I didn't want a pet. I didn't much like lazy assed pets who do nothing to contribute towards living in my apartment. I thought at the least, if there was one in my apartment it would leave me alone and keep a large distance between us. I even had to ask Armin for advice about getting an animal, before I was convinced.

How wrong I was, and my how I've changed my mind.

mdnstudio.com/zazzie

Here's my cat. Jupiter. She's sweet, and keeps my feet warm.

I have two dogs, a Chihuahua and an Italian Greyhound (IG).
What's an IG? Imagine a greyhound the size of a Chihuahua.

Good topic Armin. I've been in Linux Config Nightmareland all afternoon so this is a nice break.

My fiancée is a Vet Tech so of course we have quite the zoo. We have, between the two households 7 cats. 3 fat tabbies, 2 tortoise-shells, 1 one-eyed gimped-legged "pirate cat" and my boy "Tennyson" the Siamese. I love dogs as well (Erin and I really want a Irish Wolfhound) but I am still a tad nervous around them since I was attacked by a German Shepherd and almost lost my right eye.

Here I am with one of my girls:

*c

Regardez et écoutez (avec la musique).

Son nom est Honey. Elle a un fr�re Darel.

I am so envious of all of you with furry pets (except for that whole picking-up-shit thing). I'm envious of every design studio with esp. a dog. I love dogs and cats (though dogs especially) but alas I am allergic. I have even tried hanging with the so-called non-allergenic dogs like the poodle--to no avail. I just love furry animals so much (and oddly, cats really love me, maybe because I'm more allergic to them than anything) ... note the emphasis on furry. I like snakes and lizards well enough, but prefer if they live under rocks in the garden. As for birds ... fly away little birdies, fly away!

And Christoher J ... that is one beautiful ... cat you have there. Yes.

I have a very spoiled chinchilla named Sasparilla.

He helps reduce my stress with our nightly romps around the house.

like Marian I love the little creatures btu I am too - allergic to *everything*

I seem to do okay around (the supposedly hypo-allergynic Maltese)...

So instead we had a son!

Your chinchilla has good tastes in magazines. :)

Your chinchilla has good tastes in magazines. :)

I keep trying to influence him, but he ends up just pooping on it.

And Christoher J ... that is one beautiful ... cat you have there.

Thanks Marian. She is quite the so called "muffinhead".

*c

I've got a cockatiel named "Picasso" ("Cassie" for short). She just started laying eggs for the first time in nine years and I had to take her to the vet. Have you ever taken a bird to the vet? To have bloodwork done? Me neither.

I wish I could have a dog -- but i've found a bird who takes bathes in your water glass and sits on top of your head can be just as much fun. If only they made avian diapers...

This is my princess Sophie Lyse Grisbie. She smells like sugar cookies. She has an imaginary friend named Stephanie.

This is her brother Pascal Lor Grisbie. His nick name is Jean-Jacques. He loves cantalope. He is quite the mucho muchacho.

I've got a chimpanzee named Eddie. He's a real stress reliever around the office. Here's a pic from our Christmas party - he put on quite a show!

James Craig, I love your dog! It looks like the offspring of a seal, a deer, and a whippet. Awesome.

My cat Frances, on the other hand, looks like the offspring of a cat, a raccoon, and a turkey. She's pushing 20 pounds. When a cat is that fat, everything she does is funny.

If only they made avian diapers...

They do. Weirder than doggie sweaters if you ask me.

I've always had dogs since I was little (I remember looking *up* at our St. Bernard's nose when I was a wee tyke).

Current comapnion is a one-year-old Shiba Inu pup, named Dayna. Don't let the shy face fool you, she's whip-smart and quite mischievous.

My day would truly be disappointing without Isabelle & Ozzy. Their wonderfulness must be appreciated in motion.

MORE IMAGES OF THE CHINCHILLA!!!!!

I am allergic to children and chimpanzees as well, but perhaps ... a chinchilla! Does Sasparilla come when she's called?

"muffinhead"

Very cute indeed.

And hooray for fat cats! I am soooo envious.

Mango likes to sleep.

Turbo likes to sleep.

They like to sleep together too. They are best friends.

I'm posting these because they're design-related. Cellphone photos are the best!

Georgia as art director. She was right, it did need to be a couple points to the left.

And her trying to tell me when to let well enough alone with something or other:

She's not, by the way, named after the font. I am in control! She's just a sloopyhead.

And wrestle!

Meowr. Wwroewrw.

