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Cats, Dogs, & Other Pets
This thread should be about all pets, but the OP will focus on cats since that's what I have.
General Recommendation I wholeheartedly recommend getting a pet if you don't have one. They are terrific companions, and much better to live with than a roommate. My cat greets me when I get home from work, knows when I want her to sit on my lap, and knows when I want her to leave me alone. Pets are the pefect middle ground between living totally alone and living with another person who can be annoying. Cats vs. Dogs This debate is almost its own thread, but clearly this is a matter of personal choice. Some people like the responsibility involved in taking care of dogs (more messes to clean, more property ruined, taking them out for walks so they can go to the bathroom, etc.) and some don't. People disagree on the emotional bonds (I think cats offer just as much), the intelligence, and the cuteness, but these are all variables and there's no set answer. Some people think there are 'cat people' and 'dog people' but I disagree. They are not mutually exclusive. You can enjoy both types of pets and even have both at the same time. Or you can like neither and go for the fish/bird/hamster thing. I heard pigs are pretty popular pets now. Peculiar cat quirks I'm wondering if anyone else's cat has this: a perfectly timed body clock so they know your routine instantly. For example, my alarm goes off every morning at 9 and I work from 10-7. After the first week she lived with me, my cat started to anticipate the 9am alarm clock. Since my cat is an attention whore and always wants to sit on my chest (when I'm lying down) or lap (when I'm seated), she needs me to be awake in bed to get on top of me. I sleep on my side in the fetal position, so she hates that. Now she wakes me up by meowing at around 8:55-8:59 every morning (including weekends UGH) because she knows I'll be up. Then I have to roll over and lie on my back so she can sit on my chest and be petted/scratched for a good 10 minutes. Another quirk she has is she will just meow at the top of her lungs for a long time at weird intervals for no reason. Her litter box is clean, she has plenty of food and water, yet she still sounds like she wants something. Then she stops as if nothing was ever wrong. Maybe my cat is insane. Food & water Wet food is a waste. Cats can be perfectly happy with dry Science Diet-style food. I give my cat a treat once a month or so -- a can of tuna fish. My cat likes running water, so I have one of those water dishes that pump water through a filter from a built-in tank and lets it drip fountain-style into the dish. This doesn't stop her, however, from depositing nasty chunks of half-eaten food to float around in the bottom. Miscellaneous An interesting fact about cats: if there's any large surface area, they will sit on the one small portion that's different: e.g., a tiny towel on a large bed, a piece of newspaper on an empty table, etc. I recommend putting a small blankie (yes, I just said blankie) or towel on the corner of your bed so your cat goes there by default. This way you can sleep with her without her bothering you -- and you won't have to move her from the center of the bed when you're ready to get in. EDIT: pics of Chiba (and I recommend everyone in this thread post pics of their pets) http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/2889/img0116sz8.jpg http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/9...readcatbh4.jpg |
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[ QUOTE ]
I'm wondering if anyone else's cat has this: a perfectly timed body clock so they know your routine instantly. For example, my alarm goes off every morning at 9 and I work from 10-7. After the first week she lived with me, my cat started to anticipate the 9am alarm clock. [/ QUOTE ] My cats did this so I guess it's probably not rare. I always shut my cats out of my bedroom because they would also play with each other in the middle of the night and totally wake me up. They got to learn that like 8 AM was when I'd come out, so they would always come to the bedroom door at 8 AM and would meow/scratch at it if I slept in. Once in a while it was annoying but so cute and nice to wake up to. My cats also learned that right after waking up I would walk down to the street to get the paper, and they would wait at the door and then walk down with me, because I would always give them a bunch of pets when they did. After that they'd take off and be normal independent cats but for that little bit they were just like dogs eager to go on a walk very weird. Anyway, my productive contribution to this thread is : please don't get a dog if you live in an apartment, and if you get a cat you should really get two. edit : unless you work at home and can be a constant companion for them. |
Re: Cats, Dogs, & Other Pets
I've heard tuna for cats is bad because of the amounts of ash in it.
