PHOTO GALLERY: Queers with Pets

Annette and Monster

“I adopted Monster from the local cat rescue when she was 1 year old. She is the cat version of Toothless in How to Train your Dragon: suspicious, territorial, but friendly and loyal once she gets to know people. And she is the queen of the stink eye!”


Aurora and Cinnamon (Cin) / 22, 2 / Missoula, MT

“My pet is a ball python named Cin, short for Cinnamon. Owning a snake is a lot like owning a very high-maintenance house plant, except that you also have to feed them rats and you don’t get to look at them as often. Even though we don’t interact much, I feel really lucky to have  gotten to watch her go from being about 9 inches long to closer to 3 feet. I love that I never feel guilty when I realize that I haven’t taken her out of her cage in a month, because she doesn’t miss it. It makes her a very good pet for a person who sometimes struggles with responsibilities.”


Bee and Beau / 28, 4 / Sacramento, CA

“Beau (short for Beauregard) is a border collie mix who was orphaned when his mom, a stray, was hit by a car shortly after his birth.  He and his littermates all got their names from a vintage advertising campaign (Google Elsie and Elmer… it’s a wild time).  He was adopted out to a family who didn’t train or socialize him, and then returned him to the rescue after three years as a terrified mess. I adopted him last October and he is the greatest thing in my entire life. He’s ridiculously goofy, incredibly asymmetrical, and super loving. (He was never injured, but born with a lower jaw that is both crooked and over an inch shorter than his upper jaw, giving him his signature dork look.) He is also very neurotic, anxious, and doesn’t understand how to interact with his peers (but come on, that sentence describes all of us, right???  No?  Just me?  Okay.).  His favorite activity is flying, but unfortunately the combination of gravity and his lack of wings reduces this to just a lot of jumping/leaping. His Instagram is @beausregards.  While he probably hasn’t met you, he still loves you very much and believes you are perfect even if you are a little bit (or a lot a bit) of a weird mess too.”


Sarah and Nancy / 24, 7 / Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

“I got this small furry menace about three and a half years ago, just before embarking on my masters degree. She came from my local Cats Protection shelter and it was love at first sight – when I went into her pen she immediately climbed on my lap and began purring, head butting all over me and dribbling profusely. She is named after a character from the Benjamin Britten opera ‘Albert Herring’. Getting Nancy is unmistakably the best decision I have ever made. Her hobbies include: interfering when I am trying to do yoga, sitting directly on any work I am trying to do, and chasing my knitting needles (which she is weirdly more fond of than the wool itself). Right now I am mad at her because I found out that she has been climbing up onto the top of my boiler when I am asleep, eating my spider plant (which is up there specifically to try to avoid ingestion by cat) and then throwing it up on the floor underneath the table, but it won’t last. She loves cuddles and if she thinks it has been too long since I cuddled her she will come and yell at me until I sit down and she can jump on me. She is my whole world and I would be so much less of a functional human without her.”


Jess, Amanda, Mr. Spock / 25, 29, 2 / Burlington, Ontario

“Mr. Spock is from a shelter. Amanda got him as a kitten, and about eight months later, Jess started spending a lot of time in his home. Now he runs to the door when Jess is walking down the hallway, and he “talks to” Amanda semi-constantly so that she doesn’t forget that he is her first priority. He talks to Jess too, but prefers to chase her and be chased by her. Our little family likes to cuddle together while we read, play video games, or talk into the evening. Mr. Spock still has his loud kitten purr.”


Maddy, Emily, Olive, Marty / 22, 25, 7, 8 months) / Cleveland, OH

“Olive joined our family first, after her previous owner moved to Mexico from Baltimore for ~*true love*~. Emily picked her up at the Vince Lombardi rest stop on the Garden State Parkway and the rest is history.  She likes screaming, wet food, and climbing through the blinds in our bedroom.

We adopted Marty this July from an animal shelter, where they had originally been calling him Bull Shark. That name is much too intimidating for this little nerd, so we chose Marty to sound like our pets were an old married couple. He likes going to the dog park, carrying flowers in his mouth, and chasing Olive. There are no pics of all of us together because Olive is not interested in her brother and there just aren’t enough hands among us.”


Bettie, Jen, Spuds / 34, 33, 6 / Sheffield, UK

“We don’t know exactly how old he is. He likes listening to Slayer and dislikes having his photo taken so this was the best of a bunch of photos of blurry lumps of fuzz.”


Kaitlin and Fez

“He came with that name, and everyone who meets him comments on it, “Like from That 70’s Show?!” We took him in from a friend of a friend (whose life had become too busy for a dog) when he was seven. He’s an anxious old man who needed some serious stability (and Prozac). He took to us right away and soon became our adventure buddy. The best thing about this guy is his unconditional love (I know, I know). His ability to comfort us will forever amaze me. It’s a mutual thing—I’m his person and he seeks me out when he’s extra anxious. He’s also pretty good at getting anyone to rub his belly.

