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| Our first Vancouver cat - Gaticuchi |
Because I have now written 6276 blogs, including this one (seen below), I
forget many of them. Today I decided I wanted to write about the fact that I
call my cats Niño and Niño, “Niñomuchi and his sister Niñamuchi.” I also vary with Niñomuchipas and Niñamuchipas.
Even though Rosemary is no longer around I do sometimes say, “Niñomuchi y Niñamuchi es hora de la cama con Mamuchi y yo.”
Rosemary inherited the name I called my mother, Mamuchi.
For me, since am constantly comparing and contrasting Spanish with English, I find it interesting that there is no real translation to “baby talk” in Spanish. The closest would be to call you children and pets with “diminutivos”
What is interesting is that in Spanish when you do not like some food that is being suggested you eat you say, “fuchi”.
The original blog - April 15,2024 Feline and (& human) Sobriquets
Our first cat, when we moved to Vancouver, we found outside our Burnaby compound as a kitten. We immediately gave him an endearing name, Gaticuchi. Why?
In our family there had been a tradition at least
since the
late 50s in Mexico City where I called my mother Mamuchi. And so when
our
daughters were born, Hilary became Hilaruchi and Alexandra Alejandruchi.
Our two
granddaughters, Rebecca and Lauren escaped this tradition and I am sure
they are
glad. And my Rosemary inherited Mamuchi (I was the only one who called
her by that name). Because of our granddaughters using a version in
Spanish of abuela for grandmother, Rosemary became Abi.
In Mexican Spanish, something that is disgusting and evil-smelling is fuchi. I do not think that our uchis have any connection with fuchi.
My two cats, Niño and Niña, with whom I converse in Spanish, I
might ask Niño, “¿Como estás Niñomuchi? I also call Niño and Niña Niñomuchipus
and Niñamuchipus. Sometimes they are Muchi or Puchi.
They come to me no matter what I call them. They are smart. At around 7:30 every day I continue a tradition that Rosemary started on our bed. She would say, “Treats!”and the cats would instantly respond. I have recently found out that when I tell them, “I am going to give you your t-r-e-a-t-s,” they know that it spells treats and they become alert.
Gaticuchi did not have cancer. Writer Sean Rossiter's cat did. He wrote about it for Vancouver Magazine. Editor Malcolm Parry commanded me to photograph my cat and to make sure his whiskers were sharp.
Niño does have cancer. Five months ago he seemed to be on his last legs. My good vet prescribed a human cancer pill that I give him every other day. He is back to his old self. When he lies on top of me I wonder who will go first.
