How A Male Got A Ticket To Live At The Little White House
A Cat Post
So I've noticed that readers usually like my cottage, but most of all they love my cats!
J'ai remarqué que mes lecteurs aiment bien mon cottage, mais ils adorent mes chats!
I thought I should every now and then tell you a little more about them.
J'ai donc pensé qu'un petit article pour apprendre à mieux les connaître vous plairait.
Disclaimer: because this post is about how I met cat #1, the pictures are from his first and second year on the Earth, in our previous "cottages". I'm sorry about the bad quality of the pictures and the awful state of the said cottages... I wasn't a blogger then! But the cat is doing its best to steal the show, anyway!
Petite annonce: Cet article est agrémenté de vieilles photos du chat numéro 1. Je n'avais pas de blog à l'époque, les photos ne sont pas terribles, la maison jamais rangée, mais le chat est mignon tout plein!
Several years ago, I was a teacher in a very difficult suburb of Paris. One of my colleagues just had kittens and didn't know what to do with them. I had lost my childhood dogs several weeks ago...
Il y a plusieurs années, j'enseignais dans un coin pas facile de la région parisienne. Une de mes collègues venait d'avoir des chatons et ne savait pas qu'en faire...
After lots of hesitations, I told her I would adopt one of the kittens if there was a female. My childhood dog had been a female and somehow I could only imagine myself being the owner of a female furry companion.
Après bien des hésitations, je lui ai dit que si elle avait une femelle dans la portée, je voulais bien l'adopter. Le chien de mon enfance avait été une femelle et je ne sais pas pourquoi, je n'envisageais absolument pas d'adopter un mâle.
The next day, she arrived at school telling me there was only one female in the litter and that she would give it to me the next week, as right now she was too young.
Le lendemain, ma collègue arrive en me disant qu'il n'y avait qu'une femelle dans la portée et qu'elle me l'amènerait une semaine plus tard, quand elle serait sevrée.
I spent the week doing what everybody sane and sensible would have done: I bought a pink litter, a pink travel box, some pink bowls, a collar with pink roses on it. And of course I made a never-ending list of names I would love for a female.
J'ai donc passé la semaine à faire ce que tout être parfaitement raisonnable aurait fait: j'ai acheté une litière rose, une caisse de transport rose, des gamelles roses et un collier avec des petites roses dessus. Et surtout, j'ai fait une liste d'une page de prénoms féminins envisageables.
I finally decided on "Darla" as it was the name of a character in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, the show that taught me English and therefore, the show to which I owed the job I had at the time! Plus it was supposed to be from "Darling", which I thought was adorable!
Je me suis finalement décidée pour "Darla", un nom qui apparaissait dans Buffy, la série qui m'avait appris l'anglais et à laquelle je devais donc mon boulot de l'époque.
At the end of the week, my colleague delivered a furry little thing to me in a shoebox!
A la fin de la semaine, une boule de poil est arrivée dans une boîte à chaussures.
That first evening, I was like "Darla here" and "Darla there" and "Darla don't" and "Good girl" every ten seconds. She never seemed to be afraid of me or of the apartment. She felt right at home and played all evening with absolutely everything.
J'ai passé cette première soirée à appeler "Darla" par là, "Darla" par ci, juste pour le plaisir de tester ce nom. Darla n'avait d'ailleurs l'air d'être effrayée ni par moi ni par l'appartement: elle s'est tout de suite sentie en confiance et elle jouait avec absolument tout!
When she finally felt tired (way after I got tired), she began crawling on me and at some point, when she crawled down from my chest to my lap... I noticed two little BALLS under her tail!
Quand elle a ressenti la fatigue (longtemps après moi!), elle a commencé à m'escalader. Et lors de la descente de mes épaules vers mes genoux, que vois-je? Deux petites boules sous la queue...
I think you already guessed that I didn't bring "her" back to my colleague. "Her" name just got changed to a more masculine "Chat" and then "Shadow" and he kept all the pink things I had bought!
Je pense que vous avez deviné que je n'ai pas ramené "Darla" chez ma collègue. Son nom a juste été changé en urgence en "Chat", puis "Shadow" et il a gardé tous ses petits accessoires roses!
We've lived many adventures together since then and I never regretted the decision to keep him. There was only one thing I was sure of: if I ever had an other cat (which was highly unlikely), it would be a female!