Some things we like to do include chasing squirrels, cuddling in bed and hogging all the blankets from my wife, camping trips in the Pacific Northwest, and cooking dinner together (I cook, he lays at my feet/gets in the way). The weirdest thing (just one?) about him is his love for car rides and adventures, but being so anxious that he makes himself carsick. It didn’t take us long to realize he needs anti-anxiety meds for road trips. Fez doesn’t have an Instagram account, but he does have a hashtag. See more of this handsome dude at #fezbot.”


Danielle and Neville / 27, 10 / My Bedroom

“I adopted Neville from the San Francisco Humane Society. Upon first meeting him he immediately flopped down and rolled on his back, then looked up at me with the sweetest eyes. I knew I had to take him home.  He had been in the shelter twice and was two years old when I adopted him. His previous family had gotten a call from the Humane Society that he was found but never came back for him. I decided on the name Neville because I’m a huge Harry Potter fan, it was an easy choice and I knew right away that the name would suit him very well. The best thing about him is that every time I don’t feel well he is right by my side all day, a very loyal companion. We like to cuddle in bed and also go out on the patio or to the park to lay in the sun, he’s an indoor cat but likes car rides and adventure. If he’s not sleeping he’s making biscuits on his favorite blanket. He has a crackily little meow and a super tiny tail that most people comment on upon meeting him but I think he’s perfect.”


Chandra and Zuzu / 41, 9

“His former owner named him Zulu, and a few years after I adopted him I started to learn about cultural appropriation and question whether I should call him that. So I started calling him Zuzu instead. (But he’s a little monster, so I really should have gone with Zuul.) He is super smart, cheeky and affectionate, and way more outgoing than me. He makes friends immediately with everyone. His companionship has gotten me through some really tough and lonely times. I love him with all my heart (and am crying now). Our favorite things to do together include snuggling! Bopping foreheads! Lying on a blanket in the yard! He LOVES hide-and-seek and chasing games, so we do that a lot too. He will only drink out of his water dish if it’s in the bathroom? Also when he is displeased with the weather, he throws temperature tantrums to warm himself up so he can go back outside.”

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lnj

lnj has written 310 articles for us.

87 Comments

  1. I want to pet all of them. Even the house plant.

    Also, I really, really wanted to participate in this one, but unfortunately my cat doesn’t live with me and I couldn’t make it over to my mom’s in time for the deadline. I even had the photo all planned out!

  2. Wow, after looking through all of these I have that kind of post-TV-binge feeling, like I am slightly stunned and unsure what to do with my feelings or my body.

    Also, did I miss Sue Perkins the sourdough?!

  3. 1. Weare, NH is one town over from where I grew up! Wow!!
    2. Everyone’s pets are so charming, omg
    3. I did not know there were this many queers in Ohio?
    4. Marty and Olive are delighted to have been featured <3 <3 <3

  4. Having a real moment over here with all the cute.

    I’m also shocked that the entirety of my crazy dog lady verbal diarrhea made the cut.

  5. I met some wonderful pups hiking Triple Falls in DuPont National Park this summer. One of my favorite parts of hiking is all the dogs I meet. I used to have a Springer that hiked all over Pisgah National Forest and The Smokey’s with me. As well as playing on the beach in Isle of Palms. It’s been a couple of years since my last Springer passed away. I have had all kinds of dogs, but we foster Springers. Hopefully, my sister and I will be able to adopt a couple of dogs soon. We already named them Biscuit and Grits.

  6. Lovely! So heartwarming to see the photos and read how all these lovely animals found their human companions.

  7. ok do you all have professional photos taken with your pets or what?

    …wait, can I have professional photos taken with my pet?

    • Right? I tried to use my good camera but that was a no-go with Mr. Grumpy Pants, so I ended up having to use my crappy phone camera instead. I am impressed with everyone else’s well-behaved fur friends.

    • Everytime I take a pic of reptar I am RISKING MY VERY LIFE because he hates phones. I think the screen doesn’t refresh fast enough for bird eyes to make sense of them? I’m p sure phones are murdery strobe lights for him

    • Maybe a little food before and after the shoot could make it more professional? Food to distract then food as reward when your pet does a good job.

    • Yes you can have professional photos taken with your pets (says the woman who has signed her dogs up to be calendar models).

    • I’ve done that before but Boris was very scared in the studio and tucked his ears all the way back. I sent one of those I turns to my dad and he answered me “your poor dog has no ears”

  8. So much cuteness! I thought I was going to die there for a minute.

    Glad to report that the result was this instead:

  9. Also wow wasnt aware we were meant to write essays on our animals?? I worked so hard* to condense mine

    *”hard”, “for five minutes”, potato, potahto,

  10. I wish I knew about this! I would love for you guys to meet my pet cock, Pirri, 10! I love that guy. ?????

  11. So many good animals and so many good animal names and so many good faces and pictures and ahhh! So much good I so desperately needed today. <3

  12. Thank the gods for this post today. I was already crying last night out of overwhelmed-the-world-is-the-worst-dumpster-fire-ever types of emotions. Then I woke up to the tragic news about vegas. This is a nice reminder that not all is bad.

