Science fiction, fantasy, mystery and what-not
Floofpera (floofinition) – a dramatic work in one or more acts featuring housepets, sometimes written by humans, but often improvised by pets.
In use: “A single barking voice interrupted Miguel’s sleep. The solo was soon a furious duet. Wondering what’d energized his mutts, he rolled out of bed and staggered down the hall to check the floofpera. It was usually the big squirrel or the neighbor’s big tuxedo cat, but sometimes it was people.”
The song, “The Year of the Cat” (Al Stewart) was released in 1976. A mellow pop-rock song, I was stationed on an unaccompanied tour with the USAF when it came out. The song appealed to me, and I sometimes played it while sitting in my barracks room burning candles in a straw basket to create shapes.
On a morning from a Bogart movie
In a country where they turn back time
You go strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre
Contemplating a crime
She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running
Like a watercolour in the rain
Don’t bother asking for explanations
She’ll just tell you that she came
In the year of the cat
I was a little bored. I’d usually sip wine or cognac while I was doing this.
Another’s post had reminded me of the song. As it streamed through my mind, I thought that cats measured time differently than we do. We establish a calendar and a clock based on what we observe. Cats declare, “This is my year,” and ignore the calendar. The year of the cat when we had Jade lasted twenty years. Pogo had a year that went for four, his year cut short by a car, while cancer ended Quinn’s year of the cat after twelve years. So it goes.
We have three cats. Each has declared their own year. Tucker’s year began four years ago, while Boo and Papi are each into about twenty-four months of their year. I hope each has a long year of the cat.
Floofmagem (floofinition) – a showy housepet, often with very fluffy, shiny fur, and not infrequently further decorated by bows or ribbons.
In use: “A true floofmagem, the long-haired amber cat with a black face and jade eyes sported flowing, long fur so evenly distributed that it could have been styled. A sparking collar that matched her eyes peeked out from the fur. What really sold her floofmagem image was her languid pose. Eyes partially closed, she looked like a graceful ruler at rest.”
Good mornin’, from my perspective. Good day, good night good afternoon, whatever, from yours.
Monday here. Not talkin’, no not Monday talkin’. I mean that today is Monday. Monday doesn’t speak. Monday is sullen, sighing a lot amidst deep, multiple frowns, but not talkin’. Everyone blames Sunday for that because people on Sunday are often cursing Monday. “Oh, no, tomorrow’s Monday already.” Already, as if it’s a surprise, as if this doesn’t happen every week.
Eventually, those negative comments have added, and Monday’s down. Calendar bullying. It’s not pretty. Is there a bullying that is pretty? Of course, not.
You’d think, after this, that this song will be about Monday. It’s not. I was singing to a cat this morning. This revelation probably surprised you. You’re probably sayin’, “He sings to his cats. I’ve never heard of anyone singing to their cat.” I know. Unusual, right?
I was singing Taylor Swift’s song, “I Knew You Were Trouble” (2012) to ginger Papi. He was dancing and hopping all about, very full of himself, going up to the other bigger and older cats in a challenging manner.
Well, he went up to Boo, anyway. Challenges were discussed. I said some words ’bout the squirt gun. Papi backed away.
Papi considered Tucker but Tucker is all action, no words, so Papi didn’t get too close and only said one thing to Tucker. Tucker didn’t answer. Like I said…
Here’s the music. Happy friggin’ Monday. (Sorry, Monday.) I can do without the story-telling at the video’s beginning. Just wanted the music. It doesn’t start until about two minutes.
Hibble (floofinition) – term housepets use for the foods that people eat.
In use: “Hearing the plastic bag rustle in the other room, the cat and dog recognized that she was getting one of her favorite hibbles, corn chips, out, and prepared themselves to beg for a few themselves, as the salty snack was one of their favorite hibbles, too.”
Floofonics (floofinition) – the study of housepet language and syntax.
In use: “His cats started talking to him more as they lived with him, and he developed floofonics, a science of listening to the nuances of their meows. It especially satisfied him to hear the cats talking to him about being fed. They began with sharp, loud meows that continued until he started to deliver their bowls to them. Their voices changed then, the volume dropping as the strident meows changed to mewmuring.”
Mewmuring (catfinition) – a soft, satisfied meow t often incorporates a trill or a purr, generally associated with a happy, contented cat and frequently heard just before a cat begins eating.
In use: “Sweet mewmuring replaced the kittens’ strident meowing demands, and then the sounds of eating wet food replaced the mewmuring.”
Floofmance (floofinition) – a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love for a pet or animal.
In use: “Although the dog weighed over a hundred pounds, he continued to get onto the man’s lap for a few minutes everyday to get and give love, continuing the floofmance begun when the puppy was found a starving one pound furball.”
Aquafloof (floofinition) – a housepet who enjoys water. Note: feline and canine aquafloofs are respectively commonly called aquacats and aquadogs.
In use: “Wherever, whenever water was turned on, the dog, born from a liaison between a beagle and a collie, galloped in. If he wasn’t restrained, he leaped into the water – bath, lawn sprinklers, whatever. The aquafloof could never get enough of water.”
Floof-quest (floofinition) – the effort to find a housepet, whether as an addition to the home or because it’s missing; a housepet’s effort to find something or someone.
In use: “A floof-quest was begun because they couldn’t find the cat, but several suspected the cat had gone on a spiritual floof-quest around the neighborhood, and would return home when it was completed.”
Michael Seidel, writer 