Depuis, nous avons vécu de très nombreuses aventures ensemble et je n'ai jamais regretté de l'avoir gardé. Mais j'étais sûre d'une chose: dans l'hypothèse très improbable où j'aurais un autre chat, ce serait une fille, cette fois!
So what do you think? Was it the right decision to keep him?
Alors, qu'en pensez-vous? Ai-je bien fait de le garder?
I'm sharing my story with:
Good Morning Magali,
ReplyDeleteTomcats have some advantages: They don´t try to teach their young (i..e you) how to hunt mice, which includes bringing them inside the house alive! They are even more cuddly. And as cats are colour-blind they won´t mind a pink litter or pink collar (as long as you dont want them to wear it. If you do, they will mind, regardless of the colour). Have a nice sunday (and think of the colour of your bracelet. Pink?)
Yours Sarah
That is too funny. Didn't she know how to tell the difference? Glad you kept him he looks very comfortable with you.
ReplyDeleteToo funny! SAME thing happened with one of my cats, although he didn't start out as my cat. He was my sister's and she didn't know Sally was a boy until the vet called to tell her they were going to neuter him instead of spay her...lol. so, Sally kept his name and he lived at her house until she built her new house and there were no trees around for him to climb and jump on the roof....his favorite place. So....he moved next door to my house because he could get on my roof and he has been here for 5 years. I definitely think you made the right decision to keep your beautiful boy!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Vicky
awww so sweet!! Love the first photo!!!! and yes, of course you were right to keep him. He looks a lot like my cat Eloise. Max is the first male cat I've owned and he is EXTREMELY ENERGETIC. Way more energetic than any of my female cats ever were. But he's the cutest thing I've ever seen - good thing! lol
ReplyDeletexox
I just happened on your blog from another blog. I love cats! A photo of the cat lounging on the balcony railing prompted me to share a cautionary tale. I live in Florida and went through a terrible experience with a friend of mine. They lived at the beach and had a two story house with a railing that went around the porch on the second floor. The cat always sunned there, just as in your photo. As he got a little older, his balance wasn't what it once was (even cats age) and he fell off one day. He actually broke his tale which caused him to lose all sense of balance (it had to be removed). The cat just did not do well after that. Please be careful and perhaps consider not letting him lie on the edge of the balcony railing. My own personal experience with this is that my own cat (who loved to sunbathe on our diving board for many, many years) actually did fall in one day. Fortunately, I saw it! I learned my lesson. You just cannot be too careful.
ReplyDeleteOh yes for sure it was the right decision! My Charlie kitty owns my heart! I always wanted female cats but when I met him, I melted!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a funny story, Magali. He is so pretty with a lot of personality, so it was a good idea. I also loved the way you learned English!
ReplyDeleteWe have a two cats with androgynous names that we adopted from a friend. We adopted them as siblings, but we thought they were brother and sister. We talked to one like it was a girl for two months! Apparently, sometimes when kitties are very small it can take time for that part of the male to show, and since we were inexperienced, we missed it.
What a good thing you don't have a balcony in Brittany!
ReplyDeleteI love cats! just love them, I tend to love the male cats :) I think you were ment to have him! and I am sure he is head over heals in love with you, as you are with him :) loved this post!
ReplyDeleteOf course, we are very much in love with each others and he's very jealous!
DeleteI think it's great to keep him. Such a sweet cat. they all need love and bring so much happiness to our lives.
ReplyDeleteThat's the thing, I tend to keep them all! Fortunetaly, as I live in the counrtyside, most of them are just coming at the cottage to eat!
DeleteIl est vraiment mignon ton Shadow et toutes ses pauses de star m'amusent beaucoup !
ReplyDeleteOh, Magali, he is a "darling"! Love his adventuresome and mischief making spirit. I have a female named Peeka.
ReplyDeleteOh the devilment those two could raise! Great post.
Hugs,
Patti
Oh you definitely did the right thing keeping him. We used to have a rescue cat who had the misfortune of being called Charlie as he was thought to be a boy... she was a girl and blessed us with 23 years of her life! Xx
ReplyDeleteOh yes, absolutely, it was the right thing to keep him. I'm sure he's not disturbed by the pink accessories. :-) And what a beautiful cat! Shadow. We used to have a cat named Shadow too. :-)
ReplyDeleteChat is beautiful and looks like he can get into lots of adventures with you. I'm so glad that you kept him. They are great companions.