Someone with more knowledge might be able to confirm/deny this. P.S. Cats rule, I just hate when they get into territorial issues and start pissing everywhere trying to claim every square inch as their own. |
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[ QUOTE ]
and if you get a cat you should really get two. edit : unless you work at home and can be a constant companion for them. [/ QUOTE ] This is a question I was going to ask: should I really get a second cat? I'm wondering if Chiba gets lonely when I'm gone at work. |
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Tip: Don't get white cats. The hair, which inevitably gets over all your clothes no matter how hard you try, shows up on anything dark and you look like a weirdo. Any cat I get from now on will either have dark, thick hair or be a sphynx.
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Re: Cats, Dogs, & Other Pets
Joker,
[ QUOTE ] Pets are the pefect middle ground between living totally alone and living with another person who can be annoying. [/ QUOTE ] Interesting.. I think I agree. I always had cats growing up. Now I live alone, but I've been hesitant to get a cat because my foreseeable future is uncertain at best. I don't know where I'll be in a year, two years, five years. A pet is a major responsibility. Anyone have experiences with moving around with a cat? Also, cats [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] boxes. |
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joker,
if she's strictly an apartment cat, she probably does. |
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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] and if you get a cat you should really get two. edit : unless you work at home and can be a constant companion for them. [/ QUOTE ] This is a question I was going to ask: should I really get a second cat? I'm wondering if Chiba gets lonely when I'm gone at work. [/ QUOTE ] FWIW my cats hate each other and would very likely rather be alone. |
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[ QUOTE ]
Anyone have experiences with moving around with a cat? [/ QUOTE ] It's not so bad. They freak out for a few days, but cats adapt very quickly to new environments, so once you get settled in they'll love the new place. |
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Getting 2 cats is cleary the way to go. My cats are amazing and I can't believe how much happier they have made me. The thing is that it is easier to get them when they are both young. When you have an older cat, you have to get lucky and get another cat that your cat gets along with. But, unless your cat is really nasty this shouldn't be too tough, although might make you have to adopt one cat and take it back when it doesn't work out.
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This cat is fat:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d3...izSlim/fat.jpg This cat is thin: http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d3...m/sunshine.jpg The fat cat is older and more sedentary than the thin cat. The thin cat is young and neurotic, the fat cat is content. How do I un-fat the big cat without killing the thin one? Also, both cats seem to believe I am their deity. They follow me around and cry if I'm in a room they can't get into. When they get bored they climb on me and bite me sometimes when I'm asleep. Also, the fat one barfs often. If you wait long enough she just eats it, so no harm no foul. |
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Okay, someone's gotta represent the dogs here.
This is Otis. He's a yellow lab mixed with some kind of terrier, so he has a goatee, which is totally awesome. http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/8...istiredkt2.jpg http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/5...llowdogyp1.jpg He is a total pain in the ass. He gets into the trash sometimes, leaves hair everywhere, and occasionally [censored] in the dining room, but at the end of the day he's pretty awesome. |
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Wow, Claunchy -- your dog rules. If I were to get a dog, that's exactly the kind I would want.
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Re: Cats, Dogs, & Other Pets
I guess this would fall under 'other pets'. This thread does seem to be cat heavy so far, but I am not fond of cats and am actually quite frightened of them. Unpredictable bitches.
