Finally, a gallery for my pets only. You might complain that they're mostly lying around, sleeping, or grooming. Well, that's what the cats do around the house. Minnie, my cat, is in fact a fierce mouse hunter and fights other cats viciously. But when she's with us, she's a sweet little kitty who only wants to sleep in a warm, soft place. I guess she has to, considering she has to feed two humans with voles and has to defend our home against other feline invaders. That's gotta be tiresome. She left her home across the street when her family got a dog for Christmas without asking her. She simply moved in with us...

The tabby tomcat is half-stray, his family doesn't care too much about him. So the whole neighborhood feeds him, deworms him and takes care of his many small injuries. He's a fighter. But sweet.
In the meantime, he's been neutered, which is a real relief - especially to everyone with windows in the basement (yes, I'm talking about spraying here).

My parents' cats are indoors only and pretty strong-minded, both of them. Teddy, the tabby long-haired cat, is the boss, but Purzel undermines her authority whenever she sees a way.

The chinchillas, Moppel and Rosalie, are my oldest pets. At least Moppel is, I took her in in 1992 when my brother wanted to get rid of her. She's charming and loving, but very reserved. I built her a big cage and got her a friend, Kleines. Kleines died in 2003 after 11 years of various illnesses. She's still loved and missed... Even though Rosalie, Moppel's new friend, is the most wonderful chinchilla you can imagine, smart, healthy, curious, and very sociable. She's the best - just like Moppel, of course. ;-)