My latest cat George is a Bengal, and he's a bit of a hellion, as you can see. Bengals are extremely vocal, and George likes to talk, talk, talk. You think he wants something but no, he just wants to tell you about his day, and what he thinks about Obama's policies, and what the neighbors have been up to recently. I think duct tape is the answer.

My cat Peter during his stay in quarantine prison when he arrived in Hawaii in 1996, and later on chilling out at the pool. Peter was the most affectionate cat I've ever known, always pushing to be friendly, and a very good buddy for many years. He was very physical about it, too. If you did not pay attention to him he would throw himself down against you sideways, sort of a NHL hip check. If it didn't work he'd get up and do it again. Obnoxious. Naturally he had a very loud purr. He died in 2001.

My dog Bill when he was young in 1993, doing what he does best: yawning, panting, and scratching. Bill was the best dog I have ever known. Gentle, incredibly intelligent, good humored, with a real wit. Unfortunately Bernese Mountain Dogs are very short lived -- the saying is "two years a young dog, two years a good dog, two years an old dog" -- and Bill died in 1998.