(Jason's always typing on Speak Up. He never pets me enough.)

kristen - Sophie Lyse Grisbie looks just like mr. jasper jingles!

and this is sassafrass. she has a pig tail and loves to lay on your lap:

mr chank diesel and heidi gave the cats to us after they moved out of their studio in minneapolis. sassy and jingles have brighten our lives so much, i don't know how to thank chank and heidi without being too mushy.

Okay, for Patric ... here's a series from a recent evening. Sasparilla looks a little rough, but he's healthy. He has a nervous condition that makes him chew his fur. It just makes me like him all the more. Oh, and he's quick. I spend a good part of the time trying to keep track of where he's at.

We just had a 'pet' squirrel in the house for a week.

Unfortunately, I had to clock him on the head this morning with a brick.

Damn cute furry rodent.

RIP.

Good heavens! I declare Sasparrilla the official pet of Speak Up.

Darrel - I had to stick my 3-year old betta in the freezer this week. It was either that or clock him on the head with a brick. I went with the less messy method.

Armin - Hooray! I'll tell the Sass. I can't guarantee he'll care, but he should know about this honor. I can only guarantee he'll poop a lot.

Okay, just one more. I had to post this shot of my boycat "Tennyson" or as we lovingly call him... The Bonz or "Bonz... James Bonz"

*c

thanks, jesse. i had the most embarrassing cuterriffic fit upon seeing sasparilla since i discovered japanese goth kids.

so he won't feel left out, this is my man doug, lookin' swanky:

there's another, named zoe. she refuses to be photographed. she's french. you know how they are.

The top head is Seymour. The bottom head is Milton. They are brothers from different ends of the line. Seymour is brilliant, attentive, emotional, and devilish. Milton is stupid, claustrophobic, but adorable and a non-stop purr machine.

I think you can guess where the names came from. I was once told in an interview that I should let Mr. Chwast know of his feline namesake. I never did, and I couldn't bear to tell Mr. Glaser that Milton isn't playing with a full deck of prismacolors.

Crud, that's a lot of cats.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Here's another dog. This is Indigo, our Whippet. He's coming out of his puppy-brain phase and not chewing things as much anymore. He likes to spoon into your thigh when your sitting on the couch. A Whippet is like an Italian Greyhound the size of an Icelandic Sheepdog. Basically, they run around intensely for about 10 minutes, and then they lay around like furry speed bumps the rest of the day.

Jesse,

I think Sassparilla is my favourite so far. Does he make any noises?

When's his birthday? Does he cuddle in your lap?

When does he pop back into the comic strip?

My name is po'Lee. I am part mini-doberman, part chiuaua. I used to live with this older cuban lady, but she couldn't hang. So, I hooked up with fine, young, pr lady and she brought me home where this dude, Dave lives. Here are some pictures Dave took, check me in my sweet sweater-cape. I look seriuous, but I'm just planning my next move. I get crazy!

I like that Sassparilla guy!! I can tell he's got moxie!

We have so many pictures of our cats it's ridiculous. So here are just a few.

Obi, king of the house

Lola, queen of the house

King and queen together

And getting to know the chinchilla (or me trying to make them pose in front of it)

Then, at my parents' house in Mexico, we have Rusta (or Tapeta)

And just one of the many animals of Bryony's family, but her favorite: Chowi

I do have a few questions:

Jesse, what does Sasparrilla eat?

James Craig, is the italian greyhound an actual cross of greyhond and chihuahua? 'Cause I don't see how that would, you know, work.

Kiran, I think your cats and my cats are parallel universes of each other. Freaky how much they seem alike.

James Craig, that's a beautiful dog.

Rebecca, that's a fat cat.

To answer everyone's questions:

Marian - No, Sasparilla does not come when called.

Kirsten - Yes, he makes several noises, but most of the time he's silent. He makes a chuckling noise when we're playing (which my wife found out is a mating sound, so he's apparently in love with me). He also makes a spit/squeak sound when annoyed, and when he's frightened or wakes up from a bad dream he'll make a little barking noise. His birthday is in August. He's three and a half years old. He has only cuddled in my lap once. He writes the comic strip.

po'Lee - Sass has the moxie!

Armin - Your cats are beautiful. To answer your question, Sasparilla eats timothy and alfalfa hay, a bagged pellet mix similar to rabbit food, dried fruits, seeds, and furniture. He will do just about anything for a raisin. He's an addict. We're trying to find him some help.

Kitty Sockwell in manhattan: "theres too many fine bitches in SoHo. and too much pussy on this thread".

