Seems many of us are attached to our animal friends and need a place to express our love and appreciation for them, despite the little agonies they bring to our lives. Like Dan, I'm allergic to cats, love dogs and yet we have two cats (my buddy Christopher, a third cat, died a few months ago). I have mild asthma, made worse by the cats and have to take three meds daily to control the symptoms and occasionally need the strong rescue breather inhaler.

Here's a place where animal lovers can post and read about pet stories.

Princess wanted a kitten for her birthday this year. I told her she could get one, provided it was the "right" cat. We already have an aging tom who wouldn't react well to another tom, so I told her it had to be female. I have always had med-long hair cats, and they have been the BEST cats - almost part dog. I told princess it would need to be a med-long hair female. The shelter here didn't have what we wanted. The "free cat" ads didn't have what we wanted. Princess kept whining, and we kept looking for the "right cat." While we were out of town visiting her aunt froggie, princess spent her time browsing ads for cats. Our last day in town, she found an ad on Craigslist for a black and white long hair female cat - the last one in the litter and allegedly very sad and lonely now that her siblings were all adopted. $20 "re-homing" fee to help assure that it was not going to become snake chow.

We called, spoke with the old lady who placed the ad, got directions to the house, and drove out.

She brought out the cat.

Umm...princess, this cat is NOT long haired.

"But he won't shed as badly!"

Well, it doesn't work that way, but whatever.

She is also a he.

"No, she's not!" (Old lady jumps in and backs princess up - this is definitely a female, she says.)

Ummm...no. No...these are most definitely boy parts. This is a short hair tom - we are looking for a long hair female.

Princess glares.

We need to keep looking. Give it back to the nice (either dishonest or very confused) lady.

Princess glares harder, crosses her arms over the cat and declares very firmly, "HIS name is Domino."

Crap. Once you name it, you're doomed.

Domino is a royal PITA to the old man (cat #1). He's personality plus, mind you, and a complete CLOWN...

But do you think kitty would enjoy the company of a black and white, long hair, neutered and chipped "female" cat? The bunny has only whooped his azz twice, so he's not even completely paranoid...yet...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gi00Jx92-Zs

Granny just passed away last year. Anyways, the mutt for some reason enjoys chewing the assignment out of my underwear and PJs. And will NOT get off my lap when she isn't hiding upstairs under our bed.

Her other dog is an old lab/boxer mix who has OCD about laying on the sectional couch. When we have company and there's nowhere to sit on the couch, she paces and whines till I command her to sit. When there's room on the couch, she gets up and turn in a circle counterclockwise three times then lays down. Every time.

BTW, I encourage in laws to kiss the little mutt.

When we moved to our current house about 15 years ago, we brought along Figaro, our long haired tuxedo. Within a few weeks, he disappeared, much to the grief of my family. Several months later when it became apparent that Figaro wasn't coming back, Mom took the kids to the shelter to find a replacement. They just happened to have a tuxedo, albeit a short hair, and he was down to his last few days before being euthanized so my wife paid the fees for the neutering and shots and brought him, Figaro2, home.

Sometime the next year, after visiting her friend from school who lives a few blocks away, my daughter brought home a box. She hurried into her room and asked Mom to follow her. Hushed conversations were audible from that room, and then some giggles and tiny mewing sounds. Curious, I go and take a look. In the box was the cutest gray tiger kitten we've ever seen: Christopher. He was the last of his litter. I looked at my daughter and wife, intending to say "NO!" The looks on their faces...

How could we not keep it? But as the master of my house who was severely allergic to cats, while sniffling, blowing my nose, coughing and trying to breathe, I decreed that there will be no more cats!!!

A few months later, my wife announces that the school district has offered a low cost benefit for life insurance increases for spouses. She said she doubled the insurance for me, just in case. She wanted to be sure that the house would be paid off if I were to have an accident. Smart gal I married, I thought to myself. Shortly thereafter my wife heard some meowing sounds coming from under our neighbors house...and that's how we came to adopt Kona, a female all black Halloween cat. I think my wife believed that three was enough to do me in...

