So.. there was a thread recently which covered pets. I'm intrigued.

In the interest of self-disclosure, we recently adopted a cat. I like both cats and dogs, and I'm not necessarily a "cat person", which I do like to point out. Cats are just much more practical for lazy people like myself, natch. You can check out a few pictures of Floyd here:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Woods/5511/floyddt_reg.htm
http://wise-ebusiness.com/images/floyd_tangled.jpg
http://wise-ebusiness.com/images/floyd_tv.jpg

Bonus picture. Possibly the best cat picture in all of recorded history:

http://wise-ebusiness.com/images/ernie_the_cat.jpg

Pets are a lot of fun. The temptation to develop an entire game around the pet concept is .. ah, Molyneux already did it. Doesn't work.

I have a couple cats, but they're kinda ass-holes. It's like having bad room mates who lock themselves out in the middle of the night, eat all your food and complain when there's nothing to eat, get sick and puke on the floor and leave it for you to clean up, fight over dope, kill small animals and leave them around the yard...
Their names are Nipsi and Norman.

Brad Grenz

Most cats that I've come across are like that. That's largely why I'm not a cat person.

Really, until I got married, I wasn't a "pet" person. My wife wanted a dog, but I didn't really. Then, one day, we came across a litter of puppies next door, after the owners of the house had moved out. We knew that we had to keep one...

So, now, we have two dogs, both mutts, both mostly lab, both that we took to keep from going to the pound -- a little two-year-old, 35lb. black girl, Christie, and a one-year-old, 65 lb. golden, Lucky. They're both very sweet and affectionate dogs. That unconditional love that dogs give is pretty cool. We like 'em.

Mongrel, attention-starved, clingy, talkative cat and really cranky yet lovable conure in my house. Oh, and some kind of frog... not sure what it is, but it's cool. Unofficial pet is some kind of bat that hangs around my house a lot in the backyard; we've got a lot of plants that have those symbiotic bugs (the ones that actually help the plant somehow without destroying it) on 'em, so the bat likes the buffet, I suppose. Cat caught him once, but the cat's kinda dumb so the bat lived.

We have a dog named Mothra, a German Shephard mix of about 60lbs who thinks she's our child and acts about like a three year old most of the time. And fish, including two very large Oscars who I am sure could beat me two out of three in a fair fight.

Oscars are great. Ever see the Albino Oscars? Beautiful fish.

Actually, in my experience Oscars are not any more aggressive than other fish -- nothing like those firemouths. But they get so BIG!

We've got three insane long hair cats (A Domestic Long hair, a Himalayan, and a Persian). You can vacuum maybe one room before you have to empty the hair out of the bag.

And we've got a 9 month old St Bernard, 110 lbs, who's convinced that he is still a lap dog. He also likes to stand or sit on your feet. My wife and I are both bruised and limping.

The sad part is the little 5 lb cat beats the snot out of the dog.

-Trevor

Hehe. I love cats, but my wife is allergic. So no cats. I've seen albino Oscars, but I prefer the non-albino verions normally. Like Jack Dempseys, they like to root in the plants and we always have floating plants because of them. But I mainly like them because they're big--nothing like watching a couple of dinner-plate size fish swim around, looking for all the world like a couple of Admiral Ackbars.

"Pets are a lot of fun."

I can't believe you guys are going for this thread. He's started some goofy threads, but this one takes the cake.

Oh, and I own the world's coolest cat.

Amanpour

"I can't believe you guys are going for this thread. He's started some goofy threads, but this one takes the cake. "


(laughing) ... shoot, you've got a point.

Bill. A 15-year-old Maine Coon cat I got in college. Amazingly sweet to me and my wife. Hates everyone else.

He's proven that cats learn over the course of 15 years. In the old days, he'd get excited by animals outside, a fishbowl, bugs, etc. Now he's realized none of that matters. Nowadays it's pretty much eat, sit on laps, and about twice a week chase the catnip bag for five minutes.

I like dogs, but sort of the way I like kids... It's great fun to play with someone else's, and then give it back when it needs any sort of care. Great thing about cats... Drop food twice a day and keep the box clean and they're self-maintaining.

We just got a betta fish. Phil. Bill could care less.

As for cats who don't pay attention to their people... Never get a pair of cats simulateneously. They bond with each other and could care less about the people unless they're hungry. You have to get one first and let it be the only cat for about six to nine months. Then it assumes it's a person. When the second cat comes in, cat #1 just writes it off as a mere animal, thus cat #2 is also forced to look to humans for attention and entertainment.

