The concept of “juniors”—saddling a child with the exact same name as the parent— goes against my fierce belief in individual creative freedom. To start life without one’s own blank slate, to try to live up to namesake expectations, to add a junior to every signature to avoid confusion, is, in my book, just all wrong.
In other words, I’d never dress twins in the same outfits, either.
So why would I consider getting a cat based solely on the shocking resemblance to the last adored feline that resided with me? It makes no sense. Yet I stewed about this decision for days, finally coming to the conclusion that I was trying to clone the first cat.
And, as we all know, cat personalities refuse to be cloned. A lot like “juniors” being of the same ilk as their predecessor. It’s highly unlikely, and not necessarily desirable. So I’ve decided to hold off “replacing” dear Izzy for a while longer. And when I do get another cat, he or she will most certainly not arrive with any preconceived expectations for behavior or personality.
And he, or she, will most certainly not be named Izzy Jr.