ReplyDeleteHave a terrific week and hope youa re feeling better.
Mary
Definitely! He is beautiful for sure! Interesting story about "buffy" too!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you kept him, he looks like quite the character! Must say I do not do well with heights and that pic with him outside on the railing nearly did me in! Doesn't even seem to bother him one bit. :)
ReplyDeleteThere was a time when I only wanted a white pet, preferably female. Fast forward and my daughter bought a pure black male pup who is the love of my life. When it comes to pets, it matters not what sex they are, what color they are, how old they are, or how big they are. It matters that they ARE.
ReplyDeleteHe's beautiful, and he loves you. That's all that matters.
Oh my you couldn't do anything but keep him, he was already in your heart. Shadow is adorable and so reminds me of a cat we lost, Baxter. Love the coloring on him and those eyes would melt anyone. I lean toward female pets also, but our Bo, a male was the best dog we ever had. We lost him last year and his spirit is still missed.
ReplyDeleteI remember the sad day when you lost Bo. Shadow is a male, but we go along very well, so I guess we shouldn't be prejudiced!
DeleteCats are ment to be loved and hugged, my children seem to think, regardless "boy or girl cat". As long as they will sleep on the childrens' belly in front of the television, and as long as they "apport" little Lego and other stuff, they are OK cats :-)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, all of our cats were found somewhere on the street and in a poor state, and the kids transformed them into happy residents (and often rulers!) of our home :-) It is a good thing you kept him, he looks very happy! Marcy
One of the reasons I kept him is I knew the mother cat had left my colleague's house and I knew my colleague didn't want to buy kitten milk.. I already felt sorry for the kitten, who is now a well fed adult cat!
DeleteMagali, I laughed and laughed!!! Two little balls! I had the SWEETEST male cat years ago....His name was Stud, which was ridiculous, because he had the tiniest balls I'd ever seen on a cat and he was such a lover! And such a baby! I think he was supposed to be a girl. =D
ReplyDeleteGreat story! Glad you kept...uh..Darla. :)
xoxo
-andi
I am a definite "dog" person and my husband is a definite"cat" person. I have always had dogs until finally several years ago I gave in to having a cat. Now we have both cats and dogs. They are amusing and loving companions. I bet you have a "ball" with yours. Tabbies have such sweet faces and are known for their love of all things pink :>)))
ReplyDeleteUwww, I am so jealous of people that does not have cat allergies that I want to kick them, just a little bit. The people that is, not the cats of course.
ReplyDeleteWow! That kick hurt! If it's any consolation, I also have a couple of not so nice allergies, like chemicals used in renovation by plumbers, milk, some raw vegetables... But cats are OK!
DeleteHow lovely to come across your blog via Southern Fascinations.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'd have kept Darla/Shadow, pink accouterments and all!
Definitely the right decision. When I got Miss Twiggley, my cat, I was determined to get a male kitten, I even had a name picked out...and then when I went to the breeders I saw her and fell in love. She is wonderful, so male or female it really doesn't matter cats are all wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHe's precious!! A wonderful, fun personality! I have a cat named Skittles (actually son's) He's a biggie! AKA.....Tank or Mr. Pickles! Blessings~~~Roxie
ReplyDeleteBien sûr que tu as bien fait de le garder, pour moi ça ne pose pas de problème car je les fais tous opérer, alors, garçon ou fille, ça revient au même ou presque.
ReplyDeletePour mon premier chat tigré, je n'arrivais pas à voir si c'était un garçon ou une fille, alors en attendant mon ami véto, je parlais au chat en lui demandant si c'était un coquin ou une coquine ce qui a dérivé à un certain moment à dire cocaïne qui lui est resté comme nom ( et c'est un garçon avec un nom de fille) le deuxième chat est aussi un garçon & ressemble comme deux gouttes d'eau au tien, il s'appelle (encore un nom de fille) Morphine, puis vient une petite chatte qui s'appelle Opium une quatrième petite chatte qui s'appelle Aspro & un petit dernier qui a le nom qui se rapporte bien au fait que ce soit un garçon "Pepper".
Histoire de chat, histoire de chat, que du bonheur.
