He is a little over a year old. I liked him immediately. After thinking, “Maybe?” about two dozen cats, this was the first one I asked to see in one of the rooms they have for Getting-to-Know-You time. I had all three littles with me, and he was GREAT with them. The littles were loud, and they kept squealing and jumping, and he didn’t even flinch. We all pet him and he didn’t flinch. The littles played with him with cat toys and he played exuberantly but with no bodily harm. He let me pick him up. I filled out the paperwork and we put him in the cat carrier. I hadn’t brought the cat carrier on previous visits, so I’m glad I brought it today. We brought him home. He has since been sniffing every inch of the house.
He has pretty fur patterns. Neither Paul nor I has ever had a cat with this kind of coloring.
He is brave/stupid.
He is a little funny-looking. He is the kind of cat who, new to your house, will sit on your dining room table like he doesn’t even know what guest manners ARE. We are calling him “the new kitty” because we don’t have a name for him yet.
Have you considered naming him Rufus? Or perhaps Mr. Pants? Jasper?
Ooooh, he’s pretty! (At least in profile and far away shots…I agree that he’s kinda funny looking straight on). Good luck naming him!
Eeee! I LOVE your new kitty. He is absolutely adorable. “Stripey Kitty” (nicknamed SK) would be a name. I also like “Larry”.
I hope that your new kitty enjoys many many hugs and pettings and much love and he gives it all back.
Love love love!!! He’s adorable!!
I’m sure your gut was right, and he’ll be the perfect addition to your family!
He is so cute! Congrats!
He’s adorable! We saw kitties at the vet today and it made me want to get a cat again.
He is ADORABLE. Congrats on the new addition. I would name him Dash–first name that came into my head.
He’s so cute Swistle!
Oh, oh, OHHHHHHH! He’s so pritty! He looks calm and friendly, and not many cats can pull of the “friendly” look. I can’t wait to hear how he settles into your home!
(How is Old Cat taking it?) (Forgive me, I’ve forgotten Old Cat’s real name.)
He’s so pretty. I don’t care if doesn’t like being called pretty, either. He IS.
Congratulations! He is very handsome and looks like he’s made himself at home already.
I love his white nose!
Boy cats are stupid. I’ve never had a smart boy cat! :-)
Also, when I looked at him “Theo” immediately popped into my head. Then I typed my first comment, submitted it, and looked at him again. “Theo” first thing again. Long way to say, he looks like a Theo to me.
Oh, he’s adorable and beautiful at the same time! And I think he’s a great age for a new-to-you cat. Good work!
Also, when I look at him I think “Norman.” I don’t know why either.
Awww what a sweet kitty!! Yay!
Name him Sailboat? I don’t know why.
New kitty is adorable.
What a sweet face! With his white bib, toes and nose it looks like he got into the milk jug. I wish I could get a new kitty too!! :-)
he is so pretty! I love him. He’s perfect. Not funny looking. :)
purrrr! he is handsome! as for the name, you should post about him over on swistlebabynames and see what happens…
Looks like you’ve got yourself a Classic Tabby (this page has some good pictures that show the differences between Tabby types – http://www.mainecoon-cats.org/breed-information/maine-coon-colors-and-patterns/tabbies.html).
He’s quite handsome. I love how he looks just a little lopsided from straight on. So glad to hear he’s settling right in and making himself at home.
Love him! He’s very pretty and I’m glad you found a cat you’re excited about. Also I love the clock above your front door.
— Mairzy
Marie Green- Our first cat is Mouse, and she’s 15 so she’s an old lady in a house with a teenaged boy. She disapproves, and there has been some routine hissing, but I think (slash-hope) they’ll end up ignoring each other.
He is just beautiful! I love brown cats with white accents. His coat pattern reminds me of a cake my mom makes, called chocolate syrup cake. Which I am now craving, thanks NEW KITTY!
Hooray for the new kitty!
squee! cute, cute, cute! He reminds me a bit of our boykitty. Different coloring and everything, but there’s a glint in his eyes that suggests he’s spirited but loving. Congrats on the newest addition to your family!
Oh! I know! To help you decide on a name for him, you should write to Swistle’s Baby Name Blog!
…wait.
SO CUTE!
You don’t have a name yet?? but you’re the naming queen!!
Love Him!
(Please don’t give him a “human” name
He looks like an Olaf or a Rolf or something.
