Otto (Katie’s dog) is a sweet little sheltie that loves to herd people and animals, wear hats for fashion, suckle on blankets to soothe his anxiety, play fetch, and get held on his back like an infant. He has been described by more than 3 strangers as having an inordinate amount of ‘spunk’ (whatever that means…).

Bonbon (the praying mantis) is an African Twig mantis that Katie recently acquired after attempting to purchase two spiny flower mantises (which are more beautiful but died in shipping), and so is a consolation bonus bug from the mantis dealer. It eats fruit flies, has a seemingly decent personality, but so far is too small and fragile to go on any fun adventures with.

Minerva, Anne’s cat, is an absolute diva but very friendly, with a touch of separation anxiety. She loves to be the center of attention and enjoys chin scratches, sitting on a chair at the dinner table, snoring, and hunting birds out the window. Anne was convinced she was a dog person until she met Minerva at a shelter adoption event and became absolutely obsessed.  Here’s a picture of Minerva thriving on her Halloween cat castle (which is Anne’s favorite purchase of all time).

Mary’s dog Nymeria (Nym) proudly shows off her new sweater that was HAND MADE by Mary’s cohort-mate, Hannah. Mary notes that “the reason that Hannah had to make a sweater is because none of the ones online are big enough for Nym! 🤣 She’s my sweet, large lady who keeps me grounded in grad school.” 

Michelle writes: “I am pleased to introduce Lucy, named for Lucille Ball and in honor of my late family dog, Ricky. She is a ~5 year old tiny tabby I adopted through Fur Kids in my 2nd year in Atlanta. Her main responsibilities include finding every sunny spot in the apartment, singing loudly at random times, tightrope walking, and making sure I’m staying semi-sane through grad school. She is one of the most social cats I’ve known and quite the adventurer, accompanying me on 2 (soon to be 3) road trips down to Palm Beach this year.

This is Gloria’s little guy, Grandpa! Per Gloria, “We named him Grandpa originally because when he was a kitten he had gray peppered in his coat. He’s still under a year, so he’s a giant ball of energy (he definitely keeps me and my roommates on our toes). His favorite activities include playing with his laser pointer, finding sunny spots to nap in, and making guest appearances on Webex calls.” 

This is Bubbles! Cynthia writes that “He’s about to be 6 months!  My boyfriend actually adopted him impulsively last September and I unexpectedly became a cat mom!  His favorite activities include playing with squeaky toys right when I’m trying to sleep, learning to hunt birds in the backyard (even if he’s not the best) , and keeping watch of everyone from the very top of his cat tree. I’ve never had a cat so every day has been an adventure, I’m excited for him to become full-sized!