Anyhow, I keep tarantulas. I have three, of varying species. They live for quite some time (if female, for decades), so they are not really a passive purchase, but they are good for apartments and are really cool to watch hunt. Otherwise, very quiet. Some visitors get creeped out, but learn to love them. They are kind of like plants. You water them a bit, throw some baby crickets in, watch them grow. I don't know if I'd classify them as pets, because they don't really interact with me (although Sparkles knows when she is being fed these days) and do not require a lot of care (but these species more than some other tarantulas) . I will steal OP's format because it's pretty good. General Recommendation Tarantulas are good for part time pet owners. They require far less care than fish, which I would compare them to, since you can't really play or interact with either. But they are still interesting in a behavioural sense and cool to watch grow. If you wanted to start out, I'd recommend a Chilean Rose Hair (sold at most pet shops) because they are easy to care for and you can potentially handle them if you like. Tarantulas take up very little room, only really need one good container for their lives (if full sized), a bit of water and crickets every so often. Peculiar Tarantula quirks Sparkles, my biggest spider at 2", has gotten quite good at hunting. She lives in a web tunnel and often tracks the cricket under neath her, trying to catch it through the back door she only uses for hunting. She stalks her prey and eventually grabs it in a blue flash. If she's asleep when I throw a cricket in, she will wake upon opening the container she lives in and be hunting in moments. She's caught crickets in mid air. When Miss Cleo moults, she will physically move her old shell around her cage, away from her or out of her burrow. Cleaning house! Food & water When small, they just need a spritz of water or a few drops every other day to keep their containers moist. Any more, and they could develop mould in their booklungs or you could encourage mites (which killed one of my newly moulted spiders once). Buying tiny crickets and catching them to feed to the tarantulas is the biggest hassle of keeping spiders. They normally like moving prey, and eventually I'd like to feed them cockroaches, but it's just crickets for now. Not sure if they will eat grubs. You can't feed around a moult as their fangs will not be strong enough, and they could break one or be preyed upon by the cricket. This is normally only an issue at young ages. Room temp seems to suit them fine now, with a lamp sometimes turned on to warm them a bit, since I live in Canada. They all live in pill bottles or similarly sized containers, with good air flow. Other considerations include straws for burrows, cork to build webs on and special substrate. Miscellaneous All my tarantulas are spiderlings. They are all under 2" in leg span, and the smallest is probably the size of one of your fingernails. Pictures of them would probably not turn out well, but I'll post what they will look like later. Sparkles is my Avicularia versicolor or Martinique Tree Spider. She's the largest one and eats everyday, like a pig. Right now she's a nice blue color, but later on may turn shades of red, green and purple. She's leggy and very fast and mostly hangs out in her web tunnel. She will probably look like this: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...color_8_Fh.jpg Miss Cleo is an Aphonopelma seemanni or Costa Rican Stripe Knee. I got her for my brother, but he's frightened of spiders, and isn't quite okay with her yet. Maybe when she gets larger. She just moulted, and burrows in dirt tunnels. You used to be able to see them, sort of like an ant farm. http://www.batraciens-reptiles.com/a...elle_small.jpg Then, Hercules the Heteroscodra maculata or Togo Starburst Baboon. He belongs to my boyfriend but I enjoy watching him. He's really skittish and doesn't come out of his burrows often, except to hang on the lid, waiting for his opportunity to escape. http://www.spidy.goliathus.com/foto/0412_h_maculata.jpg |
Re: Cats, Dogs, & Other Pets
this is Pynchon (named after writer Thomas Pynchon), my 3.5 year old Basset Hound.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5.../apynchon1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5.../aIM000764.jpg He is now about 1 foot tall, 4.5 feet long with 12 inch long ears and weighs about 72 pounds (down from nearly 80!). He's the sweetest thing in the world - not a mean bone is his fat body. |
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On the subject of cat people vs dog people, I used to think I was a cat person. However, having the cats has made me like dogs a lot more now. It has just made me pro-pet in general.
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I'll bite. Here a few pictures of Bowser and Koopa that I already had online. They're several months old, though, so Koopa (the smaller one) is almost as big as Bowser now.
Boxers > all! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...075_small2.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...1074_small.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...150_small2.jpg |
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[ QUOTE ]
On the subject of cat people vs dog people, I used to think I was a cat person. However, having the cats has made me like dogs a lot more now. It has just made me pro-pet in general. [/ QUOTE ] i never had pets growing up, then in college i had a cat for a while... i thought i was a cat person... now i have a dog, and honestly don't know anymore one thing about dog's is you can go more stuff with them like hiking, hunting, games, etc. some cats will play with you, but it's much more work to go hunting and stuff with them (although the egyptians used to do it, so i guess it's doable) anyway, yes, i am now much more pro-pet in general too |
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pj: Thanks. I just wish he were as clean and low maintenance as most cats are. BTW, your cat looks a lot like an orange version of Thread Cat in that second picture.