Congrats on the new furbaby! :)
Ahh so cute! I thought he looked like a “Tigger” because of the tiger-like stripes!
Yay! I’ve had a tough day, but it’s almost like I just got a cat! Keep the updates coming.
I think he is Adorable!
Congratulations! He is so handsome!
He’s lovely! Congratulations.
I love his nose
Aww, he is adorable! When the boy first picked us (really, that is what happened) we called him “puppy” for the first couple of days because the name he came with was SOOOO not him!
OMG, HE IS GORGEOUS. Not that I’m hoping my current cats will die so I can get a new one, but he is beautiful. Congratulations!
I offer the name Giles (pronounced Jiles).
Chester?
I love him – he’s so pretty. That face!!! Can’t wait to hear his name when it comes to you.
ohmygosh! A tabby. I have two of them, their personalities are bigger than the world. LOVE.
Congratulations! He is adorable.
Oh, hurray! It sounds like you found the right kitty, for sure. What a sweetheart!
Also – love the “brave/stupid” description. Our cats are the same way. I think they were born without a sense of self-preservation.
Look at those ears! He could be Spock. Or maybe Nimoy.
Whoops, the above was me! Didn’t mean to be anonymous.
Oh! He’s a beauty! Love his markings. And he looks full of character. Congrats on the new fuzzy family member.
it looks like a big M on his forehead between his eyes. maybe you can pick a name that starts with an M. He also looks like he has eyeliner on. maybe you could name him Boy George. He’s lovely.
Congratulations! He’s a very handsome boy, not funny-looking at all.
I love his colouring! He looks a lot like my kitty, but he sounds a lot more kid friendly.
Aww, what a pretty kitty!
OK so we got a new cat last week (orange boy about 8 months old) who was stray, followed us home, we looked for owners for 3 days then took him to the pound. No one adopted him so my sad little heart went and picked him up. He is so damn sweet with my kids but HATES my sweet dog. Hopefully they will just get to the ignore each other part soon.
Anyways his name is Noodles Gilbert but the names we rejected were:
Ferris (Like Ferris Bueller)
Baldrick
Orbit
Newton
Jupiter
-Danita
Pretty boy kitty!! Can’t wait to hear his name. Do you pseudonym your pets too? LOL
Congratulations on your new acquisition!
He’s lovely! I especially like the white spot on the tip of his nose.
My name suggestion (not that you asked!) is Gus
Cute!
he’s adorable. kudos to you for adopting an older cat ;)
I don’t think he’s funny-looking at all. Very handsome, actually. All of the cats of my childhood had markings like that.
Maximilian? Reynaldo? Umberto? Sphinx? (those are the names that popped in to my head)
Oh he is so cute! Can’t wait to hear what his name will be!
Ooh! I love his little white splotchy nose! It looks like he’s been sticking his nosey nose in cream.
I can’t wait to hear what you name him!
Ooooh, he’s CUTE. We had 2 boy cats and they were the sweetest things EVAH.
Louie is the best name for a cat. :)
Hmmm. . . he looks almost Sassy in that last picture. Congratulations–sounds like you found a good one.
What a cutie!
And he is ADORABLE!!!
First of all, I am NOT a cat person and I dig that cat. He rocks.
The brave/stupid picture? Also rocks.
Finally, the suggestion to name him Boy George b/c he looks like he has eyeliner on? I second that. I totally thought he looked like he had eyeliner on too.
Good choice on el kitt-e’.
I kind of like the M idea. We have a cat named Matthew. It’s a good cat name, I think. Or Micah. But what popped into my head when I saw him was Christopher.
So cute. Love his nose! Too funny about the dining room table, hopefully he will learn manners soon. hehe
I can’t wait to hear his name.
Bosco
Fred
Newk (new kitty…)
Ooh, he’s lovely!
That funny face is full of character! Name-wise, my first thought was Marble(s) because his coat is all marble-y.. but I could jump on that Boy George idea, he looks like he could be a Georgie:)
Adorable! Love the white spot on his nose and the patterns on his fur.
OMG do I love this cat. Love his markings, he very clear “I’m here” personality, and the way the white goes up over his nose. You’re going to have so much fun with him! @mocomom :-)
So, so pretty. What a fun addition to your family! Love it!
What a sweetheart! He sounds like he has a great disposition for your family. Congrats!
AWESOME!!! He is very regal and tolerant…I think his name should begin with MISTER for sure…………… congrats!
