PDA

View Full Version : The things people call cats.


Snoof
10-05-2006, 06:25 PM
During the 3 years I lived in America, I had a big black cat. He'd been thrown out of a car as a kitten, and the woman who saw it happen and nursed him back to health worked all the time so she felt it would be fairer to give him to me (as I stayed at home all day). He was the single soppiest cat I have known to date, and I named him Dishrag because the second you picked him up he would drape himself across you :lol: He was the sweetest little guy, and always treated with love and respect.

I was told by a few people that it was a "cruel" name and that I was an awful person for calling him it. One woman came into my own home, met my cat (my mother-in-law brought her in) and had a half-hour rant at me about it.

Similarly, in Dutch, an animal (usually, for this term, a dog) of mixed race is an animal of "vuilnisbakkenras" (bin-race, literally). Some people think it's cruel if you call an animal this.

And finally, I occasionally call my pets names that would not be acceptable among humans, but affectionately.

I would argue that intent and tone of voice are the only things the animals are aware of, and that it doesn't matter if some word might be an insult to humans as they have no grasp on the entire vocabulary of any given human language.

However, it is to some extent true that language shapes society - but as this pertains directly to the person using the terms (and as any children raised by that person will pick up the behaviours rather than form their own based on the words used) I don't think that applies here.

Thoughts?

Hreow
10-05-2006, 08:39 PM
It's all the animal is aware of, I'd agree. I'd choose my language to protect the ears and dignity of those in my surroundings, though. :-) I don't think it is cruel to call an animal anything; They don't know. As long as they are treated well, spoken to softly when they're good and firmly when doing something you won't allow (not that they *care* but for the distinction) they'll be perfectly happy. Sticks and stones, I guess, and no pet feelings to hurt by mere words.
People use derogative terms to mates as well as... oh, I don't know "terms of endearment" (koosnaampjes). It's all in the tone. (And again, I suppose, the surroundings understanding the difference and not calling the police.)

Snoof
10-05-2006, 09:28 PM
:lol:

Well, I call Matt "monkeyface" and have strangely been looked at angrily for calling Ninja my Monkeykitty. It's not like I use these terms in an angry or derogatory tone of voice - apparently simply the word is offensive even though Ninja doesn't know the difference.

Donna
10-05-2006, 10:25 PM
I once worked with someone (who I hated) who had a jet black cat. He used to laugh and joke about the name he had decided upon for his cat. I cannot put it on here as it is very racist, and it did annoy me that he found it very amusing.

I think even though the cat has no idea of what a name means, it can be offensive for anyone overhearing it or being aware of it.

Snoof
10-05-2006, 11:14 PM
Whoa, Donna. That doesn't sound very nice at all :(

I don't think a pet name should ever be used to insult anyone - but I don't think "Dishrag" could possibly insult anyone :? whereas if the man you mentioned called his cat what I think he called him, he's just being a racist **** (substitute stars for pretty much any rude four-letter word you fancy) and using the cat to insult black people.

dandysmom
11-05-2006, 01:58 AM
Donna, I'm assuming that you're referring to what we here in the States call "the N word". When I was about 8 or 9, we went to visit my aunt who had a large black cat called "N**". My Mom, bless her, didn't have a racist bone in her body, & told me if I ever used that word she'd wash my mouth out with soap!!! Mind you, this was in the late thirties!! When discrimination was very common!! My Mom was a wonderful woman...always feel a little sad aroubd Mothers Day. What a horrible person that man must be:cry:

Hreow
11-05-2006, 08:37 AM
But he's using the name to be unpleasant to other people - specifically to get at others. Surely that's not the same as calling your cat monkeykitty (or worse) in a loving voice? Same way "Dear" can be very loving, but also very patronising, depending on the intentions of the speaker.

Julie84
11-05-2006, 10:34 AM
Have I missed something? How can Monkeykitty be offensive? Murphy is often called Stupid by my OH because of his very silly behaviour - but in a loving way, everyone loves him for his silly, and very amusing ways.

