IT Pets

[IITS]

This might seem like an odd topic, but as I write this my cat is laid in front of me (making this hard to type) purring his head off and it got me wondering how many other fellow IT pro's out there have pets on their "payroll"?

I work from a home office so my cat, Bud, is here with me every day refusing to make any contribution towards his vet bills. No matter how many times I ask him he still won't answer the phone and he flatly refused to setup a server with Active Directory, DNS and DHCP the other day! He did once configure an Exchange server for 250 users so that's something I guess

This may make me sound like a crazy cat man, but in the crazy world of IT my cat brings me some much needed calm.

 

[mraikes]

I know what you mean. All I ask of my assistant is that he stay alert while I'm picking up or delivering computers. You know, help navigate, protect property, etc.


And instead I get this:

It's hard to find good help nowadays.

 

[IITS]

Bless! He/ She is lovely.

This is my cat the other day trying to convince me he'd had a tough day!

 

[JustInspired]

This may make me sound like a crazy cat man, but in the crazy world of IT my cat brings me some much needed calm.

I know what you mean

This is Emma Puss. She is the 'Workshop Cat' and the 'Best Member of Staff'.

 

[FoolishTech]

Home office here -- just wish I had one cat. Instead, I have:

5 cats (one has 24 digits, wow!)
2 dogs
1 flemish giant (rabbit)
1 'mini' pot belly pig that's probably 150lbs (which we don't let in the house any more, but yeah it is/was house broken at one point about 125lbs ago...)
and a baker's dozen of assorted chickens (NOT house broken

I'm sure I'm forgetting someone...

You wouldn't believe my vet or heck, just the food bills around here :\

 

[mraikes]

Home office here -- just wish I had one cat. Instead, I have:

5 cats (one has 24 digits, wow!)
2 dogs
1 flemish giant (rabbit)
1 'mini' pot belly pig that's probably 150lbs (which we don't let in the house any more, but yeah it is/was house broken at one point about 125lbs ago...)
and a baker's dozen of assorted chickens (NOT house broken

I'm sure I'm forgetting someone...

You wouldn't believe my vet or heck, just the food bills around here :\

I couldn't have a pig as a pet. Not that they aren't cool, quite the contrary.

The problem is my wife would immediately ban bacon from any and all shopping lists. No way I could live without bacon.


EDIT: Wait a minute - it just occurred to me that you can't flush 'em down a toilet like a goldfish. Someday something would have to be done to dispose of the . . . . Maybe you're an evil genius.

 

[FoolishTech]

EDIT: Wait a minute - it just occurred to me that you can't flush 'em down a toilet like a goldfish. Someday something would have to be done to dispose of the . . . . Maybe you're an evil genius.

haha, it's actually my wife that insisted on the pig, but you know what she won't let me do is dispose of it the way god intended -- with a pig pickin'

Virgil is a cool pig though! He's actually quite cute now that he's so fat the folds of fat cover his eye sockets and he is essentially blind, will have to get a pic up here.

EDIT to add, we do feed the pig table scraps, including all types of pork which he loves! (though there is never any actual bacon that we consider 'scraps' of course!)

 

[Kitten Kong]

I'm the same, I have 2 dog's on the payroll.

As Martyn will testify, Molly (The Border Collie), does a fair bit of talking, whilst I'm on the phone.

Then there is Harry (Border Collie X), who is so laid back he is horizontal. He must be the only dog I know, who is black, and will actually sunbathe, and follow the sun around the garden!.

 

[frederick]

I'm the same, I have 2 dog's on the payroll.

As Martyn will testify, Molly (The Border Collie), does a fair bit of talking, whilst I'm on the phone.

Then there is Harry (Border Collie X), who is so laid back he is horizontal. He must be the only dog I know, who is black, and will actually sunbathe, and follow the sun around the garden!.

I'm stealing Molly. sorry. but she is beautiful.

Our cat Butterball. He's a gigantic Norwegian Forest Cat. about 25 pounds of he will knock you over, and then jump on top of the fridge from the floor. He spends most of his time not at the shop, something about work conflicting with his sleep schedule. Every so often, I bring him in to the shop when I'm going to be staying late so he can keep me company.

 

[HawkinsPC]

It's a common thing in the town to have pets in stores. I really don't know why. I haven't gotten one for the shop yet. I really want a cat since I had mouse activity a few months ago (I hate those things). I'll just have to settle for a monkey until then.

 

['putertutor]

Home office here -- just wish I had one cat. Instead, I have:

5 cats (one has 24 digits, wow!)
2 dogs
1 flemish giant (rabbit)
1 'mini' pot belly pig that's probably 150lbs (which we don't let in the house any more, but yeah it is/was house broken at one point about 125lbs ago...)
and a baker's dozen of assorted chickens (NOT house broken

I'm sure I'm forgetting someone...