Bises. Babette
That is a fantastic story about Darla...oops, Shadow! That happened to my aunt where she thought she had a female cat and it turned out to be a male. ;-) I currently have two male cats and one female and I love each one of them so much for their own unique personality.
ReplyDeleteOf course, it was a good decision. I'm a cat owner for a year now and it was always my biggest dream. I wanted a female, too, and not the grey-striped one. But, guess so, I have a male and it looks just like that. So...I think people don't choose cats. Cats choose people!
ReplyDeleteYou're so right! They definitely choose me and all I can do is say "yes"!
DeleteThat is soooo funny Magali. Of course it was the right decision. I am a bit of a believer in fate so I think these things happen as they should. YOU two were meant for each other!!
ReplyDeleteohhh what a cutie great story i would have kept him too
ReplyDeleteI'm happy every single day that I kept him!
DeleteVery funny and you aren't the first to have this happen!
ReplyDeleteSweet story and of course you had to keep him! I have always found neutered males the cuddliest, sweetest kitties. But I love my little female too! Patty
ReplyDeleteShadow is darling! I see you are about as strict as I am about where the cat can investigate in the house:) Cats tend to have a "no rules" attitude.
ReplyDeleteHe so cute!! I'm glad you kept him. ~Angela~
ReplyDeleteHE is so handsome!!!! That little bit of orange around his mouth and on his belly. Cats are magical...they can woo your love within minutes, no matter if you do not want love.
ReplyDeleteI think they don't give up when you tell them "no" the first time.
DeleteI must tell you about one of my boy cats: his name was Toby. He got called Toby-Woby, Toby-one-kinobe, Toby-Toblerone, Tobes. He was 21 pounds, King of the neighbourhood, and extraordinarily handsome. He was at the SPCA and was 5 years old when he came into my life. He has since passed this life but his memory is in my heart.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about your cat, but you obviously have fond memories of him. I believe we can measure how much we love our pets by the number of silly names we give them. I'm not sure I can count the ones I use for my cats!
DeleteMy mother's name is Darla! I am glad you kept Shadow around. He looks like a sweetheart. I can only say this because my beloved Crème is in the other room, but I prefer female dogs and male cats. Female felines are the hunters and tend to be more restless, while the males are often big cuddle bugs when properly socialized. The only reason that we ended up with a female cat is that she seduced my husband. You can read that story here.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised that many readers told me females are hunters, because both my males are good hunters and bring me too many mice that they give me as if it were diamonds!
DeleteOf course it was right to keep him!But how come your colleague made such mistake?AriadnefromGreece!
ReplyDeleteOf course you had to keep him, how could you not. We had a beautiful tortoishell cat when I was young, who lived till she was 18, but now unfortunately I'm allergic to cats. My dog loves cats and I would love one, but I get the symptoms of a cold if I go into a house with a cat.
ReplyDeleteLovely post Magali !
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI am laughing so hard cause I know the "cat takeover behavior". SO cute.
monah
I
Shadow is absolutely darling and yes, it was the right decision. I'm sure you know that, though!
ReplyDeleteOf course it was. :-)
ReplyDeleteOnce we took a small bundle of fur with us from a farm in the Black Forest and called it Felix. Two weeks later, the Vet asked us, why we gave her a boys name... so Felix turned zu Jule. I always wanted a male cat. ;-)
After her, i had a Homer for almost 18 years till last Easter. Since last autumn, we have two little furry girls again, called Momo and Fussel. Finally it does not matter if male or female - the main thing is: little thing with fur and claws. ;-)
Greets, Katja
This post cracked me up. I'm a cat lover and also prefer females. Once they get in your heart, though, that's it! He does look like he's a keeper!
ReplyDeleteFunny! Shadow is gorgeous. When the 3 little kittens came in from the cold we waited anxiously to see who would develop 'pompoms'.
ReplyDeleteYes, of course, the right decision! He is a good lookin' boy! We had two cats years ago, both boys. I fell in love with my first cat the minute I saw him. He was really special. The other one turned out to be a little wacky, but we loved him, too! Your first photo is adorable! Cat photos are the best!
ReplyDeleteIt was a great decision! Such a handsome boy.
ReplyDeleteA very wise decision, he's a beauty and quite the performer I see!
ReplyDeleteOh My that picture of her sitting on the balcony railing. Cats are so brave aren't they. Love the picture of Darla in the flower pot. Cats are definitely entertaining.
ReplyDelete