what's a good pet for the working programmer?
jawngee: Cat for sure.Kittens need a lot of attention though, as do strays you've adopted.  But they are the lowest maintenance of any pets.Dogs are great but are like having developmentally disabled children; they require a lot of attention, patience and forgiveness.And it is possible to find a cat with a lot of dog like qualities.  I had an awesome cat who passed away unexpectedly a couple of years ago that was pretty much a dog.  He liked to be walked (on a harness) outside, loved water, playing fetch and other things.  He turned a lot of my anti-cat friends into cat owners, he was that kind of awesome.  RIP Johnny.