When I took her in (from my neighbor who is a vet tech), I wasn't sure what to name her. I had given almost all my previous cats names that began with "M" and not by any design: Murphy, Montgomery, Marceau (although there was an Ingmar in there as well -- but that still contained the soft "m" voicing in the name). I was driving up to Wisconsin (from here in Chicago) with an Al Kooper cd, I Stand Alone, playing in the background and the song, "Camille," queued up. That name just seemed to fit perfectly. And, of course, it still has the soft "m" voicing in the name -- I guess it just rolls off the tongue easier when you have to get their attention ... frequently. So, Camille it became.
Previous to formally naming her, I had been looking for a name that would capture her essence -- she has a very distinct marking on her flank that strongly resembles an ascending hot air balloon. I tried locating the translation for "balloon" in several different languages, including Swedish and Norwegian. Nothing sounded remotely like a name. So Camille it is.
Although, if I were more clever and inclined to rename her today (with the weight she has gained over the years and her distinctive black and white facial markings), I might want to call her "Panda."
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