"Never get a pair of cats simulateneously. They bond with each other and could care less about the people unless they're hungry."

My experience has been the complete opposite Denny. A single cat becomes aloof and self absorbed while a pair of cats remain much more kitten-like for longer. Jeez, my two are going on 6 years as little monsters. But then I find it more entertaining to watch my two cats beat the crap out of each other, than them turning to me for constant attention (which goes a long way toward explaining this difference in opinion).

Wish I could have a dog, but the baby impedes travel enough as it is. I don't need a pet, at this stage of life, that I'd have to board.

-Andrew
PS: Bruce Geryk liked one of my cats enough to make goo-goo noises at it when he visited.

My girlfriend moved in with me 7 months ago (I'd call her a pet, but I'm the one on the leash). Within a week I got the "We need a cat" demand.

Went to the pound and picked up a 1 year old short haired for the apartment. I grew up with cats in the house, so I was estatic to have a cat to play around with. Lucky for us, she bonded with us and the apartment right away. Took to the litter box, liked the food, didn't try to jump off the balcony when the patio door was left open... :) Never had a dog become this loyal that quickly.

Anyway, the cat is strange as all hell sometimes. When I get out of the shower, I put on my robe and walk to the clothes closet to get dressed for work. The cat insists during this short walk to attack my legs. She wraps her paws around my exposed leg, bites me three times, then tears ass out of the bedroom into the kitchen. A few seconds later she runs back in, bites the other leg, and runs off. This continues until I get dressed and fill her food bowl. Every morning. ugh.

Oh, and love the Ernie the Cat picture.

Maybe try filling the food bowl before you get in the shower.

As for me, we've got a cockatiel, an albino budgie parakeet, and a juvenile iguana.

My roommate's girlfriend picked up a pet snail somewhere at school. He's incredibly cute if you ignore the slime he leaves on everything.

It's like having a space alien in the house. He can hibernate for years at a time and has eyes on the end of stalks.

Wow, speak of the devil. Just as I was composing this message, Floyd wandered into the computer room and meowed at me, which is unusual-- I have about three pcs whirring away in here and usually music blaring in the background, too. Floyd typically likes it quiet.. he's still a little shy from his days as a stray. Some cat love was in order.

Our cat has a funny habit of wanting some part of his body to be touching you whenever he lays down near you. Unfortunately, we usually get the ass end of the cat. One morning I woke up and his butt was the first thing I saw-- I mean it was literally right in the face. Heh.

It's strange how powerful the emotional bond is between us and the cat already, and we've only had him around 3 months. I can only imagine what this will be like with kids!

"Floyd wandered into the computer room and meowed at me, which is unusual"

You should always keep the cat hairs away from the computer, or that will static and spark your boards. Very bad.

"we usually get the ass end of the cat. One morning I woke up and his butt was the first thing I saw-- I mean it was literally right in the face"

Ha's! I can understand that, my friend.

Greetz..

Tried the food before the shower thing, but it doesn't work. She just looks at it and wanders off. I have to take a shower before I fill the bowl or it just doesn't work.

She's a pure creature of habit. If any of her things are out of place (scratching post, her little bed, or her blanket) she just wanders around

I have two cats: an orange tiger named Ozymandias, and a gray tiger named Grendel (the most ill-named cat ever--he's kinda cute and skittish).

Well Grendel was cute and skittish, according to his mother anyway.

I have a fat black cat named Dante and my wife called her's Sasha. Ozymandias is a pretty good cat name. I suppose you call it Ozzy for short Ben?

-Andrew

"One morning I woke up and his butt was the first thing I saw-- I mean it was literally right in the face"
You didn't have any "licking an ice cream cone" dreams that night, did you? Ewwww (grin).

I have an itinerant cat I named Maeve who just showed up on my back deck a few years ago. I've also got 2 fish tanks and a small pond. I'd love a dog (like, REALLY would like to have a dog), but my schedule, combined with the generally fascisti guidelines for adoption imposed by the Humane Society, keep me from getting one.

My cat is extremely affectionate, and very well-behaved. I play miniatures wargames, and she doesn't even bother the little men as they sit, naked to her attentions, on my painting table for weeks at a clip.

I'm not really a big cat person, but I'm glad mine showed up.