As Hreow says if a name is a way of insulting someone else, or some other group of people, then it is very wrong and would also be an insult towards that animal.

I often refer to my rats as vermin - but I don't find the term vermin offensive and anyone who might be offended or disapproving normally doesn't like rats in the first place so the battle is normally lost before it has begun. I don't see how people could specifically take offense from most names though - maybe I'm missing something?

I think some animals are easier to name than others though. When I was about 8 we got a family dog, a black labrador, and while we were waiting for him to grow up to leave his mummy we all thought of names for him. I really wanted to call him Blacky (because he was black!) but my dad didn't think it would be appropriate to shout Blacky across the park when he went for walks! :oops: In the end, my brother named him - Zach, after the black Power Ranger in his favourite tv show! :roll:

Regarding the 'N' word. My teenage sister listens to a lot of music by black people who seem to refer to themselves and each other by all these offensive terms (such as the N word) in their songs. Who is actually being offended by the use of the word? (Me being naive here I think! :oops: )

Snoof
11-05-2006, 12:05 PM
Well, on occasion I have referred to him as "my lovely little bag of b***ards" or similar...

I also call the rats vermin :-) In fact, on my website they are called "the coalition of rodent vermin" :lol:

Julie84
11-05-2006, 12:35 PM
But I don't find that offensive at all really. It's not something that you are going to shout out over the garden fence after him is it?!

Snoof
11-05-2006, 05:37 PM
No, I only do that to Matt :-D

Uhhh...

Joking :lol:

Hreow
11-05-2006, 06:33 PM
There is a certain joy in shouting nasty words after your dear little...cat in a nice voice, but in a language no-one in the area speaks. :-) Have two obscure languages, working on the third. :-D
Not tried shouting after better half. Yet.

Julie84
12-05-2006, 10:07 AM
No, I only do that to Matt :-D

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I expect the people over the fence, down the road and round the corner can hear everything I call Neil when we have an argument! :oops:

carternm31
12-05-2006, 10:48 AM
My parents had a cat called 'frisky' and a black dog called digger, who always seemed to have a 'N' put in front of that.

Unfortunatly my dad is very racist, however i am not, and i dont think that word insults coloured people anymore. Like some one has already said, they all refer to themselves as that. My friend at school, her nickname was Nigz and she had no issues with anyone calling her that (she was brazillian)

Even now till this day that is her nickname!

caddy_dabby
06-08-2006, 11:48 PM
I call my cats various names when they have done soething silly or a little bit naughty. I dont say it in a way that is meant to upset them. I say it in babytalk whilst giving them a fuss though if people heard they probally would think im being nasty.
My furbabes dont care, they dont answer to their real names anyway. The only thing they do answer to is a sachet of meat or a bag of biscuits being shaken.
As long as the words used are not offensive to people I cannot see a problem. The one mentioned above which was being used as a racist coment is wrong and them I dont agree with.
Dishrag I think is a really cute name to be honest and do not fully understand why soeone can be offended with that.

dandysmom
07-08-2006, 02:00 AM
As to the N word, it's still highly offensive to African Americans here in the States. They do use it among themseves but is definitely considered a racial slur coming from anyone else. I agree that Dishrag is a cute name!

dinahsmum
07-08-2006, 12:00 PM
I'm having great difficulty in not calling Chester Watson. Watson was my soft old tabby and white and Chester seems to have a lot of his characteristics - it's not as if they look very similar. :?
Anyone else have trouble rmemebering their cats' names? - *shuffles off, muttering to self*

Naomi
07-08-2006, 03:08 PM
My very first cat was a ginger and white female called Suicide Phil. She was the only cat I knew who never landed on her feet and had a permanent deathwish. The amount of times I had to grab her by her tail to stop her going up the chimney was nobodies business :roll:

dandysmom
07-08-2006, 05:49 PM
That was a cute anecdote! Just our of curiosity, what happened to Suicide Phil???

