"It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." A.Holmes

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Maggie / Ralphie

Remember the kitten I wrote about a short while ago? I took her to the vets' last week for her shots and to schedule an appointment for spaying. I finally decided on a name, Maggie. A name denoting her magpie coloring. Her name suited her very well I thought. As she lolled around the vets' arms, purred through her shots and the exam the vet declared , " I think your cat needs a new name..she is a HE. Boy did I feel dumb. I never checked for the sex of my new kitten...doesn't matter much though, he will cost thirty dollars less to neuter than if he were a she and all I had to do was decide on a more suitable name. We have company this week! Our youngest son has crossed over the mountains to shoe a lot of horses in our area and he brought our oldest son's youngest daughter Little 'T' along with him. We get to have our youngest son and one of our granddaughters for a few days...joy! Here Little 'T' and another granddaughter , MN, hold my new kitten. This little guy is purr-fect for a home with grandchildren, other cats, dogs, and various joyous gatherings of people, animals, and all the noise and commotion they bring.
Just look at him. Would you put up with this if you had sharp claws and teeth?
We invited my husband's parents over for lunch with us, Little 'T' , and the new kitten. My husband's father loves cats, a LOT! He very much appreciated the kitten, and both of my husband's parents love spending time with Little 'T' I decided on a name that fit, I think. RALPHIE ! He just seems like a Ralph kind of cat...laid back, easy going. Plus, he entered our home around Christmas and one of our favorite Christmas movies is CHRISTMAS STORY which is told through the eyes of a boy named Ralphie..."you'll shoot your eye out..."
Oh Ralphie, I hope you continue to be so long-suffering, and I love you already!

24 comments:

LindaSue said...

I love the connection to Ralphie in the Christmas Story - and yes that is a beautiful little GUY - obviously he knows a good situation when he comes up on it! I'm almost envious - but we are keeping our pledge of No More Animals at the Buhl house (for now she whispers with an evil grin)
Long live Ralphie!

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Ralphie is perfect! I made the same mistake with Banjo/Bandit...because he wasn't more developed I thought his gender was female. Unfortunately, vets around here charge the same for males and females...a LOT!
Out of all the animals we lost last year, I bemoan and grieve for Bandit the most. He was so young, just a few months old, whereas the other animals were years and years old. Little Bandit just didn't have his chance at life but he's tugging at Jesus' robe now -smile-.

Anonymous said...

I love Ralphie's new name and he looks right at home! What a handsome little fellow he is. Enjoy your family time.

Susie said...

So cute Kathy! The new name is perfect. Love the first pic of Ralphie and little T.

The Tiquehunters Wife said...

Hello Kathy!
Yes! I agree, "Ralphie" fits your sweet boy perfectly!
How I miss having a cat around the house! In the past I've always had two or three--a special story for each one. Different season now--so I'll enjoy Ralphie through your eyes.
Have a wonderful day--with love from the Cabin,
Claudia O.

Connie said...

Ralphie is cute as can be, as are your granddaughters. Ralphie looks very patient too! :D

Anonymous said...

Purrfect name for an adorable kitten. Can't wait to meet her I mean him in a couple of weeks!

Love ya sis!

Joni

Wobegon Cottage said...

Wish I was there to take a turn at holding Ralphie and visiting with all of you. Especially because it is so bitterly cold here for the next few months.

Julie Harward said...

Ralphie is a perfect name for a perfectly darling cat..he is so very cute! And he is patient and sweet, just perfect! Come say hi :D

Eggs In My Pocket said...

Oh, your little grandgirl is so cute! I had to laugh when I read your mistake about the gender.......when our children were small.....and the children's movie Toy Story was big, we had a litter of 4 kittens, one was named Matilda. We took them all in to be "fixed" and to get shots. The vet called our home to inform us that Matilda was not a female....after they had already cut the cat open to spay. So the children named the cat Buzz, after Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story and we had him for many years. It was just funny that the vet did not know the gender until after cutting the cat! Ralphie is just adorable!blessings,Kathleen

Vickie said...

Love HIS name! Ralphie - perfect for this time of year!

I also love the black dot by his nose!

Deb said...

What an adorable post! I found you through Julie and noticed the pic of sweet Ralphie (love the name & movie Christmas Story too) :-)
Looks like Ralphie is very happy in his new home ♥

Debbie said...

I can't help laughing at the expression on Ralphie's face while in the embrace of little T. He must be a great lover to allow that kind of hugging! Ok, he's a keeper. I'm not great at sexing young cats either. Oh well....I'm sure you are enjoying the impromptu visit. That little T is a cutie and seems to charm all.
Debbie

Anonymous said...

Oh Kathy~~I love this story and can so relate to it!
First of all I love both names given to Maggie/Ralphie, you can also call him MR for short~~lol!

When we went to adopt our kitten Bella, last April, this same mistake was made. The 1st kitten we chose was named, had Advantage applied to it & then it was discovered that she was a he! I was determined on a girl kitty, so we made the switch at the last minute.
LOVE your family photos and your Little T is just so beautiful...patient Ralphie too!

Hugs,
Lynn♥

~Let FREEDOM Ring!~

Anna Colleen said...

I'm sorry that we thought that he was a girl. That is a nice name.

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

What a sweet and humorous story about the kitten. He sure is pretty and your grandchild is so cute. Glad you and the family could get together. I loved this story about the kitten.

Leslie said...

Any cat that will relax and let a small child dangle him from her arms is priceless. He makes a cute boy or girl. I really like the name Ralphie, it suits him perfectly :) Enjoy your special time with family!

noble pig said...

Okay that's funny, I'm sure you had a laugh about yourself. Such beautiful markings on Ralphie.

Anonymous said...

He is adorable! What a sweet guy :)

Stickhorsecowgirls said...

I'm loving Ralphie too! Looks like a mellow little fellow! V.

The Little Red Shop said...

How sweet! What a beautiful kitty. Ralphie is an excellent name!

Happy New Year!

: )

Julie M.

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed catching up on your blog!

Amy

Mary said...

The sappiest of my barn cats are the boys. They beg to be loved. Mr. Ralphie seems to be no different. He looks very loved, especially by the grand-daughters.

Jennifer said...

What a beautiful cat, I love the way he is colored. Ralphie is a very cute name for him.