Human Treecat Names

If a Cat tastes a mindglow and determines that that two-leg is better off alone, because he/she is a loner, then why would a Cat force the issue.

Cats know about being a loner. IIRC, there was one Cat who liked going out alone.

cthia wrote:If the two of them are joined at the hip, then only one Cat is needed.

If a Cat tastes a mindglow and determines that that two-leg is better off alone, because he/she is a loner, then why would a Cat force the issue.

This is NOT a question of bonding, instead it is a question of protection. Since they are NOT joined at the hip, you need two cats to protect two people.

cthia wrote:I have always felt that Shannon may not be catted for the same reason she is not dating or married. She is much too busy. Her mind is on her work. Same goes for Sonja.

Albeit, I used to think the same thing about Einstein as well, until I found out he had a beloved housecat named Tiger that saw him through many of his theories. So, what do I know.

At any rate, Shannon and Sonja probably do not get out very much at all. They might spend very long hours tinkering and doodling. Both women probably go for long hours without eating. I am not sure either woman would be good for a treecat, or a husband, long-term.

They're not regular cats, but treecats and fully sentient too remember. And much like Honor, Shannon has rather devoted subordinates who MAKE her remember things like eating, I believe she still has Five as her aide, and she has a Steward now because Theisman reintroduced that for senior officers. So any cat bodyguard has plenty of others who will see to 'minor things' like putting out some celery and rabbit stews and what not. Even Honor hasn't done (most) of that since her early days at Basilisk, it's always been McGuinness aboard ship, and/or whomever is at the House of the day. Whether Harrington House on Grayson, Landing House on Manticore, White Haven, or if she's dining with Elizabeth or Benjamin Mayhew, Honor hasn't personally cooked for Nimitz (or Samantha) in a number of years.

If Shannon truly prefers being alone, well that is what a lot of scouts do, they're (physically) alone off on trees, watching out for hexapuma's and other threats. But may I remind you of how/what Shannon did during the time Honor was captured at Adler, was visiting Honor on a daily basis and bringing Nimitz out for "exercise", and iirc quite a bit of petting. She didn't have to go that far despite Tourville assigning her to ensure the POWs were treated well, but she chose to. So I find it slightly difficult to believe if she were offered a treecat bodyguard, specifically to keep her safe from assassins, that she'd turn down the offer. She's one of the few Havenites who seemed totally at ease around the cats, both during Silesia (as Honors prisoner) and post-Adler (Honor as prisoner)


But Shannon isn't always going to be within that close a proximity to Sonja, for a few reasons.

1. They are in a military, and even out at Bolthole, there will be 'surprise' inspections by a more senior officer at the same time they have a previously scheduled meet with others and they'll need to split up to cover both things at one time.
2. So far as Manticore and Haven know, Bolthole is more or less safe from nanite assassins, but we the readers know from Tim Meares, all it takes is one Bolthole person home at Haven for a brief shore-leave could be spritzed in the face and now they'd try to kill Shannon the next time they come near her... this could be something as simple as walking behind her and then literally choking her to death instead of going for something fancy and trying to use a gun
3. Haven doesn't seem to have the same regs about regularly swapping Staff and Field officers, so one way or another Sonja WILL be leaving Bolthole again and probably sooner than most of us might like. Her last field assignment that we know about was 1907 and she was assigned as Fourth Space Lord, CO BuWeaps in 1920, so even for Sonja she's getting too much Staff time in the rear, and even she'd agree that she'll need a fleet by no later than 2030 simply to stay current.

cthia wrote:If they have each other, then lesbian relationships might screw a Cat up trying to wrap all of his hands and arms around that one. I suppose Nimitz had a little experience. Just a tad. But still.

You must have missed this quote from chapter 15 of The Short Victorious War:

she'd known how few humans realized how utterly disinterested 'cats were in human sexuality

I seriously doubt a treecat would object to any form of sexuality, as long as the people involved found it pleasurable. I certainly do not expect them to notice any difference between the two-legs having straight or homosexual sex.

