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You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Furry Friends / Furry Friends: Introducing Henry Adams

Furry Friends: Introducing Henry Adams

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You may recall from last week that Trapped Lurker decided it was time to get a kitty.

This was him at the shelter – a friendly little thing, loving the pets he was getting.

Furry Friends: Trapped Lurker Gets A Kitty, Who Needs A Name

Here he is at home, maybe not too sure of himself:

Looking a little nervous, but adorable:

Things really can move fast with a new pet!

Trapped Lurker at 5:14 am

Well, kitty is here, and doing pretty well, as far as I can tell, though he hasn’t eaten anything at all yet.

He has spent time hiding behind the books on the bottom bookshelf, walking all over my keyboard and watching me haughtily; from there he casually stepped down to my lap & stayed for awhile.

Last night he started out lying on my chest next my chin, then went back to hiding when I turned over & put out the light.

I thought I had a name all picked out, but it wasn’t sticking. I guess I do need a few days to decide what his name really is.  Once that’s decided I’ll send some more pictures.

Trapped Lurker at 8:05 am

Please meet Henry Adams.  I think that’s who he is.

Trapped Lurker at 8:13 am

I’ve decided that he will be called Henry Adams (historian and grandson & great-grandson of US presidents). That seems to fit. He’s friendly but also a little opinionated and stand-offish. Doesn’t like his new bed at all, and so far is supremely uninterested in cat toys…he Is willing, however,  to hang out on my lap, though not unless it’s his idea.

Furry Friends: Introducing Henry Adams 4

Thanks again to everybody for sharing this adventure with me!

*****

Pretty sure I would have called him Mouse.  So adorable!  ~WaterGirl

 

 

 

Reader Interactions

98Comments

  2. 2.

    laura

    He looks like a charming kiki. Please keep checking in and updating us – especially the love that you will find within you that he coaxes out. That’s the good stuff right there, our capacity to love another.

    @Betty Cracker:  I agree and that’s why my slightly used weinie do is Chet Baker, my funny valentine.

  3. 3.

    randy khan

    Congrats to Trapped Lurker on the new addition to the family!

    He looks adorable.  Although sometimes those are the dangerous ones.

  6. 6.

    Chat Noir

    Henry Adams is a perfect name for him. I wager once he gets accustomed to his new home and surroundings, he will settle in nicely. He is a beauty.

    And I second Betty Cracker’s sentiment that human names are the best for our fur friends/babies.

  11. 11.

    Roger Moore

    Here he is at home, maybe not too sure of himself

    Nah, he’s sure of himself. If the cat is sitting on the couch letting you take pictures, he’s comfortable. If he were unsure, he’d be under the couch.

    ETA: I knew my cat, Jake, was comfortable with his new home when I found him lying on the sofa stretched out with his belly exposed.

  12. 12.

    Trapped Lurker

    @Betty Cracker: Thanks. I needed a multisyllabic name, for some reason. Henry Adams worked well when I was singing him out from under the bed. And I love being reminded of the real Henry Adams, too: his histories, his autobiography, his beautiful treatise  “Mont Saint Michel and Chartres”, his struggle with loss & depression, and especially his Novel “Democracy “ which is a vicious satire on corruption in high places during the gilded age. It perversely gives me hope that our country may yet survive this current appalling political mess. It’s been pretty bad a few times in the past.

  14. 14.

    WaterGirl

    @SiubhanDuinne: @raven:

    I do that, but only for certain pets.

    Where’s the Bear?  Where’s Miss Willow?  Where’s the Henry?

    But never Where’s the Tucker?  It’s always Where’s Tucker.

    It’s either right or it isn’t.  That’s my take.  Will be interested to see what raven says.

  17. 17.

    Elizabelle

    I love his name. Distinguished name for an appealing kitty.

    If he is in your lap, he approves.

  19. 19.

    trollhattan

    Cute li’l fella and yes, looking quite at home thankyouverrmuch. Enjoy the coming hijinks!

  20. 20.

    Barbara

    I think it’s a good name.  It invites conversation.  Most of the dogs I own just get the name they already had when they entered my household, or a slight variant.

    What a sweetie.

  25. 25.

    Quaker in a Basement

    That is a fine name for a very handsome cat. Best wishes for a harmonious life together.

  26. 26.

    WaterGirl

    @Ken: It’s built into core WordPress that you get a “you can’t post that, it’s a duplicate” message, so I cannot fathom how this happens.

    It’s not our programming for the site, it’s WordPress.

  27. 27.

    oldster

    such a beauty. Makes me want a cat, but no.

    Even though I suggested “Manfred Mann,” I think “Henry Adams” is actually better.

  28. 28.

    LeftCoastYankee

    He’s found the keyboard, the couch and one of his subject’s laps.

    Seems like he’s settling in just fine!

  29. 29.

    CaseyL

    Henry Adams.  The name has gravitas. Heft.  Importance.

    I like it!

    I also like Henry Adams the kitty.  Ears up! Whiskers sleek!  He is alert and comfortable in his new digs.

