Amidala speaking.

I’ve decided to adopt the female human who brought me to her home. I shall call her Mama (pronounced, in case you’re of the wrong class and don’t know, MaMA). She also brought a recent addition to the household from which I came: a marmalade cat called Munchkin. MaMA calls him my brother, but I think of him as more of a footman. He certainly put his foot right in the center of my belly the other day, when I was snuggling with MaMA on my couch. Hmph!

The Queen and the Footman

My human, whom I had for fifteen years, had a bad habit of adopting other cats. When he passed away (and I do miss and mourn him; even queens have hearts), there were eight of us. This Munchkin creature was a stray who only recently joined my household. He’s quite elderly and has no teeth. I’m very pleased about that, because it means that MaMA feeds us soft food.

MaMA tells me that I was named after a queen, which is thoroughly appropriate. I don’t think the queen and I look anything alike, do you?

I find it amusing that MaMA owns a book of Queen Amidala paper dolls. She tells me that, no, she does NOT own a book of orange footman paper dolls. Ha!

I must say, though, that this Munchkin fellow is very retiring and reverential. When I snarl and smack him for presuming to try to join us on my couch, he never snarls or smacks back, and immediately jumps down. He’s so deferential, in fact, that I’ve begun tolerating him in near proximity.

Who knows, it’s just marginally possible I may accept him as my brother some day.

Only time will tell.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR ANIMALS: How is your name appropriate for you? If it isn’t, how is it inappropriate?

AA