Carolyn Holm

Cher Madame,
This petit cat is resenting being called undignified names.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
You are? Who is doing this to you?
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
It is being conducted by Madame herself.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Oh! I’m sorry. What did I call you?
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
It is useless to pretend you don’t remember, Madame. You called this pauvre cat “Smoochie”.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin
The name really fits, sweetie. Lately you’ve been waking me in the night being all smoochie.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
What does this word mean?
Regards, M. le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
You come and go during the night, and every time you show up on the bed you come right up to me, put your face in my face, and purr and say hello. Which is sweet, even with your bad breath and your drippy eye. And if I don’t pet you, you nip my hands until I do.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
That’s a smoochie?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
That’s the lead-up to the smoochie part. Because then you rub your face on mine and lick me. That’s the smoochie part.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Madame makes it all sound so sordid.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
No! It’s lovely, sweetie! Just a bit annoying sometimes, to be awakened several times a night for this. And the bad breath and the drippy eye part. Which I don’t hold against you – I realize that you are a sixteen year old cat, and old age sucks.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
There is no need for Madame to go on and on about the indignities of old age. As for the wake-ups, this pauvre petit cat thought that Madame appreciates a loving gesture.
Regards, M. le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Oh, I do! I cherish my sweet pussycat!
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
It is to remind Madame that her petit cat loves her!
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
But at 3:30 in the dark of night? When everyone is sleeping. And you want to wake me up for some snuggling? I have to say, sometimes I suspect that there is more to this than love. 
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
What is suspected by Madame?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
That the wake-ups are also about a breakfast discussion.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
This petit cat is always interested in the deployment of breakfast.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
It’s served in the automatic feeder! At the same time every morning!
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Still, Madame, breakfast is such a lovely subject of conversation. And part of a loving moment that should not suffer the indignity of an undignified name.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
I’m sorry, sweetie. I never realized you didn’t like being called “Smoochie”. I meant it as an affectionate name. I’ll think of something else.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
And not Potato. Madame called this petit cat a potato yesterday. That too is unacceptable.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

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A note to our readers…

Poppy, Winston, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, all based upon actual conversations. And yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!