This is Mila. She is a crazy, wild, funny, and weird cat. Mila is about one years of age. Mila has had at least three names. The first name she had was "Kitty" because well we didn't know what to call her yet. After a few weeks of calling her "Kitty," my dad started to call her "Girl." Which became her second name. Me and my step mom thought "Girl" was to basic and unoriginal so we decided to name her something else. Her final name that was set and couldn't be changed again, the decision was final, she was named "Mila." Naming animals is not an easy job. Especially a name that actually matches the animal.
With all of this being said, I'd like to share a poem with all of my followers. "The Naming of Cats" this poem is very relevant to what my family and I had to go through with naming Mila. We had to go through three different stages of naming her, till we found the name that fits her. I feel as if we have not found the perfect name "That no human research can discover--
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess." (Eliot)
"The Naming of Cats" - T.S. Eliot
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, 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.
Work Cited
Eliot, T.S. "The Naming of Cats." Famouspoetsandpoems.com N.p. n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014
Some cultures don't name their children at birth like we do; they wait to determine who the child is, what name belongs to them.
ReplyDeleteI like this post. I'm amazed that you found a poem that goes perfectly with what you posted; lucky. From what Ms. Farias said, I never knew that cultures named kids later after they're born, I only thought that would happen with pets only.
ReplyDeleteIt took my family and I a long time to find a name for our cat. It was like each name just didn't fit him and when we finally found one it was like the greatest accomplishment we had ever done! I can relate to this blog a lot.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I didn't get to name my cat because he already had a name. It seems like a pretty difficult process... but the name you picked for your cat is quite beautiful and original. Like Cirzabel said the poem and your blog really go with each other.
ReplyDeleteI always take the longest time naming my pets. It's just so important to me to find a name that perfectly suits the personality of the animal. Mila is such a cute cat. I love how you talked about the evolution of her name, as I relate to it a lot. My pets usually go through at least one other name before my family settles on one.
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