    Thanks.

    ps. It looks like my pic with my dog is lumped into the folks pictures above me.

  13. All of your pets are adorable and I’m jealous that I am a poor grad student with a lease that forbids dogs and cats.

    Also I reeeeeally hope the next gallery is a Halloween costume gallery.

  14. Oh how I needed this gallery today! Rather than try to pick favorites, I’ll simply say that y’all and your pets are just *the cutest*. Thanks, everyone! <3

  15. This is the best thing ever. I have officially followed all of your instagram accounts, because whenever the world is bad I follow another 20 or so animal instas and this was a perfect opportunity. This thread is amazing and I wish I hadn’t forgotten to send in pictures of my amazing cats. You can see them on my instagram if you want; my username there is also ankhmorpork. It’s 90% my cats with a few selfies here and there. I don’t pet sit as much anymore but I tend to take pictures of the dogs and cats I sit for as well.

    P.S. Atlanta people, we should become friends so I can pet your dogs. And because half my queer friends have moved away and you seem like fun people. But also, dogs.

  16. Oh, my goodness. OH, MY GOODNESS! My heart. I can’t handle this right now. Look at all of this cuteness. Precious babies.

  17. So many beautiful humans with amazing animal friends! ?

    I was kind of expecting at least one snake or lizard though…but I’m very glad nobody sent in a photo with a pet tarantula! ?

  18. I love animals and I love you guys and everything is so cute and let’s choose to ignore the rest of the world, just for today

  19. YOUR PETS ARE ALL SO GREAT but now i feel guilty that i only posted my dog and not my cat, because he is also a star. instead of using a litter box, he likes to jump over our back fence, crap in the neighbor’s yard, and then come home, because cats are dicks. we used to be okay with this because we hated our old neighbors but now we have new neighbors, a nice gay couple who love him, so now he goes over there to crap and then they let him in their back door for food and treats. he has a second family and thinks we don’t know because he still comes home wanting dinner. anyway that’s my cat and i need you to know about his antics.
    my sister also has a ball python. she sleeps most of the day and hates men, so, ya know, relatable.

  20. This is the best photo gallery ever!! I just went and followed all the Instagram accounts! I kinda wish this was an ongoing queers with pets instagram. Haha. I also really want a cat now! I also absolutely loved that Kristin Russo and Jenny Owen Youngs had their cat here too and an instagram!! So exciting!! This has made my day. <3

  21. this was soooo lovelyyy!!!

    anna^2 i really want a christmas card from you and yours. that is year-round fridge material.

  22. OMG the adorbs. Part of me regrets not including my parents’ new puppy Ms Frizzle for the amazing cuteness factor, but Mikoto’s my priority. I was getting nervous that we weren’t going to be on the list but turns out we were just near the end.

    I miss my camp buds and now I miss your pets too ❤️

    • First thing I did was Ctrl+F my cat’s name, and then look through the gallery once I knew he made it in ~^_^~

  23. It is 7:25 am on Bainbridge Island in Washington, and I have been up since 5:10 am to take the ferry over here – so forgive my emotions when I say that all of you and your bbs are perfect. Gosh. Thank you for sharing.

  24. I thought my favourite page on the internet was a cache of 215 pictures of Kate McKinnon at the Emmys, but I see I was wrong. I live here now.

  25. This gallery makes me SO happy. Like it is the most heartwarming, relaxing, adorable thing ever. Thank you for putting this together.

  26. Shoutout to the people whose dogs are named Henry and Hazel – those are our dogs’ names too! <3

  27. I’m going back through this a page a day and reading every single word you all wrote about your furbabies, and I just laughed out loud at this: “fun fact: if you name your very independent dog Stella, every trip to the dog park turns into A Streetcar Named Desire.”

  28. Yo bookshelf, I’m really happy for you, Imma let you finish but Pets is the best gallery of all time.

  29. So good! I particularly love Boris the show cat who reminds me so much of my cat Spike. She was a show cat in her own mind.

  30. Wow, I wrote a god damn essay. I am sorry ya’ll lmao. I love everyone’s pets!!

    If you and your doggo live near Sacramento, CA, we need to meet up ASAP!!!

    • Beau and I are on page 13 and also we would love to be friends. He needs practice making friends because he’s not great at it and friends confuse him. Shoot me a message… I’m much easier to contact on Instagram or Facebook, so swap details with me and you can play with my dog?

  31. So many new instagram friends for Puck! I’m very glad we can keep this gallery going on instagram ^_^ And it’s nice to see there’s another mischievous Puck out there :)

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