    Congrats, and may you two have many many happy years together!

  30. 30.

    laura

    @WaterGirl: sadly, a combo of not letting me delete a comment then a spree of reposting and I’m embarassed. Swear I didn’t get a duplicate post notice.

  31. 31.

    R-Jud

    @Trapped Lurker: I’ve only ever read about Henry Adams as he was portrayed in Gore Vidal’s Lincoln; sounds like I should remedy that.

    Your Henry is almost embarrassingly handsome. Enjoy.

  32. 32.

    Trapped Lurker

    @oldster: I am really grateful for all the name suggestions and other chat on that earlier thread—it gave me a completely new approach to choosing a name. Besides, it was fun, and used up time while I was waiting to get him.  I had decided on a civil war general name, but it wouldn’t stick. Henry Adams is better. ?

  34. 34.

    Tim

    The newbs come find you eventually. Merlin, a street rescue, stayed under the bed for 48 hrs. I dangled a kimono sash over the footboard and soon enough he was tugging on it. So we tuggied for an hour. It was like playing an invisible fish. Soon enough he was one of the pack.

  39. 39.

    JaneE

    Handsome boy.

    not unless it’s his idea

    You will probably find that true of most everything.  He is in charge now, but he will let you bask in his presence and pay tribute with pets, treats, and toys.

  42. 42.

    Trapped Lurker

    @R-Jud:  I don’t remember Henry Adams from the Gore Vidal novel Lincoln. I do know Henry was weighed down with heavy expectations as the forth generation of that political dynasty; Spent time in London with his Dad Charles Francis Adams (being groomed, you know), but disappointed everybody and decided to be a historian & writer instead of going into politics.

  44. 44.

    TomatoQueen

    Merlinus Ambrosius, Screamer of Irrational Screams, sends Henry Adams a welcome in brrrp? What a handsome lad. So glad this is going well for you both.

  45. 45.

    Jess

    Lovely kitty! I had a kitty foisted upon me by my MIL who was very much like yours, called Grey. For obvious reasons, but not my choice. She was a sweetie–my first cat ever, and she turned me on to the joys and challenges of cat “ownership.” I believe H.A. the historian was the husband of Clover Adams, correct? Who committed suicide by drinking photography chemicals? Such a tormented artist way to go..

    edit: the cat, not my MIL, was like yours. ;-)

  50. 50.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @JPL: 

    I love the name and now I’m imagining how it sounds with damn it in front, because the day will come. lol

    I once heard of a young girl who had a black-and-white carriage dog. She named the dog Helen, so that she could scream “HELEN DALMATIAN!!” at the top of her voice, and her mother couldn’t legitimately accuse her of swearing ?

  53. 53.

    zhena gogolia

    @WaterGirl:

    I’ve had some trouble commenting the last few days. It won’t post, then when I hit “post” again it says I’ve said it already. Then it says “failure to post.” But when I open up BJ again, the comment is there. (Mac laptop, Chrome)

  57. 57.

    Trapped Lurker

    @Jess: I went through a phase where I read everything he wrote, so I’m not sure. I do know after the suicide he went to France & that’s when he wrote “Mont Saint Michel and Chartres,” which is mostly about meideval thought and architecture, but has a meditative quality that I seem to remember felt like finding peace after horrific grief.  “The Education of Henry Adams,” is an autobiography. Maybe that’s what I remember?

  63. 63.

    Mary G

    I see I don’t know nearly enough about the original Henry Adams and will have to rectify that. Your namesake is adorable. My cats Shiloh and Chenille were semi-feral and not anywhere near as adventurous. Neither one has ever slept on their back where I could see even after nine years now. Chenille still hisses at the housemates if they get too close to me after five years. Shiloh spent the first four weeks under the bed in the spare bedroom, and I’m not sure if he would ever have come out if he wasn’t addicted to bonito flakes. They both cuddle and sleep with me and demand pets all the time. I wouldn’t sell them for a million dollars.

  64. 64.

    Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony

    @Mary G: One of the kitties we’ve adopted over the years also wouldn’t come out from under the bed for weeks.  It was a long process building trust.  Now, she is super affectionate.

  65. 65.

    WaterGirl

    @laura: It’s not you!  If you had gotten the “this is a duplicate” message, you couldn’t override that.

    The thing I was perplexed about is that there were 3 slightly different version, as if it was saving a new comment when you tried to edit the first one.

    I was asking because I wondered if that is what happened. I didn’t mean to embarrass you!

  70. 70.

    Trapped Lurker

    Oh, just googled, of course. The statue Is in Rock Creek Cemetery. I could easily visit it—something safe to do in the pandemic, even.

  73. 73.

    Mel

    @Trapped Lurker: He looks like a dignified, wise little soul.

    Such beautiful blue-grey stripes!

    If he is already one your lap his very first day home, he has definitely decided that you are his person. You might find him becoming much more in-your-face affectionate, busy, and wanting to be right in the middle of things in a week or two, when he has realized that he’s truly home for good, and that home is safe and full of love.

  74. 74.

    Mel

    @satby: I think so, too.

