I remember when my childhood pet Mishka came home from being run over; she pulled herself home with her front paws (since her pelvis and back legs had been shattered) just so she could come to die with me. Cats have an intensity when they’re in their final stages, almost like they know what’s going happen after they’re gone.

I find it sad the family that had the Norsecat couldn’t compromise for her. As I said, Kitty was intensely jealous of our daughter, and seemed to take it out on my partner more than me, as if she knew that my partner had birthed this thing that was going to take away her position of most-loved-thing-in-the-house. And I won’t pretend I wasn’t concerned; when a cat starts taking claw-swipes at your infant child you have a parental drive that will make you re-evaluate the house-hold situation. My partner began to dislike Kitty and even see her as a threat to our child, and I gotta say, I did consider finding her a new family too, but what stopped me was the fact that I was already her rescuer and as such, responsible for her well being and future. Just because we can’t communicate in a verbal way with animals, doesn’t mean we can’t get our point across. I know why she was upset, and I had to somehow convince her she wasn’t going to be cast aside for this “new edition” rather than kick her out her home for being confused and jealous.

My daughter’s nearly 3 now and her and Kitty still fight about who gets to sit on me when I finally get to sit down myself, sometimes they compromise and they both smother me at the same time. Although there’s an obvious jealousy still in Kitty, I’ve made it clear that she’s still a part of our family and we have plenty of love to give her.

If you don’t mind, I would like to bring this back to the subject by saying as a creator of virtual pets, I saw no way of creating a bond that anyway resembled real life. The closest I came was that when you left the dog out when you left the apartment, he would come meet you at the door when you came back. I had plans to have them sit next to you when you sat on a couch, but we ran out of time. So he sits on the floor.

For me, the thing I miss most about not having a pet is the touching. The petting, the playing, them walking on you to get your attention. It is about having a thinking animal interacting with you in a physical way. Short of The Matrix, I have no idea how to recreate any of that in a virtual world.

Which, along with movement issues, lead me to create the Robotic Canine and the Robotic Feline. They feel to me exactly right. They do not react to me emotionally. They are not there to bring me back to what is important (“I know you just dented the car, but could you feed me?”). I am unclear as to how to make a true virtual friend.

For the foreseeable future, virtual friends are just toys. But, as I don’t have to tell you, you have attracted a lot of real friends. See you soon!

I’ll never forget the Norsecat when I first met her. She was confused, hurt, depressed. She didn’t understand why she’d been abandoned. She gave nothing but love.

She was scheduled to be killed in the next day or two. Nobody wanted her.

There was no question that she was the one I was there to rescue.

That first night, after she got used to her new surroundings, I remember holding her on my lap. She was sleeping. One of my tears splashed on her fur and woke her up. She reached up with one paw and planted it on my shoulder, immediately concerned for *my* well-being. That was it. She and I bonded that first night.

And on the last night, twelve years later, she was on my chest. The inflammation had reached her brain. She’d just had a horrific bout of convulsions and seizures. She was all but blind. Her body wouldn’t stop flinching. She was cold. But she was lucid long enough for us to say our goodbyes to each other. She knew it was the end. So did I.

I miss her purr. Her voice. I held her as she went out. This house is empty without her. But at least she’s not in pain any more. She should have died half a year ago, and I spent a fortune to keep her going. It gave me six precious months with her that I’ll always cherish. But there comes a time when things simply…stop.

She’s immortalized in an HSM April Fools Day video. If you look closely, she’s already ill, and perilously thin. The eyes are sunken. She was already receiving medical treatments every other day at that point. But there was enough of her to still play. And for the longest time, she simply wondered *why* she was in pain. It was only at the end, when the pain was insurmountable, that she resigned herself to the fact that there was no coming back, no getting better. And I held her and loved her as her candle flickered out of this world.

I don’t know if any of this has anything to do with the article on virtual pets. Frankly I don’t care. After eighteen months of giving to the Home community, I can be forgiven a personal indulgence. She just died. I’ve had other pets before — other cats — but this was different. That cat was like a daughter to me. And I loved her.

If you’re ever blessed with the good fortune of being loved by a Korat, it’s like nothing else I can describe. It’s an intense, pure, unconditional love. Wherever she is now — whether I ever see her again or not — I hope she’s in a better life. She more than deserves it.

The Norsecat, like Korats in general, is a very vocal creature. They’re crossbred with Siamese, so they’re highly intelligent, polysyllabic cats. And yeah, a hallmark of the breed is their, um, destructive floppiness. Living with a Korat is living with a cute but destructive force of klutziness. I’ve wanted to wring that cat’s neck for all the damage she’s caused, but she’s just such a *loving* fluffball that all is forgiven — particularly now that she’s near the end of her days.

For an example of the Norsecat in action, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUZqslGWYTM

If Home companions ever become more interactive, I might end up revisiting them. Until then, they’re just another fashion accessory.

I am so sorry to hear of the Norsecat’s frailties, my sympathies are with you.

As for virtual pets, I don’t care much for them really, I have a few free ones that I never use, but the Journey rug monster thing is a good example of a pet that defines a statement. I wouldn’t really buy one unless it was to make a particular point or really finish off a costume, like a Ring Master and a Lion or something. Oh! I did get an Aibo dog, but only coz I can’t justify a real one, but at least it’s interactive.

I think it’s just another form of pet = fashion like you said, but I’d much rather people who live in the “now” buy virtual pets, then switch them off when they’re not cool anymore than doing a *ahem* similar thing with real, living creatures.

She was the coolest cat I’ve ever had…more like a dog..(sorry) LOL! It never bothered her when the house was full of all her old dog pals (my personal dogs) or if it was full of 12 puppies or 6 Boxer’s waiting for new homes. (I’ve rescued Boxer’s for over 22 years and for a time ran the local Boxer Rescue in my city..so there was always an influx of dogs in the house.) She used the doggie door just like the dogs, and she knew when to just hunker down and wait till the slobber-bath was over! Heehee

I miss her so much…. Don’t know if I’d feel that way about one of my Companion’s in Home if they decided to take one away, but I can tell you that I’ve formed a VERY strong bond with Blinking Binx…he’s in ALL of my seventy-something spaces. He’s my mascot in Home, and if he disappeared…YEP, I’d grieve!

Lots to think about. Great article.

Children like toys and many like teddy bear toys and the like. Do not adults? Maybe we don’t play with them but some people have dolls to display, bobble head sports toys, and items that are animals such as lamps.

As adults, on HOME we can become children again and play with toys whether clothing, animals and what have you. Some of them are quite pretty and if they move like the pet animals do some of us can identify with them even if they are only make believe.

Toys, toys, toys. I like my HOME tractor too.