octopi: I'm pretty sure your pet would scare the [censored] out of me IRL. KM: Awesome dog. I love basset hounds, as well as most other really chilled-out lazy breeds of dog. |
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[ QUOTE ]
On the subject of cat people vs dog people, I used to think I was a cat person. However, having the cats has made me like dogs a lot more now. It has just made me pro-pet in general. [/ QUOTE ] I was a dog person through-and-through until five years ago. I didn't like cats, they didn't like me, and I was allergic. When we moved into our house a stray cat that had lived in the bushes started following me around. It got to the point that I would arrive home and she'd come running. In the morning she'd hear me moving around inside the house and cry until I'd come out and say hello (and feed her, of course). One night I heard a terrible shrieking from outside, and I ran out to find a coyote trying to eat her. I was like "enough is enough", talked to a doctor to make sure I wouldn't die, took her to the vet, and moved her into the house. That skinny, mangy, worm-ridden urchin is now the slovenly beast pictured above sleeping in her fur-lined bed. |
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[ QUOTE ]
On the subject of cat people vs dog people... [/ QUOTE ] You can be both. Meet my beasts... http://img457.imageshack.us/img457/1...g0160133na.jpg |
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Claunchy,
You must have a bajillion pics of your dog wearing sunglasses. If you don't, it's a crime. The goatee calls for it. Awesome dog! "octopi: I'm pretty sure your pet would scare the [censored] out of me IRL." That, and it being completely void of interaction, love, and affection would just make it sorta boring for me. To each his (her) own, I guess. King, I like that dog a lot. Fat dogs always seem so loving and content. |
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Octopi, rad Tarantulas. A friend of mine had a black widow which was cool but more dangerous. It's really fun to feed them and watch them eat.
[ QUOTE ] On the subject of cat people vs dog people, I used to think I was a cat person. However, having the cats has made me like dogs a lot more now. It has just made me pro-pet in general. [/ QUOTE ] Yeah, this happened to me too. I used to not want dogs (too smelly, too dirty), but after having cats I realize the filth and maintenance is totally worth it, and if I can ever buy a house I'm getting a dog for sure. |
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my dog upon her arrival to oahu - long way from the so cal pounds
http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/5263/medogvr3.jpg |
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Tip: No matter how good an idea it seems at the time, don't try to give your cat a haircut.
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/4584/halfcatmf0.jpg |
Re: Cats, Dogs, & Other Pets
joker,
I think if you get another cat then your current cat will definitely stop the loud meowing. Your cat sounds pretty social and it might be just trying to get ahold of other cats. Here's my ballin' key key: http://myspace-901.vo.llnwd.net/0111...17222901_l.jpg Since then he's moved outside and his long soft hair has gotten way longer. He's a big friendly tiger now. |
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PJ,
How old is your cat and how long have you had him? [ QUOTE ] I'm wondering if anyone else's cat has this: a perfectly timed body clock so they know your routine instantly. For example, my alarm goes off every morning at 9 and I work from 10-7. After the first week she lived with me, my cat started to anticipate the 9am alarm clock. [/ QUOTE ] Hmmmm, I haven't seen this yet. They often bail out of bed a bit before I get up anyway. I could see it being both endearing and annoying. I have a friend with two cats, one of them will wake up him and his wife by reaching her paw underneath their door and violently shaking it until they let her in. The other one will climb all over them while they're sleeping and if they are dumb enough to open their eyes he sees it and starts howling. [ QUOTE ] Another quirk she has is she will just meow at the top of her lungs for a long time at weird intervals for no reason. Her litter box is clean, she has plenty of food and water, yet she still sounds like she wants something. Then she stops as if nothing was ever wrong. Maybe my cat is insane. [/ QUOTE ] Heh, the younger kitten I have used to be a stray cat and does this. Just about once a day he just starts meowing for no reason and then stops. And he is completely, utterly silent the other 23.95 hours. As a consequence his meows suck - they come out as "mow" as in rhymes with "wow". I'm guessing maybe his three months on the streets taught him to be as stealth as possible and he hasn't gotten his voice yet - I can't think of any true stray cats I've seen that ever made any sound. These pictures have been posted here before, as the 2+2 community was actually very helpful in me picking out my first kitten: http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...2/ATT00094.jpg http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...2k2/kitty4.jpg ...and then helpful again when I felt badly about leaving him alone all day, so picked up the ex-stray: http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...2/MoeMoe-1.jpg They seem mostly indifferent to each other, but I've gotten pics of them playfighting and hanging out on my fresh laundry: http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...2k2/kitty6.jpg http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...2/laundry2.jpg |
Re: Cats, Dogs, & Other Pets
Also, to anyone who has adopted a true ex-stray cat, I wonder if you've noticed how keen their senses are. I like to pick the cats up and mess with them once in awhile, in general I don't think they like this or like it for very long. Whereas the first cat (dropped off at the pound by someone fresh from the litter) doesn't ever see this coming, the stray seems to be really good at sensing when I'm walking by and when I'm going for the scoop move - even when he's not looking at me - and gets the hell out of there if he can. His instincts are razor sharp in general.
