A Note on Bunnyworms and Wafflecats

I am raising a toddler. When she was born (almost 2 years ago) the hospital put her in an infant gown with mitten cuffs on the sleeves and she looked like a little rabbit. She was also born in the year of the rabbit if you care about that sort of thing. Anyhow, I started calling her "Bunny". She was my little bunny and the baby I was told I'd never be able to have. 

We had our trouble with her (she had GERD as an infant) but for the most part, she was an extremely easy infant. She didn't cry unless she needed something and even then, she'd start fussing first and if you stayed on top of changing and feeding,she pretty much did her own thing (eat, sleep, crap). When she was about 3 months old I bought a large purple bowl and I'd toss a blanket over it, place her Boppy in the bowl, sit her in her bowl, and put a select few toys in the bowl with her to explore. I'd go about my household tasks (like washing laundry by hand, we don't have a washer/dryer and the place we live isn't set up for them) and just carry the bowl from room to room. Those were the easy days. She didn't stay immobile for long and would rock her bassinet back and forth rolling around like a little worm. We called her worm then (also because of Albel from Star Ocean), but family members complained so we changed it to Bunnyworm. Now of course she just runs around the house and gets into everything. Oh, and throws explosive tantrums.

In her bowl. What a face!

  Wafflecat...well, when Bunnyworm was about 15 months old I headed out to go to the store and a little *skinny* orange tabby kitten came mewling up to my car. I have a soft spot in my heart for small animals be they scaled, furred, or feathered, but cats are probably my favorite pet. I scooped him up with the intention of finding him a home. I'd found another kitten in our complex's parking lot and found him a home (we called him Bastard and the name fit) previously, so I figured I could find this poor little guy a loving home too. This kitten wasn't as tiny as Bastard (he was only about 4 weeks old when I chased him down barefoot in 26 degree weather), and was a lot sweeter. I was resolute though. He couldn't stay. I am mildly allergic to cats and I have asthma. Our economic status isn't the greatest and we struggle sometimes. We didn't need an extra mouth to feed and another medical bill to foot. Anyhow, I took him in, much to the disgust of my partner, and started asking around about a forever home for him.

About a month went by and he spent a lot of time with Bunnyworm. He slept on the changing table that hooks onto her bed (a crib at the time). He would sit next to her while she played. She learned how to be gentle with animals and slowly, much to my horror, they started bonding. I pulled my partner aside and we talked. This cat was something special. He didn't claw Bunnyworm. Even when I played with him, he didn't claw and was really gentle and cuddly and affectionate.I talked with my partner and explained that I felt that this kitten had earned a spot in our family and I asked my partner to think hard about keeping him. I told him he had a week to come up with a decision.The decision of course, was that the kitten could stay, but only if I got him neutered (of course) and all of his shots.

There was some argument about what name we should call this kitten whom we had resolutely called cat up until then because he totally was not staying. My partner told me he didn't care what I called the kitten. I thought about it long and hard. He had this habit of sleeping on the floor at the entrance to our bedroom. We'd get up in the middle of the night and I'd usually trip over him, while my partner outright stepped on him (I walk more carefully). I told the cat that if he wasn't careful he'd wind up waffle shaped. I wanted a friendly, almost silly name for him. In my childhood I'd had cats named Missy, Pickles, and Fluffer McKitty. Then there was that little shit Bastard (inventor of the 3 am flying kitten deathleap attack to the face). I thought long and hard about it and I decided Waffles was an appropriate name for him. My partner said no. It's stupid. He said we could call him Pancake, but I didn't like it as much. Of course, we'd been calling him cat for a while I decided I was going to settle the matter once and for all. I coached Bunnyworm to call him "WaWa" which at the time was the best she could do. Then I told my partner she was already calling him Waffles and he said he didn't care what I called the stupid cat and that he was my problem anyway. So yeah, Wafflecat. I remember taking him to be neutered by Project Catsnips (I paid $85 for a neutering, a microchipping, and having his 4 in 1 boostered) and when they handed his carrier to me I said "Hey Wafflecat" and he looked at me and mewed. His name suits him well, and "WAFFLES!!!!!!!" is easy to scream at him when he does something bad like pulling the chicken packaging out of the trash. Now Bunnyworm calls him Waffles and all is happy.

So yeah. Bunnyworm and Wafflecat. My life revolves around them so it felt appropriate to name this after them.