And kid you better get the picture.

I don’t refer to my cats as my “children” or my “babies.”  At least not in English, anyway.  (I do call them mes bébés or bébé as if that somehow absolves me of any crazy cat ladiness.)  I also refrained from calling myself “mama” for a whole year after Hanna Kate came to live with me, but that’s gone to pot.  After I got Griffin, I couldn’t deny the crazy cat lady within any longer.  This would be Griffin, otherwise known as:

• The Griff-Meister General
• Sweet Pea (which has evolved into Sweetest Pea or Sweetiest Pea and also lead to Sweet Petite)
• Griffy or Grifsy
• Gwiffin, Gwiffy, etc.

So, the other night, my best friend heard me refer to Hanna Kate as “Nana Kate” and promptly told me that I shouldn’t have nicknames for my cats because it doesn’t make sense.  (Either he or another friend has made the argument to me that our “human names” for cats are already their nicknames because they already have a real name in “cat language.”  Whatever.)  So this Caturday, I decided that I would share the most common nicknames for the furry felines in my home, starting with Hanna Kate.

• Hanna Kate Banana Kate (which spawned Nana Kate)
• Honey Bear (which has developed several variations, including Honey Nunny, Nunny Bear, Nana Bear, Honey-est/Nunniest Bear, and just plain Nunny)
• Nanny-Noo

Like I’ve said in the past, I’m usually against baby talk, but put me in front of a furry animal and I’m like Jodi Foster in the movie Nell.  I just can’t help myself.

My cats, Griffin and Hanna Kate, hanging out and being all civil with each other.  (A rare occurrence.)  Keep this up, sweet petites, and we might get some Christmas card quality shots in the bank before December comes.