Meet the Millman family: Duff, Lucy, Rothko and Scruffy.

Photos by Bryony Gomez-Palacio. Yes, that Bryony.

Cats that like to sleep on things:

Raj likes to sleep on mice

Emma likes to sleep on lamps

My girlfriend and I really want to get a dog, but it's going to have to wait until we get a house, or at least something large enough to be dog-friendly.

Okay, Sassparilla should have his own show. In his fancy SU shirt he even has shoulders!

Jesse, does he ever bite you? Does he have claws? Is couch scratching ever a problem like it is with cats? Did you get Sass as a baby? What does a baby Chinchilla look like? (more pics!)

1st place: Eddie the chimpanzee (if that is his REAL name)

2nd place: Sasparilla (probably digs the Coen Bros too. Nice.)

3rd place: tie b/w Scruffy and Kitty.

I am sorry, but I must say that people who talk in the voice of their pet are simply going too far. It's also extremely annoying...

The chinchilla rules (love the fray shirt!) and the first cat posted is one of the cutest I've seen.

Armin, a new career awaits you as an animal photographer. Not only are those some beautiful beasts, but man, great photos! Contact Photonica today: there's a place for Rusta in a Chinese calendar.

I hope you'll be redesigning SU around that Sasparilla-in-a-SU-T-shirt. TOO fuckin' much! (in a good way).

Here are our two kids..

Hawth (short for Hawthorne Wingo):

Star (short for Stardust)

and another one on a day they were getting along...

Say hello to Pluto. The best pet i ever had.

dude. get pluto fixed, like now. there's some lovin' about to happen there.

Xena is my current tabby.

One of the best design experiments ever. My pit bull/chihuahua mix, Cosette:

Great looking animals guys and gals.

So many cats... And, so many toy dogs...

Time to up the avarage weight of this group.

Murphy's a good-old-fashioned black lab.

My wife picked her from the litter and I gave her a proper Irish name.

This was last January. Yes, it snows in NC! (every once and a while)

While she has her own bed, she prefers ours.

hope you've all been to mycathatesyou

I am sorry, but I must say that people who talk in the voice of their pet are simply going too far. It's also extremely annoying...

Sam Walker, you would really love this Paul Auster book

> Armin, a new career awaits you as an animal photographer. Not only are those some beautiful beasts, but man, great photos! Contact Photonica today: there's a place for Rusta in a Chinese calendar.

Marian, I would love to take credit, but all photos are by Bryony. Including those of Debbie's (which by the way, there are hundreds more).

Armin, an Italian Greyhound is not a greyhound/chihuahua mix. IG is just the smallest of the greyhound breeds. Mazze is about 7-8 pounds. She's taller than my chihuahua, but weighs a little less. She's actually somewhat small for her breed. I think most are over 10 pounds.

Sorry for the low-quality picture, but here is Mazze (black IG) with her sister Bebeh (tan chihuahua). I swear I didn't pose them; Mazze just likes to have her arm around Bebeh.

Grant, what a handsome whippet.

Seffis, a pit chihuahua? Now that's bark WITH bite! ;)

>Marian, I would love to take credit, but all photos are by Bryony. Including those of Debbie's (which by the way, there are hundreds more).

Yes, indeed there are hundreds more, and Marian: they all are that good. Amazing, huh?

Funny, I thought i saw a similarity in photo style. Hats off to Bryony, then!

that's sugar

Yay pets! And such great names, too.

This is Snoball -- or, as his papers call him, PR Christopher Wolffs, III (pretentious much?); his sire may be a show dog, but Snoball's never happier than when he's making a mess out of himself -- an American Eskimo. He's the runt, even! And he's 15 1/2.

Roxy (in black), the notorious Christmas tree climber. This is her with brother who lives on a farm in Idaho.

Here's Monkey, the cat that is more like a dog.

Funny, I thought I saw a similarity in photo style. Hats off to Bryony, then!

Thanks! For some strange reason when there is a camera near me and a pet in the room you can expect a few hours of girl-chasing-pet-with-a-lens-to-close-for-comfort. Debbie was rather mystified as I crawled under her dinning room table and lay flat under the fireplace

...later though, she was quite happy with more photos of her kids than ever.

Zee, The Danger Kitty.

I agree, there are alot of cats. Well, I guess they're easier. However, you get back what you put in. I'm also going to up the weight content of these comments with my two, Bingo and Carly. Carly's the knucklehead on the right.