You wouldn't believe my vet or heck, just the food bills around here :\

I'll see your 5 cats, and raise you three rats! Today we have:

2 dogs (an Australian kelpie and a cocker spaniel)
3 budgies (parakeets)
2 tetras (fish)
~1 billion mystery snails in with the fish
1 snake (ball python)
8 rats

The snake and the kelpie are my daughter's, but she is generous enough to share them with me. She gets the companionship parts, I get the cage cleaning and pooper-scooper parts. Everything else is my wife's, though I am in the process of stealing the spaniel from her. This may end in divorce.

 

[Kitten Kong]

I'm stealing Molly. sorry. but she is beautiful.

Our cat Butterball. He's a gigantic Norwegian Forest Cat. about 25 pounds of he will knock you over, and then jump on top of the fridge from the floor. He spends most of his time not at the shop, something about work conflicting with his sleep schedule. Every so often, I bring him in to the shop when I'm going to be staying late so he can keep me company.

Fred, according to Claire, you can keep her lol. But you will be behind a huge line of agility peeps, who want her first!!.

Mo comes down the workshop with me each morning, goes on her bed, which is to the right of me, and stays there all day long.

Until the phone goes, and she starts her conversations. Or a client comes down to the workshop, she wriggles about so much, you'd think her behind was touching her shoulders. It's a sign of "Hey, I'm here!!, come play". She then gets one of her many balls from the garden, and drops it at my clients feet, and will just stare at it, till they throw it for her.

During the long hours of tediousness down here on my own, she does keep me company .

I can also set my watch by Harry. He usually comes in from the garden around 10am and 3pm. Usually within 5 mins of these times, as he knows its walkies time. He then puts his paws on the bench, and will not move, until I say, come on then. Then they both get excited, and its walkies.

I forgot to mention, I also have a 220L 4ft tropical fish tank down here too. It's nice when I'm stressed to simply watch the fish, pure relaxation. Also my clients love the fish tank, and its another talking point.

 

[coffee]

We have "two-two" which is a Maine Coon cat. We got her after my wife's mother passed away. From that day forward we ceased to have moles, mice, chipmunks or any other pests around the house/office.

However, I have noticed some strange things going on lately and Im not sure what to do. My wife complains that she is constantly out of cigs. I have noticed my pop seems to not last as long either. I think I am going to have to have a Employer/employee talk with Two-Two.

 

[frederick]

Its a maine coon, you will lose, and some how become the cats employee

I've been down this road

 

[PBComputer]

We have 3 cats for vermin control, a parot which the children think is funny when he talks to them, and this bundle of energy jess the border collie.

 

[red12049]

This is "dead dog", more commonly known as "Suki."

 

[frederick]

PBComputer, when I get over to Cadisheads, I'm gonna stop by your place next... German Shepard's and Border Collies are my favorite dogs. Wife wont let me have another German Shepard tell she gets her Yorkie. And since I refuse to let her have a rodent with long fur that sounds like a miniature dog...

 

[coffee]

Its a maine coon, you will lose, and some how become the cats employee

I've been down this road

I understand your comment

Actually, When we first got Two-Two she was a city cat and we live near a state park and river. So there was alot for her to investigate and have fun with. We brought her home and set her in the living room and she must have just sat there for an hour. My wife complained that she wasnt doing anything and didnt know what to do. So, I picked her up and tossed her outside and said "Go play". As for her taking over, I had a serious couple of incidents with her that lead her to realize that I rule the roost and that she had better tow the line. After that little "adjustment period" she has had extreme fun with all the things she finds to do. She just loves it in the rural enviroment! Goes with that saying "Spare the rod, Spoil the child" .

Cats are ok. But I really prefer a dog. But my wife is really attached to this cat. Whats interesting is that this cat just seems to gravitate to me all the time. Like she cannot live without me. She does exactly what I tell her to do and if she is on the couch (in my spot) when I want to sit down then I just click my fingers twice and she gets up and sits on the loveseat instead.

She still likes to jump up on the desk and and "help" me fix laptops and stuff. She is very curious.

coffee

 

[frederick]

Butterball has such a beautiful thick coat. He is a hunter, and an explorer. But because we live in arizona, its too hot for him to go outside. I'd love it of he did, the scorpion population would disappear, and I wouldn't need a pest control guy anymore. When we were in Kansas, he'd roam the creek behind the house, and bring us presents. He's adjusted well to becoming an indoor cat. And finds ways to keep himself preoccupied.

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

I just have a single cat, he believes himself a lion (ill try to find a picture). He believes himself an equal in the house and will defend his position on the couch should he arrive before me. Attempting to move him will result in the most ridicously deep cat scratch you've ever experienced. I throw the blanket on top of him to make him move for my own safety.

He use to walk me from my car to my house every day...even in the rain (and yes he absolutely hates water)....he hasnt been doing that lately because hes getting pretty old. He seems unusually smart i've caught him urinating in the shower drain when I forgot to ready his litter box and he once helped me corner a possum into a trap.

Edit: and he will decapitate any rodent that he sees.