cat nicknames

we have a cute little gray and white tabby cat named jingle bell. i know that jingle bell is NOT the best name for a cat, but we got her around christmas time when s was about 5. it was the most magical name she could consider at the time, so the unfortunately named jingle bell came to be.

now, jingle has a little issue with corpulence. such an issue that she cannot reach her nether regions in order to clean herself. this has led to hundreds of dollars in veterinary bills for urinary tract infections. yeah, i know, great. TMI.

she's the sweetest little tolerant kitty. the kind of kitty that follows you around and gazes up into your eyes. the kind that licks your fingers and toes until they shine. the children absolutely adore her because she lets them carry her around and tease her about her weight.

which brings me to the topic. jingle bell is not the greatest name, and i am prone to calling her bell or bella or bellina. bellicose would be more apt, but i digress. the kids have come up with the oddest names for this poor cat. mostly h. his names for her include belly eller, bellorgin blub, blubberg meowgen, bellee- bellew-bellub and bellatin gelatin. s calls her dinda bueller.

WHERE ON EARTH do they come up with names like this? and what on the earth do they mean? i've asked them, and they just shrug, content in their own little world of imaginary nicknames. the other animals and people in the house are not nearly so nickname-endowed as poor jingle bell. otherwise, you'd probably be wondering what they call ME.