Actually, Figaro's story sounds a lot like my old man's story. My first cat was a long hair gray tom, also. He loved (and I mean LOVED) riding in cars and was notorious for getting into the neighbors' cars if they left the doors open too long. One day, he just disappeared. Given his propensity for stowing away and the fact that the neighbors had had a moving van, door open, in front of their house all week, I assumed that he had gotten himself transported along with the furniture. I checked the shelter every other day, just in case. One day we were at the shelter and walked past a cage full of kittens. One of them, a little gray, long hair tom that could have been cat #1s younger clone, pointedly ignored everyone else, but went nuts trying to grab my son through the bars - he just hung onto him and made a horrible racket. Cat #1 still wasn't there, so we asked about the kitten and were told that the entire bunch was going to be euthanized because they had an upper respiratory infection (AKA bad colds.) We decided to check one last time for cat #1 the next day, and when we passed the kitten cage again, the same thing happened - little man went nuts when the boyo passed and tried to climb through the bars to get him. We got him neutered, chipped and vaccinated, and my old GSD nana-dog (RIP big girl) adopted him and spent days on end washing boogers off his little face lol. He is still the Boyo's cat...or rather, the boyo is still his. Almost lost him la year ago - I don't know what happened, but he started throwing up everything we fed him, stopped grooming himself and was nothing but skin and bones. He literally couldn't keep anything down. We kept finding him hiding in dark corners, with his eyes all flat and dull, not dead, but not moving. He is one helluva hunter, so our best guess is he may have gotten hold of a rodent that had been poisoned (park across the road has a big vole problem, and some of the people bordering it have been known to out out poison to keep them out of their yards.)

Boyo kept the cat in his room around the clock and fed him chicken broth with a dropper for about a week. He recovered, and is still going strong, but he never did really bulk up again, and his tummy is very sensitive - he pukes up anything but high dollar kitten food and a little bit of half & half. He got very needy and hyper-affectionate, too. The tuxedo is a clown, but he's kind of aloof. The old man requires a lap at all times, and if you have a hand within range, it had better be petting him lol!

Your first wife, right?

Another pet story, from bgz, to add to the collection

Have had one Cat! It s h i t in a box

it was a good death... 😟

Oh ya, was a proud moment for my puppies! They were all running around with their tails up for a half hour.

Happiest I've seen them in a while, any time we're walking and they see a bunny, they go nuts. They finally got to get one.

My German Shorthair lived with my dad when I got married so I got my wife a cat on her 25th.

We ended up sharing our home with two dogs and two cats.

It's been almost two years since I lost D to cancer, she was only 12. Her mates all made it to 24-18-17. Animals have a tendency to stay awhile living with us.

Pretty sure if it wasn't for the cancer D would still be here walking with me on the weekends while I had a cigar.

Whereas I viewed my first dog Casey as the smarter of the two and more dedicated to the family, I swear that dog understood some English, D was the one that could read a calendar as she knew the difference between me getting home on a Thursday or a Friday night.

I did the same thing on those nights, came home with my briefcase or briefcase and luggage.

Changed clothes, checked mails etc.

But Friday's around 530 she would come up to me, **** her head, prance a bit then throw her head back and howl at me! It was walk and cigar time.

I'd ask her what? She would howl more. It was so funny.

Guess I miss her the most as she was the last but she also connected me to the neighborhood and seasons as we walked 5 times every weekend rain, sleet, snow or cold we'd make our various loops around.

It was a great routine for us both, I'd get to smoke (if wasn't under 25) and she got to check out the neighborhood and meet her doggie friends.

I need another dog....

ummmm.......did you choke your chicken???? [ram27bat]

My cat is house trained. No box... she goes outside to do her bidness. I rescued her 14 years ago, or so, and she's still very active.

I want a dog, though... prolly get one when she goes.

Reminds me I need to take my dogs for walks more, I try to get them out at least once a week. It used to be easier before I had my daughter.

I'm not the biggest fan of cats, I'm allergic to them like Dan (another good story btw).