Suzy and Toots, And the Cat Dictionary

 

            “We’re thinking of compiling a dictionary,” Suzy told me recently.
            I suspected that she expected me to write and keep records. 
            “Subject? My dear?” I said.
            “Words,” she said. She was up on the desk, tail straight up in the air, full of the wonder of the idea of a cat dictionary.
            “Can you be a bit more specific,” I asked her.
            “Cat words, of course, silly. We don’t think they should go unremarked,” said Suze “Also, we want you to make one of those files, whatever that is, and put the cat words in it!”
            “Have you talked to Toots about this, or anyone?” I asked her.
            “Oh, yeah! In fact we were just talking about cat words and wondering if we could remember them all if we had to. So we thought if you start a file then it will help them not to get lost,” she said.
            “Alight,” I said. “I’ll play. How do you want to organize this, heh, dictionary?”
            “Um, let’s see. The M words are the most important ones.
            Meow, Mrrrt, Mrrrp, Meyow, Mew, which isn’t really a cat word, its just a sound. Any cat word that starts with M. There’s M'zzz for when we’re sleepy.
            “A dictionary will be good because we can keep adding to it!” Suze said.
            “Yes, I agree the M words are the most important,” I said.
            “There are some B words too! Brrrrt! Berrow, Brrrrp. These are for when things are not perfectly felinisically excellent. You know?” said Suzy.
            “I do, how about some of those words that cartoonist listed for cats? Have you heard Wacka-wacka? Or trout? Or prowl? I think prowl is a word that I have heard cats use,” I said. “His name was Kliban. He had an awful lot to record about cats!”
            “Those seem a little unfamiliar,” she said. “But I believe them. I particularly like prowl!”
            “I do too,” I said. “Once, I had a wee grey kitty who said towel!”
            “I think you should include fizz and wow too,” she said. “I think your grey kitty was kidding you. We don’t actually say towel.”
            “Well, kidding or not, she did say towel, quite plaintively!” I said. “OK, I have all that in a special cat word file right on my desktop,” I said. “I’m sure others will remind us of words we forgot while we were starting this project.”
            “Thanks, p-lady,” she said. “I’m going to go tell Toots!”
            “Happy Tootsday you two,” I said as her tail disappeared around the corner.
            “Happy Tootsday to everyone else!” I thought, then I got to work on the Cat Dictionary. I was counting on help to add to the list, to make it as complete as possible!