h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oh, I would have appreciated the advice regardless. We found one in the $40 range so it wasn't exorbitantly expensive. Worst case scenario it'd be useful when we get around to adopting another kitty. But he really does prefer his water cool and filtered, so the fountain has proven to be a Good Thing.

Thanks again for the advice, SWL.

Blimey, Herman is high maintenance!

Pippin-the-Wonder-Cat is now recovered from his bite on the leg - but when he wants attention he limps around where he knows I can see him. What a fraud!

Oh, that's shameless!

What manipulative little fakers they are. And yes, Herman is becoming quite the drama queen. He didn't act like this when I met him five years ago. I wonder how he's gotten so spoiled...?

I wonder?

Hmm, this morning he's pulled his usual weekend morning routine: wake me up and lure me into the living room for pets, scratches and snuggles. Then, the minute I get up to use the computer or the washroom or something, hightail it to the bed and steal my spot.

And you fall for it every time?

Sho, I once had a cat who'd had a leg injury; she'd limp when she wanted attention. But after a while she got confused and started to fake a limp with the wrong leg... Cats are just ham actors really.

I still fall for it, every time, yes. I'm such an easy mark.

Ivan that's hilarious!

Mine also gets the terrible sulks. Every evening (just about) I'll be sitting on the sofa. comes and sits right next to me, and if I ignore him, he taps me with his paw until I scratch his head or something.

If I ignore him he taps me a few times then goes over to (if he's there). If also ignores him, he () sits in the middle of the floor with his back to us, and ignores us if we call him.

Of course he can't keep it up for too long, because he loves to have his head scratched, so he comes over all big-eyed and taps me again after about 10 minutes. But his attack of the sulks is worthy of a teenaged human.

And you ignore him so he'll sulk because you think it's cute, right?

Herman does that sulk thing, too. He'll sit with his back to us, with his head hanging down, in a "woe is me" kind of way. Sometimes he even makes a huffing noise, almost as if he were sighing. He'll try so hard to ignore us when we call, but after a while, one ear will twitch or turn toward us. That is kind of cute.

Of course when he's feeling really indignant, he'll lay on his side and thump his tail against the floor really hard.

Oh yes, I love to make him sulk Mala. Highpoint of the evening

We get the tail thumping too. Or if he's really really miffed he'll climb on his cat tree and lie on it with his back to us just looking at the curtains.

One of our cats, Claudius, took to sulking and sitting with his back to us staring at the wall. At first we thought it was just him being moody, but when he stopped washing himself and coming for meals we became concerned that he was missing Dandy, his lifelong friend. (Dandy went for a walk a few months ago and never came back). So we got a new kitten, Miss Casandra Moo-Pants (Cassie). At first he never acknowledged her existence but now, a couple of months later, he's like a love-lorn teenager again. It's great to watch the two of them as they are besotted with each other. No more sulks

Aww, poor lonely Claudius. I'm glad he's got a new friend now.

One of these days I'd like to get a little feline brother or sister for Herman, but the landlord already made an exception to the "no pets" clause once, so I hate to push my luck. That, and I wonder if we have enough space here for two cats.

Another way Herman loves to sulk- when we're getting our own dinner ready, he'll sit next to his food dish, staring into it, and occasionally huffing. He'll do that for a good 15 minutes or more, before he flips the bowl over in a less subtle bid for attention.

Oh poor Claudius! But it is funny to see them get all love-sick over a new partner.

Herman sounds hilarious - you have to show him some Snoopy cartoons, maybe he'll start wearing his food dish on his head.

I'd like another cat, but says no, and frankly, kittens are such a lot of work. I want a ready-made adult that will sit on me. And then, Pippin would just get huffy and jealous. Or gay like my old cat Spooky did.

Try the local cat shelter if you want a grown up kitty. There are plenty of them out there in need of a new home.

Two of the Lair s are adopted. as half grown directly from her previous owner. as adult from the local cat shelter.

Just be sure to spay/neuter if you're not VERY determined to breed. There are plenty of unwanted kittens already. An unspayed female cat can produce some 120 kittens in her life. A male - who knows...

I've been considering adopting a cat, but I'd feel so mean keeping it indoors when it could have the run of the farm at my mum's (where my cat lives now ). I'm too chaotic to adopt a blind cat.

So I'll probably just be getting a rat, for now.

Shelters here tend to spay/neuter, period. I've always had cats which I strictly kept indoors, so my cats have always been neutered. Prior to now, all of my cats we adopted from the Humane Society; K got Herman at a farm in Wisconsin. He probably wouldn't have survived well as an outdoor farm cat, but he sure seems fine now.

What sort of rat will you be getting, Mala? Will you keep it in a cage or let it have the run of the place? Rats are supposed to be quite bright and personable pets, at least from what I have heard.

Well, if I do get rats it'll probably be *two* rats, they can amuse eachother when I'm not home and run around here when I'm around to supervise them. Don't want any cables gnawed or anything.

Or perhaps gerbils. I've had mice, rats, and gerbils so far, as rodents go.

I've had mice, gerbils, and hamsters. And one rabbit.

Otherwise, cats. And a few parakeets. And salamanders. And lots of fish. And an iguana. And one dog, till my parents found out I was allergic.

Moving forward, I think I'll stick with cats. Though gerbils were kind of nice, too, they're not quite as snuggly. Then again, they don't wake up up with a paw in the mouth when they're feeling frisky.