Saturday, May 09, 2009

My name is Shumba


Dear George,
As promised …I’m back with a name! My name is Shumba! Before I’d tell you the story of my name, I want to thank you and all other cats for your good wishes and suggestions. Alison really appreciated all your ideas. I think she really liked the “Ali & Cali” the best, but she won’t admitted now, since I got a different name ☺ As agreed, Alison came Saturday to get me from the shelter, but Friday I got a little “cosmetic” surgery as you can see and I have to wear this cone for another week. Just to let you know…I’m already sleeping in Alison’s bed! I think she really loves me!
But, let me tell you first the story behind my name! Once upon a time (that means 2-3 generations ago) my mom’s family moved from England to live in South Africa and Rhodesia, so my mommy grew up in South Africa. She loves Africa very, very much.
She is still nostalgic about the places where she grew-up. This weekend as she was trying to find me a name….her aunt (who’s visiting us from Africa) looked at me and said…..Shumba! Why don’t you call her Shumba? It means “lion” in Shona tribe’s language/dialect! Shona is a tribe from Zimbabwe. So, here I am…..Shumba, the Lion ☺ Dear George, I’m adjusting just fine to my new home! I also think Alison will be easy to train but I need some advice from you! I started reading your old posts (lots to catch up with) but I need some “quick tips”…..for my new home, you know. I really love Alison….but I think she needs to know that I’m the Lion in the house! What do you think?
Love
Shumba

Dear Shumba,
I think it's a gorgeous name. It has dignity. Not too elaborate or pretentious. Just redolent of our important ancestry, as a desert animal. We felids, all of us in the world, share many similarities - hunting, carnivore digestive system, limited sociability (except for our cousins, the lions, who have a small pack system). Of course, we cats, Felis Lybica catus, are the most successful of all feline species. We are everywhere - on small islands in the Pacific, in snowy mountain villages and in hot desert. We are probably the most successful carnivore species in the world - beating even dogs.
Well done to your human for her choice of name. I think Shumba can sound very affectionate as well as dignified. Of course, you can add your title, like Oscar Snuggles has added King of Tidewater ( see
http://simpleandsouthern.blogspot.com/). When you have developed the relationship you want with your humans, it will be clear what kind of title is appropriate. I personally have, when I feel like it, called myself Prince. It seems to go with my relatively young age. I may upgrade to King of Ringwood (my home) later in life.
Now some tips for a new home. Start as you mean to go on, is my advice. It's no good giving your humans extra slack because they need to settle to your adoption of them. From the beginning you need to make your wants clearly known - as I see you have on the bed. That's right - lots of space to spread out. Don't let them take up the space you need. It's the same with food and recreation. If you let them get away with any personal slackness or lack of training, it will be more difficult to get them into shape later on.
George

PS. I guess the Elizabethan collar is because you have been spayed.

8 comments:

  1. Dear George, you are right!
    I was spayed the day before Alison came to get me home! I'm glad that she said a big "NO" to declawing, so other then being spayed...I'm a "whole cat" :-)
    It is wonderful to see mommy rushing home from work to be with me.
    I usually "wait" for her sleeping in her bed! I got some gifts from other cats and I'm looking forward to a "purr-fectly" happy life!
    Love
    Shumba

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  2. Dear Shumba,
    What a wonderful name you have!
    My daddy calls me sometimes "tiger"!
    George is right, don't give your "mommy" too much time, start training her right away.
    One quick tip; since you took over her bed (congratulations)make sure that ....at night....you "push" softly...until you get most of the bed for you and she'll sleep on the edge (that's enough room for her) :-)
    Love
    Fluffy (Tiger)

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  3. Shumba (lovely name),
    What my sister, Fluffy, forgot to mention - make sure that YOU decide when to go to bed at night!
    Set up a time and then start "calling" your mommy to sleep.
    Make sure that she's busy doing something at that time and that she had to "abandon" everything just to please you!
    I bet she'll think that you love her so much that you can't sleep without her (but we know better) :-)))
    Hugs
    Cayenne

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  4. So glad you are adjusting well (training your human well) to your new home. Your collar--I have one too, but mine has been handkerchiefs tied around my neck, because I had to have a really nasty abcess cleaned our and sown up. I get the stitches out Monday. I hate this thing around my neck. My human have resorted to calling me "Cowboy"! I've managed to get two of them off while outside, now they have resorted to a sleeve off of an old tee shirt. My male human is rather upset, because they are his good pocket handkerchiefs. ROFL! That will teach them to put those terrible things around my neck.

    I do like your name, but you must come up with a title. You could be QUEEN! I'm King.

    I must go now and drive my human crazy. They have been keeping me inside at night and I hate it. The weahter is wonderful here in Georgia. The nights have been really nice, not cool, not hot, just right and tonight is a full moon. I can see so well when that moon shines, but they keep finding me and taking me inside. If they close me off in the kitchen again, I'm going to rattle the door all night long. That drives them crazy.

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  5. Sir WinstonMay 10, 2009

    But, of course, a Queen title will be only appropriate taking into consideration your English descend.
    Oscar Snuggles is absolutely right!
    Your Majesty....can we call you Queen Shumba?
    Sir Winston

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  6. SebastianMay 10, 2009

    Queen or not, English or not....just make sure that your female human speaks "your language"...otherwise you'll have problems!
    At my advanced age...I'm still working hard trying to train my female human in proper Cat English!
    By the way, I love your name (it brings back sweet memories) :-)
    Sebastian

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  7. AnonymousMay 10, 2009

    As you come from Canada, calling yourself President might be inappropriate. But there's no reason why American cats shouldn't do so - or, I suppose, English cats of a republican disposition. President Sam has a nice ring to it, I think though I am tempted buy the idea of Earl Sam, Duke Sam or even that most dashing of titles, a baronetcy - Sir Sam.
    Sam Whiskers.

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  8. Shumba, stick to the Queen title!
    In Canada you have a Queen, a Governor and a Prime Minister.
    Queen Shumba I think is very appropiate for a.....lioness :-)
    As for Sam Whiskers...may be he can settle for the Prince title....like in Prince Charming.
    Love
    Minnie

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Help for cats whose humans show behaviour problems.

This blog is devoted to the study of human behaviour. We cats, who live with this sometimes unpredictable and always feeble minded species, can benefit from seeing their behaviour in its proper scientific context. The study of feline dilemmas, training problems, and difficulties with humans, can only benefit all of us. All of us train our humans - to buy the right food, for instance, but many of us do not have knowledge of how to improve our training methods. The human species is obviously not as intelligent as the cat, but nevertheless can learn quite a lot - if properly managed. Topics of interest include the use of claw and order, purring as a human reward, rubbing your human up the right way, when to bite, spraying as a method of making our wishes known, ignoring the human, human harassment, human inattention and sheer human stupidity. I welcome your questions. Photos can be sent via my secretary's website, www.celiahaddon.com This blog has been chosen as one of the top 50 feline blogs by Online VetTechprogramms.org