I've always said that if you are going to date me, you must get along with my cats. They are my babies and I love them. Animals are a very good judge of character. I was thrilled to find a site to connect with othrs who love there pets as much as i do. In addition to working in the mental health field, I volunteer at a local animal rescue, private, non-profit. I love spending time with the kitties, and am a sucker for the "special needs" cats. I also occasionally foster. I am currently trying to socialize a litter of ferrel-born kittens at the rescue. I am passionate, compassionate, stong-minded, and determined. i love a good challenge. i am very into political activism, social justice, civil rights, etc. I regularly conntact my legislators about many issues, including Humane concerns. I have volunteered on a number of local candidates' campaigns, also get involved in presidential campaigns. Living in Iowa City, I get lots of opportunities to meet the candidates face to face. I am easy to get along with, and generally do well 1-on-1 or small groups. I can talk for hours, especially with somebody who shares my love pets, social service, and politics. I have definately been known to have a raunchy sense of humor.

Fizzgig is 12 years old. He has been with me since he was 4months old. He is very affectionate, but if he cannot have my full attention, he would rather wait his turn. He is fairly cautious of new people, and must put them through an official inpection. But once they get the head-rub of approval, they are his friend for life. Admittedly he is a bit spoiled, as I indulge him quite a bit. He sleeps by my head every night, tho Richard has been lobbying for his turn at that spot. I had decided to invite a second cat into the family after a I had a few sets of foster cats here. Fizzgig was a little stressed out and confused with all the comings and goings, so I decided to bring in a consistant buddy for him. Richie joined our little family early last fall. I was very careful to pick somebody who i thought would be a good personality match for Fizz, with the help of the proprietor of the rescue where I volunteer. I decided to welcome Richie, as he was depressed since an older male cat he admired had gone to his new home. He tried very hard to win Fizzgig's approval, who was doing his best to be stand-off-ish. Richie is 2, and still full of plenty of spunk. He loves to jump on top of my recliner with great enthusiasm, to the point he regularily tips it over. He is very food-obsessed - his body frame shows it. He loves to cuddle.

Fizzgig says- I tell mommy i am sad i am not the sole King of the Castle anymore, but secretly, I get less lonely now when she is gone or busy. shhh..don't tell! I even sometimes nap and cuddle with the new guy, once i get over the grumpy stubborn old cat act. Mommy gives me lots of love and treats. i love sleeping by her head at night and cuddling up to her. She is pretty busy. She goes out to work and other stuff but is almost never gone for a long time. my Momy tells me everyday that she loves me very much, and is sure to talk to me each time i am nearby. Richie says- I love to sit on top of mommy's livingroom chair. When i want her attention i just pat or rub her back. I love it when she rubs or brushes my belly. I try really, really hard to get Fizzgig to like me, but he just walks away. Mommy tells me i should me more "laid back" but that's hard because i am young and full of energy and want a cat friend really bad. About the only thing that bugs me about mommy is that sometimes she gets busy on the computer and "forgets" to feed me exactly on time. If it is getting close to feeding time, i wil rub against her legs, and walk in front of the monitor. When i have really lost patience, i will step on the keyboard. This is when mommy gives up and feeds me. She tells me though, that i am not starving and i could live off my fat for a week. I rub my head against her a lot and love to sit with her when she watches TV. I am so happy my mommy adopted me from the place for homeless cats. i was not very happy there, even thought they took good care of me.

I am a woman seeking a man or woman age 25 to 50

It is my preference to connect with somebody with similar political and spiritual leanings as me. I am looking for somebody who is easy to talk to, likes cats, has a sense of humor. Being compassionate and passionate about life are a plus. I would like to get to know somebody first and see if there is a connection before jumping into anything serious. A nice evening might be a meal out, or one prepared by my date (I don't cook much), followed by TV or movies, playing with our pets, and chatting. Nature walks or outdoor concerts and festivals are favorite activities outside the home. I feel that it is just basic respect to return phone calls, e-mails in a timely manor, and especially to show up when you say you are going to be somewhere. I strive to do this, and it helps create greater harmony if those in my life live by the same creedo, whether that be a significant other, friend, casual date, or a business associate. I am looking forward to making new friends and finding new possibilities.

I'm not really sure whether this space is meant to describe interactions with others' pets, or just how my pet would interact with humans. The former wouldn't really apply here, as cats do not really get out and about and typically need lots of time to slow introduce to other animals in their territory. I would welcome a new friend bringing a dog over, so long as the dog understands they are on my cats' turf and show proper respect for their personal and physical space. As far as what Richie and Fizzgig tell me they would like from new human companions is somebody who will patiently let them hang back and check things out, and give them lots of headrubs, grooming(Richie more so), cuddling, and share furniture.

Sappho

Sappho was my pet rat. She was a black-hooded dutch. I had taken care of a friend's rat briefly in high school, and knew that make great pets, with there sociability, intelligence, and trainability. i was in the mood to get another pet besides my cat. I stopped at a pet store just to window shop. Sappho crawled right up my arm and gave me a kiss. i was in love! When the cashier told me they sometimes sold rats to snake-owners, i knew she was going home with me that day. She was always very friendly and loved to explore, and wasnt afraid of adventure. She tried desprately to make friends with my cat fizzgig, chasing him around the room hoping for a ride. Fizzgig did not know what to make of this but knew he did nt want to be ridden by this strange little critter, so he ran away. Yes, i used to have a rat that chased a cat! After my other rat, Mulva, passed on, Sappho seemed to cope ok at 1st, but later became less active, stopped eating and was in pain. By the time i got her to the vet, she had a bellyfull of cancer and grim prospects. i had her put to sleep.

Mulva

After i got Sappho, she was very bored and lonely and wanting attention, so I decided to get her a rat buddy. I did not want to go back to the pet store. I adopted Mulva from an unexpected litter. She was much more shy than Sappho, to the point of being very anxious and tense. She was black with a white belly and a white star on her forehead. I had to watch her carefully when she came out for playtime, as she would find a hiding place out of reach and refuse to come out for a day or 2. She got pneumonia and was too weak to fight it off. As much as I love rats as pets, the short lifespan, 2-3 yrs, and the emotional and financial burden of medical problems (pneumonia and cancer are both common in rats), I just couldn't put myself through it again.