I am not sure what might think Nimitz might have experienced; but I do not think that it could have involved Emily in her life support chair.

tlb wrote:

cthia wrote:If they have each other, then lesbian relationships might screw a Cat up trying to wrap all of his hands and arms around that one. I suppose Nimitz had a little experience. Just a tad. But still.

You must have missed this quote from chapter 15 of The Short Victorious War:

she'd known how few humans realized how utterly disinterested 'cats were in human sexuality

I seriously doubt a treecat would object to any form of sexuality, as long as the people involved found it pleasurable. I certainly do not expect them to notice any difference between the two-legs having straight or homosexual sex.

No, I didn't miss it.

This isn't the first time I have had to point out the difference between "emotions" -- possibly a treecat's (syllables) -- versus some other concept or thing.


What's sex got to do with it?

I was alluding to the fact that a Cat would have to digest the very same emotions that lesbians feel for each other as being the same as the emotions emanating from a traditional couple. I would be hard pressed to believe that Treecats were familiar with homosexuality, or could even grasp the concept, before two-legs. Do you? I could be wrong.

tlb wrote:I am not sure what might think Nimitz might have experienced; but I do not think that it could have involved Emily in her life support chair.

Well, if you are so PG-rated and sexually inexperienced that you cannot imagine sexual gratification between just Emily and Honor, well, we'll leave that up to someone closer to you. Not my job.

Somtaaw wrote:

cthia wrote:I have always felt that Shannon may not be catted for the same reason she is not dating or married. She is much too busy. Her mind is on her work. Same goes for Sonja.

Albeit, I used to think the same thing about Einstein as well, until I found out he had a beloved housecat named Tiger that saw him through many of his theories. So, what do I know.

At any rate, Shannon and Sonja probably do not get out very much at all. They might spend very long hours tinkering and doodling. Both women probably go for long hours without eating. I am not sure either woman would be good for a treecat, or a husband, long-term.

They're not regular cats, but treecats and fully sentient too remember. And much like Honor, Shannon has rather devoted subordinates who MAKE her remember things like eating, I believe she still has Five as her aide, and she has a Steward now because Theisman reintroduced that for senior officers. So any cat bodyguard has plenty of others who will see to 'minor things' like putting out some celery and rabbit stews and what not. Even Honor hasn't done (most) of that since her early days at Basilisk, it's always been McGuinness aboard ship, and/or whomever is at the House of the day. Whether Harrington House on Grayson, Landing House on Manticore, White Haven, or if she's dining with Elizabeth or Benjamin Mayhew, Honor hasn't personally cooked for Nimitz (or Samantha) in a number of years.

If Shannon truly prefers being alone, well that is what a lot of scouts do, they're (physically) alone off on trees, watching out for hexapuma's and other threats. But may I remind you of how/what Shannon did during the time Honor was captured at Adler, was visiting Honor on a daily basis and bringing Nimitz out for "exercise", and iirc quite a bit of petting. She didn't have to go that far despite Tourville assigning her to ensure the POWs were treated well, but she chose to. So I find it slightly difficult to believe if she were offered a treecat bodyguard, specifically to keep her safe from assassins, that she'd turn down the offer. She's one of the few Havenites who seemed totally at ease around the cats, both during Silesia (as Honors prisoner) and post-Adler (Honor as prisoner)


But Shannon isn't always going to be within that close a proximity to Sonja, for a few reasons.

1. They are in a military, and even out at Bolthole, there will be 'surprise' inspections by a more senior officer at the same time they have a previously scheduled meet with others and they'll need to split up to cover both things at one time.
2. So far as Manticore and Haven know, Bolthole is more or less safe from nanite assassins, but we the readers know from Tim Meares, all it takes is one Bolthole person home at Haven for a brief shore-leave could be spritzed in the face and now they'd try to kill Shannon the next time they come near her... this could be something as simple as walking behind her and then literally choking her to death instead of going for something fancy and trying to use a gun
3. Haven doesn't seem to have the same regs about regularly swapping Staff and Field officers, so one way or another Sonja WILL be leaving Bolthole again and probably sooner than most of us might like. Her last field assignment that we know about was 1907 and she was assigned as Fourth Space Lord, CO BuWeaps in 1920, so even for Sonja she's getting too much Staff time in the rear, and even she'd agree that she'll need a fleet by no later than 2030 simply to stay current.