This is my cat.

Yeah, saw that on the Daily Show, creepy little things aren't they?

-Andrew

"combined with the generally fascisti guidelines for adoption imposed by the Humane Society, keep me from getting one."

Why don't you try one of the local rescue leagues? There are a bunch of 'em, even breed specific ones. They do screen, and we had to sign a 'contract'.. but so few people are willing to adopt mature animals (everyone wants a CUTE LIL' PUPPY or a CUTE LIL' KITTEN) that they don't set the bar very high. It's just a reality check to make sure you have a decent, planned home for the animal. That's it.. at least around here.

We just went through the approval process for the Colorado St Bernard Rescue. It was a 30 minute home inspection (making sure you have fences up, aren't just chaining the dog to a tree, that sort of thing)..nothing difficult, especially since we already have a St Bernard.

The really really nice thing about the Rescue was their "test drive" policy. You go look at the available dogs that fit your criteria, and decide which one you want to try. They give you a three day trial run, and then cash your check if you want to keep the dog. If it doesn't work out, you can return the dog during the trial period and wait for another one.

We just used the test drive last week. She was a very sweet dog, but she was too aggressive with the cats, she barked a lot, and she was an escape artist. We're waiting for the next batch of dogs to try again.

"I suppose you call it Ozzy for short Ben?"

Well, that was originally our intention, but really we don't. Usually it's just "Ozymandias." Or alternately, "sir" (as in "excuse me, sir, but will you please stop scratching the couch?"). His name IS fitting, as in:

"I am Ozymandias, king of kings,
look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair."

"I am Ozymandias, king of kings,
look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair."

Heh, litter box humor?

As I said my cat's name is Dante and my wife's is Sasha. She vetoed my idea of naming her cat Virgil or Beatrice. And then she called me a literary geek and so I dropped the suggestions and let her name it.

-Andrew

I believe that's

"I am Ozymandias, King of the Ants."

I call Ben's cats "Mandias" and "gray" most of the time. Gray likes me, Mandias is just interested in me feeding him.

I have one cat, Kosho, who is this really fat brown/orange striped cat with the whole white paws/belly/chin thing. He's incredibly cute, and just plain fat. Tried diets and all that stuff, no luck.

He's a people-cat. He doesn't always demand attention, but he's GOT to be near people. If I go to the living room to watch TV, he'll be in there, lying on the floor or couch nearby, within five minutes. I come to the computer room, he'll lay on the floor near me.

He's incredibly tolerant of just about everything. You can do whatever you like to him, and he'll just whine. Makes it easy to trim his claws and give him that yearly bath.

I'm not sure why, but he's obsessed with my humidifier. ??

Two cats for me. Pixie and Belle are their names. Pixie is all-white, all-shedding, all-the-time. Belle is a calico that as noted earlier actually sheds whichever hairs will be most visible on the fabric they're left upon.

Both love people and hang out with us all the time. They adapted really well to the three boys despite some tail pulling escapades. We give them plenty of petting, scratching, etc. Yet when people come over, they're on them looking for affection like crazy. They act as if no one touches them for months until that relative walks through the door.

They also eat like crazy but don't gain weight. *shrug* Oh, Belle is a gamer too. She's always sitting right in the middle of my desk on the mouse when I want to play a game. Optical mice are imperative for cat owners.

--Dave

Damn. Ernie is THE MAN.


Er, THE CAT.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0811829634

"Why don't you try one of the local rescue leagues? There are a bunch of 'em, even breed specific ones. They do screen, and we had to sign a 'contract'.. but so few people are willing to adopt mature animals (everyone wants a CUTE LIL' PUPPY or a CUTE LIL' KITTEN) that they don't set the bar very high. It's just a reality check to make sure you have a decent, planned home for the animal. That's it.. at least around here. "

If I had a cute lil' puppy I might not leave the house for months. I'd be trapped by the adorable playfulness, and be doomed. I am looking into an older dog now. I noticed the rather strict guidelines most of the rescue leagues around here have, but it didn't really occur to me that they might be flexible. Hmm...

>"I am looking into an older dog now."

I hear if you polish 'em up good, pets can work
much like a Magic 8-Ball. But when I look into
my cat, it just says "Ask Again Later".

Maybe I need to look into another cat.

"Maybe I need to look into another cat. "

Maybe it's the "window" you're looking at. ;-)