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Q&A Alternating names

While it's a good idea to vary your descriptions occasionally for variety, in this instance, Siamese is not just a way to refer to the cat, but a way to differentiate this cat from other cats. If...

posted 9y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-13T12:00:28Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/16252
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T04:03:27Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/16252
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T04:03:27Z (over 4 years ago)
While it's a good idea to vary your descriptions occasionally for variety, in this instance, _Siamese_ is not just a way to refer to _the cat,_ but a way to differentiate this cat from _other_ cats.

If the scene were in someone's living room, then _Siamese_ would help you identify that cat as opposed to the tabby, tuxedo, and tortie cats also lying on the couch.

Here, you're pretty much talking about one cat, so I would treat "cat" more like "plumber" or "lawyer" in Roger's excellent answer, and use the cat's name as the variable instead.

The only place I would use it in your example is here:

> "So," I said, stroking **Sheba's** paw, "did you guys find out the problem?"

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2015-02-17T15:37:00Z (about 9 years ago)
Original score: 2