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Captain Crunch asked in PetsCats · 1 decade ago

The Naming of Cats?

In an effort to help people with new cats in their care concerning what to name their companion I submit this

by TS Eliot;

The Naming of Cats

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,

It isn't just one of your holiday games;

You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter

When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.

First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,

Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,

Such as Victor or Jonathan, or George or Bill Bailey -

All of them sensible everyday names.

There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,

Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:

Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter -

But all of them sensible everyday names.

But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,

A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,

Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,

Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?

Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,

Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,

Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum -

Names that never belong to more than one cat.

But above and beyond there's still one name left over,

And that is the name that you never will guess;

The name that no human research can discover -

But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.

When you notice a cat in profound meditation,

The reason, I tell you, is always the same:

His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation

Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:

His ineffable effable

Effanineffable

Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

Update:

He did know them well Debi.

In fact he wrote a whole book about them titled "Old Possum's book of Practical Cats" which was made into a great musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber.

Here is the original version written by Eliot;

http://coral.lili.uni-bielefeld.de/Classes/Summer9...

4 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    I think you have to have an idea of what that particular cats personality is all about. I have one cat named kitten because she is "kitten size" but I also call her "Sweet Cheeks" because that's how she squint's and puffs up her cheeks. We had a Turkish Van, long white hair(28lbs) I called Senator, because he looked and acted like an old senator!! We have "Melanie Rose" has only one eye(20 lb'r) that I also call the one-eyed terrorist!

  • Debi
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    I love that. It's so true.

    TS Elliot was obviously a man who knew his cats.

    The naming of cats is a matter of time

    not something that's done in a trice

    you may think you have found it but go on to find

    that on later reflection it's not very nice.

    there are cats that confound you with veiled contempt

    and cats you can almost see laugh

    at your earnest but feeble attempts

    for cats have no keepers just staff.

    So when you end with a Spott Butt

    or a Dreaded White Crite

    Don't grin when you say it

    It's probably right.

  • 1 decade ago

    One of my cats' real name is Jinx, other name is burnt sausage and third name is Jinx the demon ninja sausage cat!

    Shes also a parrot cos loves being on shoulders and toilet cat cos she loves watchin it flush

    lol

  • 1 decade ago

    Aww, and the music to the play (made from his poems) is lovely too!

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