You’ve probably read our previous blog posts, perused our website, or visited the Help Desk – or maybe even all three! If you’ve done any of those things, then chances are you know who we are. You’ve probably met some (or all) of us at the Help Desk, but there’s definitely a few characters that you haven’t met… our pets! Meet all the silly, crazy, sometimes annoying, but mostly lovable furry little friends that exist alongside us.
Animal companions have all sorts of great benefits. Petting them can lower our blood pressure (1), it seems like living with them might make us live longer (2), and personally, having them around makes me feel much less lonely. These buddies of ours do so much for us, but hardly get the recognition they deserve. You know how after a play the cast comes out to bow, and then they thank their stage crew for doing all that hard work behind the scenes because the show wouldn’t be possible without them? Yeah? Well, these guys are our stage crew! So here’s a bit about them:
Zoe
Zoe has the soul of a cat in the body of a 12-pound Havanese. She has pretty much nothing behind her eyes, she doesn’t bark unless you’ve forgotten her outside, and she likes to curl up on the couch and people-watch out the window.
Skills: Can balance on her hind legs for up to 40 seconds at a time. Sometimes sits when you ask.
Special Interests: Is known to escape the yard and go to the park on her own.
Fears: The vacuum, rain, large bodies of water.
Pippin
Pippin, also known as PP, is the epitome of an orange cat. He is an indoor-outdoor cat who is known by everyone in the neighborhood. He enjoys belly rubs and head pats. When he is not sleeping inside, he can be found in my garden snoozing in the sun!
Skills: One time he stopped a car robbery with his cuteness (true story).
Special Interests: He gets very vocal when he wants something, and he refuses to eat his food when it’s cold.
Fears: water, literally nothing else – stupidity has no fear.
Bean
Bean, also known as Beans, Beps, Beep Beep le Bop, and “get off the counter”, is a smol bean who likes snacks and naps. Bean is a very popular and well loved cat among the CLCA’s – come ask any one of us at the help desk about Bean!
Skills: Sits, stands, shakes paw, spins. More popular than you.
Special Interests: Bird watching via youtube videos OR through a window.
Fears: Tall men.
Luna
Luna is a little gremlin who knows she’s cute. Although Luna villainizes her pet carrier, she has no rifts with your everyday ordinary cardboard box. Luna is an international kitty, currently residing in Australia!
Skills: Playing the piano.
Special Interests: Food! And cardboard boxes.
Fears: Her own pet carrier.
Ollie
Ollie, also known as Oliver, Olly-polly, Turkey, or Doofenshmirtz, is basically the cutest trouble-maker ever. Ollie frequently has stand-offs with the local crows, and has been known to assert dominance over the scarecrow by burying it and taking on the crows himself. (No scarecrow help needed by this guy.)
Skills: Cute face, sitting and sleeping weirdly, destroying mail.
Special Interests: Planning daring escapes.
Fear: Brooms or mops leaning against a wall.
Gerald
Gerald is a straight up chiller and very low maintenance. Gerald comes from a large family and specializes in emotional support.
Skills: Tripping people and breaking scissors ✂️
Weakness: Paper
Special Interests: rock and roll 🤘
Fear: Nothing. (Except paper.)
These are the pets of the CLC! We hope you love them in all their silly little quirks and personalities as much as we do. Now that you’ve met our pets, we’d love to meet yours! Tell us about them in the comments below!
1. Odendaal, J.S.J., & Meintjes, R.A. (2003). Neurophysiological Correlates of Affiliative Behaviour between Humans and Dogs. The Veterinary Journal, 165(3), 296-301. ISSN 1090-0233. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1090-0233(02)00237-X.
2. Koivusilta, L.K., & Ojanlatva, A. (2006). To Have or Not To Have a Pet for Better Health?. PLOS ONE, 1(1), e109. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0000109