Naomi
08-08-2006, 03:31 PM
She went back up to my parents place cos she was jealous of our daughter as a baby. Not entirely sure what happend to her but we think she got run over :(

Elvisisboss
26-09-2006, 12:17 AM
my cats called Elvis!
my freinds has his brother he was called homer, but now they jsut call him 'oi' because his such a naughty lillte cat thats all they ever said to it!

i also call my cat smelly! he doesnt smell and i say it in a nice way! people should mind there own business what you call your animal, if we said humans names were stupid there would be alot of moaning about that!

there was this little girl (human) in my mag a few weeks ago called Twinkle and one called wednesday!

id rather them for cats names than human names!

John
21-10-2006, 08:53 PM
I used to go sailing with someone, quite well of.had a collie cross from a rescue centre.he loved it dearly..the dogs name was .. Dog ..the dog did not mind what it was called so long as it was well looked after

john

Darky
29-06-2007, 02:09 PM
Sounds to me like some people are just ridiculous and over-sensitive.

Calling any pet or person something particularly offensive due to hateful/prejudice origin is, in my opinion.. Idiotic, pointless and, appropriately, offensive.

However, I do not know a single person that doesn't mock their pet in some way with amusing little nicknames (my parents are quite rude when it comes to this), because it's loving and about the pet and the pet alone, not harming people around the pet.

I refer to Honey as 'Monster' and our cat Spike is generally referred to as 'Lard Cat', 'Fat Bloke', etc.

Jac
29-06-2007, 02:24 PM
Gosh this is an old thread!!! Half the people dont come here any more.

Darky
29-06-2007, 02:49 PM
Doesn't mean that a debate can't go on though, surely.

dandysmom
29-06-2007, 04:27 PM
Indeed not, Darky! I see you're having fun going thru some of the old posts...it's interesting to re-read them, and Jac is right, a lot of the posters are long gone....wonder why?

Darky
29-06-2007, 05:05 PM
Well, I'm not used to a forum that has 'old posts' on the first page of sections, so I don't usually notice that they're old. XD

charliebubs
29-06-2007, 07:18 PM
It is an old thread!!! Hee hee!!!

I call Abi "muppet" sometimes - as she's just loopy. Not at all in an offensive way tho (of course), but I'm sure some people would be offended if I called them a muppet!! :)

tilly
29-06-2007, 07:20 PM
I call my cats funny nicknames as well and they don't seem to care one bit. I have listed them below.
Tilly
Fluffy Knicker
Squidge
Cookoo (sp) features
Twit face
Buster
Mr Piggy
buster wooby
Snooby
Oooby


I forgot muppet!!

Sally

Jac
29-06-2007, 07:33 PM
Well, I'm not used to a forum that has 'old posts' on the first page of sections, so I don't usually notice that they're old. XD

Probably because your used to forums with high member numbers Darky.
Were a relatively new forum that's only been going for a couple of years. If you look under the post it will show you the date it was started.

dandysmom
29-06-2007, 07:51 PM
Leia's nicknames are Girl Cat and Princess .......

sillylilykitty
03-08-2007, 06:50 PM
I call Lily lots of names. Lily poo, Diddy, Diddy poo, and one of my personal favorites, Stinker! I think as long as your intentions are good then you can call your cat almost anything (some words in my opinion are too bad to be anything good).

babycakes
05-08-2007, 08:06 PM
I agree. Denis is called everything from monkey, Beautiful kitten,(he's 3) mummys baby and The Dentist

Hollybrigden
09-05-2008, 11:23 PM
Try not to worry. Some people in this world are complete idiots, downright weird...I get it all the time and feel dismayed that they're the ones who are usually the most popular or successful in things! It's not you though, I think dishrag's a cute name.

Phoenix
23-05-2008, 02:03 PM
Beauty's nicknames are sugar pie, gorgeous girl, Bootiful, beautiful girl, precious treasure.