Your new addition is so pretty! I love his stripes.
Years ago, I baby-sat for some people who had named their cat Coucher. He was a most excellent feline…and this comes from a human who is, admittedly, a Dog Person.
He’s beautiful! I wish we could get a cat, but my husband is allergic to them — sneezing, runny eyes/nose, the whole works. Sigh.
What a handsome kitty! He really is an exceptionally handsome cat.
OHHH…What a great find!! He is super SUPER cute and those are my favorite kind of markings!
I hope New Kitty becomes a member of the family in no time!
I’m not even a cat person and think he’s beautiful. Enjoy him!
He’s wonderful!! I have to say, I’m kind of rooting for him to be a bit on the not-so-bright side. Living with smart cats is very inconvenient!
Oh SWISTLE! He is just GORGEOUS!!!! And I’ve been having a horrid day and he made me SMILE!!!!
He reminds me of hot cocoa with a large dollop of whipped cream. So yummy!
Wow, I don’t think he his funny looking—he is gorgeous!!
I also like the George suggestion, but my first thought with the naming was to reference the white splotch on his nose. Could be so many things! Kilo! Cupcake (frosting)! Or maybe not…
ZOMG, Squeeeee!!! Call him Bert, as in Englebert Humperdinck, that cat is SOOO a Bert. And he’s gorgeous!
I LOVE HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m not usually a cat person, but he’s totally won me over too! I love the (dare I say “fate”) of you asking to get to know him AND having the cat carrier w/ you! Also the pics of him balancing on the railing and staring up w/ the spot on his nose are fantastic! I love his spotted nose. What an adorable little guy. And I agree – his coloring is beautiful! Perhaps he has some bengal in him?
I’m lousy at pet names. I over-think it and try to be too original. So, I won’t leave any suggestions.
Oh, so handsome! His markings are so pretty. I think he looks like a Charlie. Not that you asked.
Aw I love his face! It looks almost egyptian, what with the eyeliner lines going off the sides of his eyes. Perhaps something like Anubis or Thor or Ra or some other Goa’uld from Stargate…I mean Egyptian God.
He’s a cutes, I want to give him loves and pet that milk he seems to have gotten stained on his nose.
Ah! So cute! With the little feet, and the whiskers! V glad that he feels so comfortable with you all already – definitely a good sign.
Dear Swistle,
Your new cat is ADORABLE. A few years ago we had to put down our tiger stripe kitty, Ranger. He’d gotten a cyst/tumor and we could no longer treat it. It was heartbreaking.
We’d adopted him as a stray in our neighborhood. He had a very similar temperament to what you describe for ‘new kitty’. A few years after we’d claimed him as our own, we discovered he had most likely been left behind when relatives of some friends of ours had moved – they had looked for him, but you know cats. He’d run off and they had to leave.
I suggest a naming contest. And I shall starts with Toodles. What? It just came to me.
My cats welcome your new kitty. They hope he learns to rule the domain with poise, cunning, and enough cuteness to keep the humans fooled!
I’m so glad that the kitty found a forever home today with you :-)
oh, LOVE! LOVE LOVE LOVE! must not go to pet shelter must not go to pet shelter must not go to pet shelter. he is such a pretty, brave/stuipd boy! excited to learn his eventual name :-)
Like everyone else, I love your cat on sight. Man I want a cat but I can’t have one cause my kid’s allergic and she has asthma.
(silently cries in her coffee)
What about Hank or Henry. I know that’s one of your kids’ pseudonym but it’s a cool name, nonetheless.
That or Nigel.
He’s so handsome. I love his markings!
He’s beautiful! I wish I was allowed pets in my flat, though I’d go for rats rather than cats. I think you should name him Toot. Short for Tootencatmoon.
I like Frank, myself. The last picture where he’s like ‘What?’ made me think Frank. Then again, our cat is called Gumbo, so what do I know?
I think a name beginning with M is appropriate. Because of the very distinct M on his forehead. :D
Congrats on the new addition!
He looks just perfect for you! I thought of Dash immediately given the white dash on his nose-I see another commenter also suggested it. Best wishes!
Oh, he’s beautiful! And he sounds like a total sweetheart. Great choice!
Fun fact: If he ever has to be shaved (like for surgery or anything), you’ll discover that his skin is striped, too. One of the coolest things I learned from my tabby cat.