I would think Sonja needs protection more than Shannon. Since Sonja will be the one possibly traveling outside of Bolthole when she is visiting the MBS.

I suppose once she arrived at Bolthole, trips to and from the very secure installation were cut to a minimum. Just as I imagine Darius.

To be frank, but probably not popular, it may be better to leave Shannon without a bodyguard, because if a spy infiltrates Bolthole, the GA may have a much bigger problem than the safety of Shannon. If Shannon is assassinated, that tips the hand that Bolthole has been compromised. The brighter side.


Beware double post.

cthia wrote:To be frank, but probably not popular, it may be better to leave Shannon without a bodyguard, because if a spy infiltrates Bolthole, the GA may have a much bigger problem than the safety of Shannon. If Shannon is assassinated, that tips the hand that Bolthole has been compromised. The brighter side.

So you think only a successful assassination of Shannon would indicate that Bolthole had been compromised? I would have thought it wiser to catch the infiltrator before anything so drastic occurred and to do that the more cats the better.

cthia wrote:I was alluding to the fact that a Cat would have to digest the very same emotions that lesbians feel for each other as being the same as the emotions emanating from a traditional couple. I would be hard pressed to believe that Treecats were familiar with homosexuality, or could even grasp the concept, before two-legs. Do you? I could be wrong.

All that they have to digest is that two people are happy and finding pleasure. I fail to see how that is different between hetero versus homosexual activity. What exactly do you think a homosexual couple radiates that is so different, particularly when cats are "utterly disinterested ... in human sexuality"?

tlb wrote:

cthia wrote:I was alluding to the fact that a Cat would have to digest the very same emotions that lesbians feel for each other as being the same as the emotions emanating from a traditional couple. I would be hard pressed to believe that Treecats were familiar with homosexuality, or could even grasp the concept, before two-legs. Do you? I could be wrong.

All that they have to digest is that two people are happy and finding pleasure.

Sure, and they will eventually do just that. Eventually. Once they get over the possible (shock, awe, surprise, dumbfoundedness, incredulity ...).

How can a Cat digest it in the manner in which you speak, if they can't digest it in general.

There are basically four kinds of love.

• Storge -- empathy bond.
• Philia -- friend bond.
• Eros -- romantic love.
• AGAPE -- unconditional God love.

A treecat might not initially know how to understand Eros pegging their meter when sampling two same sex two-legs. We humans are shocked and fail to understand it even now here on Earth and the concept has long been out of the closet.

A treecat may seek another Cat quickly with requests to "tune their mindglow." <It can't be true what I am tasting.>

The two-legs version: I can't be seeing what I am seeing! My eyes deceive me.

tlb wrote:I fail to see how that is different between hetero versus homosexual activity. What exactly do you think a homosexual couple radiates that is so different, particularly when cats are "utterly disinterested ... in human sexuality"?

The shock value is what's different.

Imagine decades ago when homosexuality was virtually in the closet and someone totally unfamiliar with the concept sees it. You might not know how to process it. Again, as it is even today here on Earth.

tlb wrote:I fail to see how that is different between hetero versus homosexual activity. What exactly do you think a homosexual couple radiates that is so different, particularly when cats are "utterly disinterested ... in human sexuality"?

cthia wrote:The shock value is what's different.

Imagine decades ago when homosexuality was virtually in the closet and someone totally unfamiliar with the concept sees it. You might not know how to process it. Again, as it is even today here on Earth.

Why would treecats be shocked about sex in a different species? Are you shocked when you see Chimpanzees have sex? With Bonobos, the sex could be hetero or homosexual; but why would you care? From Scientific America:

Bonobos engage in sex in virtually every partner combination (although such contact among close family members may be suppressed). And sexual interactions occur more often among bonobos than among other primates.