    My little Janie was rescued  from a scary, unsafe situation, and she spent most of her first week under the bed in the guest room. The food bowl would empty during the night, we’d find poo in the box in the morning, and we could see a kitty  silhouette crouched against the wall if we peeked under the bed. Hubby and I took turns sleeping in the guest room to keep her company. By the fifth night, she’d make a tiny little “meep” when we called her name.

    One  night, about 7 or 8 days in, she got up on the bed at some point during the night, and was curled up behind my knees when I woke up.

    Two weeks later, she was everywhere we were – sitting on the edge of the bathtub during baths, talking to us through the window if we sat on the porch, snuggling in the bed at night, and in a lap the minute somebody  sat down.

    She just needed to be sure that she was safe and secure before she bloomed into her wonderful real self.

  76. 76.

    CCL

    Congrats! Welcome Henry Adams!  What a regal graceful beauty!   We also have a Henry – not quite so graceful – full name:  Handsome Henry Thud.

  78. 78.

    Dan B

    @Trapped Lurker: We have his identical twin, a feral cat who was too small -7 pounds – to survive for long in the wild.  He’s up to 8 pounds now and loves his hoomins especially at mealtime.

  79. 79.

    J R in WV

    @John Cole:

    My mother’s cat was named Mouse. She squeaked and could not meow.

    One of our current cats, Spike, so named because her feet are SO SHARP!!!! OW, OW!!!

    She didn’t purr for months. She would climb onto my shoulder and nudge into the side of me head, as silent as the tomb. Then one day, months into her being affectionate, I heard a tiny barely audible purr. Now she purrs loudly, often, esp. around dinner time.

  80. 80.

    columbusqueen

    Henry & Clover have haunted me for a long time. It’s a good cat name given that John Hay nicknamed Henry the angelic porcupine, sweet but spiky!

  82. 82.

    A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)

    Henry Adams is a great name.  Dignified!  And as someone said, goes with his grey coat.  Made me see a gentleman from the 1800s in formal daywear.  Congratulations.  And if he is already sitting on your lap he is settling in nicely.

  83. 83.

    A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)

    @J R in WV: I had a Mouse also, who was the Grey runt of the litter.  When I got her she had given up on fighting for life (from the competition for nipples with her siblings), but I force-fed her chicken baby food and she pulled through.  She was stunted from her early life though, staying a very small cat, and I never had to have her spayed since she never went into season.  She was also neurotically attached to me.  In her last few years, I had to have her sit on a towel when she wanted to sit on my lap, since she insisted on peeing on me to mark me as hers (sigh).

  84. 84.

    Mel

    @WaterGirl: She was a gloriously funny, cheerful kitty. She was about three years old when we adopted her, and we got to share nine years with her.

    We lost her to cancer last winter, and there has been an empty, seemingly unfillable space in our lives ever since. We’re just starting  to feel like the raw edges of the grief are smoothing a little, and it might be time to think about bringing another kitty into the family, especially since our other fur baby misses her surrogate Auntie as much as we do.

    We saw a sweet little orange boy on the website of a wonderful local shelter, and we’re thinking about going to meet him.

  86. 86.

    Wolvesvalley

    So glad Henry Adams is home and settling into his name, his space, and your lap! Thank you for sharing pictures!

  90. 90.

    Captain C

    Henry Adams is extremely adorable.  Reminds me a little of my late Kashmir.  Please give him many, many scritches and lovins from me and all of us.

  91. 91.

    Kineslaw

    Henry Adams is a great name for a gorgeous cat.  If you are looking for a non-traditional cat bed, my Tink absolutely views this as her bed.  I think the pressure from the sides helps her feel confident, as she’s a bit of a skittish kitty.

  93. 93.

    Sis

    Yay!!!! My kitties were much more standoffish for their first few days with me, so I’ll bet he’ll be super affectionate after he settles in. He’s gorgeous!

  96. 96.

    Trapper Lurker

    @Dan B: Wow, those pictures very like my Henry. Except that he doesn’t seem to be eating his food. He is using the litter box, and he scarfed up a piece of Canadian bacon that I offered last night, but has turned up his nose to all food offered (kibble & wet food from the shelter, even with Canadian bacon on top; cat treats from Petco). I assume this will pass, and that he’ll eat soon, and since he’s pooping in the litter box, maybe he already has, though I see no evidence of the food level going down in the bowl. He must be eating at least a little. I called my vet & they said give him wet food, but he’s not interested in that either. Only thing he’s eaten since Wednesday afternoon is that piece of Canadian bacon. Should I be concerned?

  97. 97.

    Trapper Lurker

    @columbusqueen: I had forgotten that comment from John Hay, or never heard it, but it’s true Henry Adams, from his writings, comes across as both gentle & soft but also very confident, competent and spiky. Thanks!

  98. 98.

    WaterGirl

    @Trapper Lurker: Try catching WereBear in a thread. She is the cat expert.

    Just a thought, but you might try keeping some of the kibble in a baggie in your pocket, and offering as treats throughout the day until he starts eating again?

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