Oh, yay! He is gorgeous! I love that marbelized pattern in his fur.
Are you going to have a naming contest? (hint, hint) :)
P.S. I love that you called him a “parcel.”
He looks AWESOME! I love boy cats they are so lovable and usually have the silliest personalities. Congratulations!
Oh, he looks very sweet. I know you’re glad to have him! Can’t wait to find out his name. Did he have a previous name at the shelter?
Here’s another idea: Kit Carson, kind of a play on kitty and then you would have the choice of calling him either Kit or Carson.
LOVE HIM! the big “M on his forehead just cries out for an M name… so, what’s he called? did I miss that part/
BTW have missed reading your blog- will be better, promise.
Linda
He’s gorgeous! Congrats! Murgatroyd. I love that name for s kitty. Or Pyewackit. Yes, I know they’re weird, but I like ’em. :) I want a kitty, too, but I’d have to have it declawed for my own health (kitty scratches are really bad news for me), which I’m not sure I like the idea of. I mean, it’d leave the poor kitty defenseless against the neighbor’s irritating dog!
Oh! I want that kitty! I think you should name him Steve.
He is cute!!
I’m a dog person, but he sure is cute!
Kittah! So cute.
He is soooo pretty! Congrats on the addition. Dang it, I want a cat. I do!
Such a beautiful cat!!! Love love love him!! I miss my two cats so much. I finally had to take them to the shelter because my husband was suffering so badly (the allergist about had a hissy fit when he found out we had two cats that I wouldn’t get rid of).
Love him good for me! Call him Cuckoo for that stunt on the railing.
Ooo, I love him. I shall pretend he is my cat that just lives at your house, since I cannot have a cat due to allergic people (bah).
Oh, do tell us his name soon!
He’s so pretty! Every time you talk about cats I want to run to a shelter and pick one up. I’m allergic but I’m trying to convince myself that it’s just an inconvenience – you know, pesky breathing.
he is a very handsome cat. Have fun picking a name!!!
Tabbies rule! Congrats and good luck with the tabby shenanigans that will ensue. :)
SQUEEEEE! I luf heem! He looks just like my Arlo, just a bit smaller and with the white spot on his nose. People always comment on his markings, which I guess are “classic tabby” markings even though it’s less common (I think mackerel is what most tabbies are). Sounds like his personality will be a great fit, too. I’m all geeked up for you – yay!
What a cutie! When you find a cat that can handle kids running everywhere, you know he’s a keeper!
He’s a cutie!
Do you name alone or let the kids do it? I’d love to hear what they choose!
He is SUPER cute and I’m not a cat person at all – so he MUST be adorable!
Follow this if you can: all the talk of eyeliner makes me think of the guy who plays Richard on LOST. (He looks like he’s wearing eye makeup b/c of his natural coloring and lots of viewers call him “guyliner”) ANYWAY, the actor’s name is Nestor Carbonell – hence, “Nestor” as my suggestion.
Shoeaddict- I’m not sure! This is our first new cat since we had kids. I’m hoping we come to a consensus, but I’d say it’s probably my choice in the end.
Okay, he has an M emblazoned on his forehead, yes? I vote for an M name.
Mephistopheles, perhaps? :P
Oooh… PRETTY!
Beautiful kitty! Congratulations!
Oh, yay! Congrats. A new cat is such fun. Can’t wait to hear what kind of name you all come up with.
I find pet naming to be great fun, almost as much fun as baby naming. But I guess it really is nicer than baby naming, because you get to do it more often and over a longer period of time. And you don’t have to worry about the pet’s psychological trauma if you choose the WRONG name.
Suggestions from my children (don’t you like it when people take a real question and ask their CHILDREN for answers?):
Ladybug: Ginger. (She doesn’t care that it’s a boy cat.)
Titan: Tiger!
Daffodil: Tigery!
Pip: Can I put it in my mouth?
My thought was something dashing like “Freidrich.” Which is a cool name unless you break it up and get “fried rich.”
I suppose I’ll just stop now since this comment didn’t even start out helpful, and has gone downhill from there.
He is perfect! SO cute! And that coloring! So unique! I love the white around his nose especially. Congratulations!
He’s a real Captain Personality, isn’t he?
He also totally looks like a Boris.
Very cute :) He looks like a cat that is made for a house with 5 pretty young kids! He’ll rule your house before too long.