Are you one of those people to whom animals are instinctively drawn, or do animals hate you? Are you like Snow White, dancing around with blue birds landing on your finger? Or do strange dogs growl at you?

Animals generally like me, but apparently not after they've lived with me for ten years or so. My cats used to like me. I hope my dogs don't start hating me, too.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Answers

I used to be the guy who would go over someone's house and they would say, "my cat hates boys," but the cat would always *love* me.

I think you should trade your cats in for more dogs.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

I think animals are pretty neutral about me. No crazy rabid attacks but not a lot of love at first site either.

Babies, though, babies love me. It's the stuipid high-pitched voice.

Also, mosquitoes fucking love me. _r and I can be side-by-side all night in the same yard and I'll get (quite literally) 50 bites, he'll get one, maybe two. My body over-reacts to bug bites and I end up with these quarter to half-dollar sized red, raised welts all over my legs and arms. Right now I have one on my belly that itches like a mother.

Um, right, I'll be on-topic next time.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

My animals are a varied lot. Loki's a big cuddly lab. He loves everyone. He's the clingiest dog I've ever encountered in that he has to be as close to me or my husband as possible. If one of us is taking a shower, he has to be sleeping on the bath mat right outside the tub. If we're in the living room watching tv, he is curled up at our feet.

Freya is the wild one. She loves my husband. She's kind of ambivalent towards me. I often wake up with her sleeping contentedly on my chest, but she doesn't really let me pick her up when she's up and about.

Milo. Milo is the stalkerly one. I have a big monitor, and when I'm at the computer lays on top of it and stares at me. He has big orange eyes, too. It's kind of spooky.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

This morning I flung my bike to the ground and told a human, "Excuse me, you have to wait a minute, I have to meet your dogs." Some kind of Schipperke-looking Aussie shepherd-Lab mix and, get this, a ROTTWEILER-BASSETT HOUND CROSS, just the best dogs I've seen all week. Do animals like me? Sure they do, or at least they must, because I leave them no choice. "You must like me! You must!" All dogs like me except my neighbor's exdog, whom I tried to kick in the teeth when it tried to bite me. Cats like me if they're doglike, i.e., amenable to strangers and amiable. Catlike cats, being catlike, have no time for me. Rodents like me because they like exploring, but most bunnies are too shy to like strangers. Also parrots can be very selective and dedicated to their particular humans, but I like most of them, so it hurts my feelings when they don't want to get to know me. Which is another reason Blake is such a love. He loves everyone and always wants to get to know visitors. You probably don't remember, Beth, but Blake really liked Jeremy. Do the cats hate Jeremy, too, or just you?

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

The cats hate Jeremy. They liked me until he came along; they just don't like to share.

It's mutual, though. Jeremy really hates cats.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

This is probably the only way I'll ever be compared to Snow White, but animals seem to like me. Particularly cats. I have a friend who has a very shy, antisocial cat who runs and hides when company comes. She comes right up to me, though, and demands a head rub.

I spent a summer training chickadees to eat out of the palm of my hand.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

I always wanted to be Dr. Doolittle, but I'm not. I like them better than they like me. Or rather, they're not sure about me at first, but then when I just sit there calmly they decide I might be one of the good folks. They get more positive about this when they want to be fed.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

All cats and dogs like me. Furthermore, any stray cat or dog within a mile radius of where I live knows where to come for attention. They just see me and know that I'm nice. It's been this way as long as I can remember.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Animals love me. I think I emit a vibe or something. Maybe being raised with a bit of menajerie (up to 13 cats, 1 dog, and several fish and our peak) left me with a permanent aura that animals (especially cats) adore. I had a siamese fighting fish that I trained to do tricks and eat out of my hand. Another oddity is that lighting bugs love me. They'll land on my hand and ask to be taken for rides. Supposedly anti-social cats will crawl into my lap. Speaking of animals, I need to go purchase Burt some new friends and a filter soon. Poor lil' fishie.

-- Anonymous, July 07, 2001

If kids, dogs, and cats could vote, I'd be president of Earth. It's only adults who spook me.---Al of NOVA NTOES.

-- Anonymous, July 07, 2001

Cats and dogs just love me. I think it's because I'm allergic to them; I don't smell "spoken for."

-- Anonymous, July 09, 2001

Animals -tend- to like me. Which is to say, your average pet tends to dig me when he/she/it discovers that yes I'll throw the ball a jillion times and scritch all over on demand.

But attack dogs still see me as the enemy y'know. No animal mojo here. Just perhaps a recognition of how much I like fuzzy critters.

And gosh I hope Pearl doesn't wind up hating me for adopting the kittens ...

-- Anonymous, July 09, 2001