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Re: Cats, Dogs, & Other Pets
Tuq -- Chiba is 10, and we got her when she was just a month old in late 1996. She lived with my parents until December '06, when I moved into my first apartment that allowed pets, at which point I took her with me.
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As posted in OOT the other day, this is Ash:
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/518...nowcopyrb4.jpg He's a lab/beagle mix, 3 years old and fully grown @ 45 pounds. |
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This is my dog, Belladonna. She's a 3 year old pit bull, weighs about 60 pounds. She's a sweetheart.
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/9...yardhc9.th.jpg This is her favorite thing to do when it's sunny, just lay belly up in front of the French doors so the sun warms her stomach up. http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/4...ellydt0.th.jpg This is her begging for food while I'm eating taco bell. http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/2...moreav7.th.jpg This is her pissed at me for waking her up. http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/9...pingpy4.th.jpg This is her trying to get a treat from my brother. http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/4...natetp8.th.jpg Also, I suck at imageshack, and I couldn't figure out how to post full size images instead of thumbnails. Sorry. |
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[ QUOTE ]
"octopi: I'm pretty sure your pet would scare the [censored] out of me IRL." That, and it being completely void of interaction, love, and affection would just make it sorta boring for me. To each his (her) own, I guess. [/ QUOTE ] If my lifestyle allowed a dog, I would get one. A huge mastiff or something fun and messy and loveable. Too bad I don't live anywhere near anyone in this thread (or do I?). I'd love to walk a dog and just hang out with it. Rent-a-dog! |
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my cat is so pretty [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...Picture003.jpg |
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i'm picking up my puppy on friday, i'll post pics
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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] On the subject of cat people vs dog people... [/ QUOTE ] You can be both. Meet my beasts... http://img457.imageshack.us/img457/1...g0160133na.jpg [/ QUOTE ] This picture is awesome |
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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] On the subject of cat people vs dog people... [/ QUOTE ] You can be both. Meet my beasts... http://img457.imageshack.us/img457/1...g0160133na.jpg [/ QUOTE ] This picture is awesome [/ QUOTE ] Thanks. These two are definitely pals and you are witnessing the daily routine. They will lie on their sides next to each other and playfight. As soon as you say "hey" they stop and look at you as if you caught them doing something wrong. They stay there frozen (hence the picture) until you walk away - then it's back to business. They keep me amused. |
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http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/DomDab/sammy.jpg
Sammy J. Dawg. My best friend. He's a black lab about 3 years old and weighs 80 pounds. He doesn't bark, he makes this yawning sound when he's excited....it's pretty funny. We have a trick I like to do for guests: I open his mouth and put my head in like I'm a lion tamer. I know, it's stupid. If he could, he'd sleep on me...he thinks he's a lap dog. He loves to wrestle. I sometimes throw a big blanket over him and watch him try to escape. That's hours of fun right there. I also have an orange tabby named Stinky. Great cat. He also likes to sleep on me. Both animals gnaw on me without actually hurting me. I think it's some sort of affection thing. Either that or I'm just a big chew toy, I don't know. I don't have a photo of Stinky, but here's one of Peter and Moto, two cats I shared with my ex....she's got them now. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...b/0ff6b1bf.jpg Joker, my cat also starts meowing like crazy for no reason. In the morning, he talks to me as I'm getting ready to work. He's big on World Affairs. He also makes this very strange chittering sound when he looks out the window and sees birds. It's like a bird sound....very odd. |
Re: Cats, Dogs, & Other Pets
[ QUOTE ]
Thanks. These two are definitely pals and you are witnessing the daily routine. They will lie on their sides next to each other and playfight. As soon as you say "hey" they stop and look at you as if you caught them doing something wrong. They stay there frozen (hence the picture) until you walk away - then it's back to business. [/ QUOTE ] Which one did you get first, how old are they, and did you anticipate any friction? I see dog/cat pics from time to time but I thought those were the exception. Also, what genders are they? |
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