So last week Victor and Hailey and I went to socialize feral shelter kittens and the kittens were all like, “fuck you guys” and hid but there was this lanky, black teenage cat who was like, “PICK ME UP. LOVE ME. LET ME CRAWL INSIDE YOUR CARDIGAN.” I’ve never had a black cat before so I’m not sure if this is typical black cat behavior, but he insisted that we not leave and then literally jumped into an adoption box by himself and stared at us, like “What is taking you so long? PITTER PATTER LET’S GET AT ‘ER.”
We immediately took him to the vet and then he immediately broke several things in the vets office and then he was ours. Purrsy and Dorothy Barker are tentatively welcoming. The black cat is so laid back and doofy he didn’t even seem to notice there were other animals in the house. Or maybe he’s just used to lots of animals in the shelter? He is the definition of nonchalant.
I cannot take a good picture of him because he is a void and my camera insists it needs more light.
Why is his leg out like that? No one knows. But he’s purring like a motherfucker and has made himself at home.
And so now we have a new cat (HOW DID THIS HAPPEN) and we need a name. We haven’t entirely decided on one yet, but below is our most recent conversation:
me: Should we do pun name so he matches Purrsy Bysshe Shelley?
Victor: He looks like a Jinx. Because he’s full of hijinks.
Hailey: How about Midnight?
Victor: Too plain.
me: Johnny Cash!
Hailey: How is that a pun?
me: Because he’s “the man in black.”
Victor: That’s a very long way to go for a joke. How about…Azreal?
me: Oh, I like that.
Hailey: Who?
me: The black cat that Gargamel had on the Smurfs?
Hailey: Azreal was orange.
me and Victor: Absolutely not.
Hailey: Yeah he was. Look him up.
Victor: Wtf? Is this a Mandela Effect thing?
me: It has to be.
Victor: Weren’t you going to make me a shirt with Gargamel on the front and “Everyday I’m Wizarding” on on the back?
me: Ran into copyright issues. How about Noche?
Victor: They’re delicious.
me: Not gnocchi. “Noche”…like the Spanish word for night.
Victor: That’s not even close to how you pronounce that word.
me: Walter Walnuts!
Hailey: What?
me: It’s just fun to say. “Walter Walnuts.”
Victor: That’s a ridiculous name. You might as well call him “The Jonas Brothers.”
me: How about…Moonshadow?
Victor: I don’t hate it.
me: AND Moonshadow was a song by Cat Stevens. Get it? CAT Stevens?
Victor: So why don’t we just call him Cat Stevens?
me: So his first name is “Cat”? Absolutely not.
Hailey: Didn’t you want to name a cat “Mr. President”?
me: 12 years ago I did. It’s since lost its charm.
Hailey: Are you naming him Moonshadow after the cat in the Warrior Cat books? Feels very millennial-coded.
me: Oh, I forgot about those books.
Victor: I think we need to figure out what kind of cat he is to name him. Like, is he a menace, a familiar, a superhero?
me: How about Professor Midnight.”
Hailey: Hmm.
me: Because that sounds like a detective or a villain or a spooky friend…it’s very open-ended and mysterious.
Victor: I like it. Professor Midnight. He’s an academic. Not a medical doctor.
Hailey: Clearly.
This is an excellent thing for many reasons, least of which is that Purrsey will do so much better for having a buddy. Also, void kitties are awesome! I wish you many happy years with both new(ish) furballs.
LOVE Midnight…what a great addition to your family!
I had a cat names Hijinks because his brother’s name was Capers, and we called him Jinx.
He is adorable. How could you not take him home? I’m happy Purrsey has a kitten friend.
How about “peeve”? (Pet peeve)?
Freaking adorable. 🖤
Thank you for allowing me to enjoy your cat through my screen since I am so allergic. What will his nickname be? Proffy? Midi?
He is so beautiful! We have three black cats and they are my favorite even though they DGAF about any of us. (They are barn cats)
Welcome to the world of black cats! They’re quite addictive. Since my parents got their first one they’ve had one in their house ever since. I had a wonderful, mischievous one named Loki that I’m still rather heartbroken over. Still totally worth it. Enjoy the void!
Black animals are the absolute best. I love the fun you could have with Professor Midnight. “Let’s ask the Professor…” I’m sure he’ll have the answer for quite a few of the problems in the universe.
Welcome to owning a black cat! I’ve had many over the years, one named Jinx as a matter of fact…Congrats, he’s lovely. Professor is good, he could pass for a Sherlock, Columbo…Jessica Fletcher…
Black goes with everything! Enjoy your new void kitty.
Cosmo
Love the voids. Ours is Luna Moonshadow. Didn’t even use it for any other reason than it suited her though I’m being followed by a moon shadow is accurate.
I couldn’t think of a name for my cat, so I called him Cat for a week. Then I decided to call him CatStevens because he was used to being called Cat!
That last picture is *exactly* how I looked after a day of teaching academically at a college. EXACTLY.
Welcome to your new home, Void!
If Professor Midnight doesn’t work out, try Azriel the Shadowsinger from the ACOTAR book series. It’s my version of making Azreal work for a black cat, because I’m invested now.
My husband isn’t a cat person, but before him I wanted a black cat named Pestilence, Tilly for short.
Welcome to Professor Midnight. Or whatever his name ends up being. 💗
I’ve never had a void cat before (always wanted one), but had the opposite of a void, a pure white cat. His name was Misty, and he was wonderful. He loved water, wanted to get into any bath or shower that was running. He hid in the birdfeeder to try to catch birds, knew how to ring the doorbell to be let in, and loved car rides. We had to check our vehicles before we went out in case he was inside. He also wasn’t deaf, contrary to popular myth.
The two cats that we had consecutively in between Misty and our current spotted tabby cat, Chick were both named Kitty. Mostly due to my brother and I, and then our kids not being able to agree on names. So they were both Miss Kitty at our vet’s offices.
Congrats!!! I had a cat like him once, that I named Oberon. Many black short-haired cats have Siamese genes in their makeup (mine did), & it looks like yours does too – hence the friendliness.
Maybe its the camera angle, but the last shot makes it looks like the Professor has HUGE paws. So maybe expect the Professor to get to be quite large?
THE Shadow! “Shady” for short.
He could not be more puuurfect whatever his name is.
I love cats that choose you – they are the best (I’ve had two do it).
Pococurante – nicknamed, Poco.
Freaking adorable!!! The PAWS!
I named my black kitten Stellaluna like the bat in the children’s book.
We had one of these and ours was called Jinx (aka Jinxy Kitty aka Jinxtypuss aka The Jinxiest). And she was. The Jinxiest. Best of kitties. This story has made me enormously happy.
Gotta say I’m team #CatStevens. 😻
Awww, now you have a miniature house panther! I miss my own miniature house panther, Penny, who passed earlier this year. Black cats are aware of their reputation, I think, which is why they try harder to be loving cats. People don’t realize that black cats are actually GOOD luck!
We have always had black cats. And they have all been very lovely.
Black cats be doing all the things that your little void does.
Second derpiest type of cat, ever.
I still stand by the list of names, that I posted, when Purrsy adopted you.
Lando Catrissian
Ben Catleck
Bing Clawsby
Catpurrnicus (I will admit that I am fond of this one.)
Harrison Furred
Leonard Nemeow
Meowses (But I am pretty sure that you didn’t find him floating, downriver, in a reed basket.)
Mewlius Caesar
Furcules
Barack Obameow (Another that gets my fondness.)
Mr. Meowgi
And, you have already discounted Cat Stevens.
So many great names. Edgar Allen Purr popped in my head, but I know you will find the best fitting one!
Professor HiJinx Midnight, Jinx for a nickname. It’s an awesome name for a cat. I used to have a half Siamese, half tiger stripe cat named Jinx.
My former veterinarian always said black cats are the most friendly and nicest of cats. My family has had two black cats over the years and they were super friendly and sociable with everyone.
How wonderful for Percy Shelley! Two cats of approximately the same age, and they will become best buddies.
And how perfect just in time for Halloween that you have an orange striped cat and a black cat! May you have many happy years together.
Shadow Fax
Seems like Hailey waited you guys out and won her “Midnight”
What a lucky kitty!
Professor Midnight – great name! Well done! What about those huge paws! Never have I ever. Hope he and Purrsy become buddies. Have fun with your new sweetheart. Lots of love to you and your beautiful family. ♥️🥰
Sir Purr-fessor Dark-mode
I have been seeing the pics on Facebook and was wondering when you were going to say you had adopted him. 😄
As for names…Thackery Binx, like the cat in Hocus Pocus? Or Salem, from Sabrina the Teenage Witch? Or Raven? Raven Nevermore?
I’ve always liked Vesper, but I think he may be too doofily cool for that.
He’s a beauty.
Just as all dogs I don’t know get called “Puppy Face”, all cats get called “PuddyTat”.
I have a little black cat. They are contractually obligated to push anything on a surface off the surface, scratch up everything they can find, and then come sit in your lap and purr to defuse your anger!
If I were to get a black cat, I’d name him Sirius Black.
To go with Purrsy, you could all him Purrfessor Midnight. Or just name him Lord Byron. He’s dark, but not especially brooding, so I don’t know. We have a male black cat, too, who’s very derpy but also the biggest love bug I’ve ever met. We named him Onyx. 🙂
Professor Midnight sounds like a prestigious academic by day and super villain/detective by night and I *love him* already. He will fit right in I’m sure he’s so cute!!