30 Comments on “P.S.”

1. Okaaaaaay, I guess I will vote for “Shadow War.” Besides, I just finished reading it, and decided it was hands down, the BEST short story I have ever read, featuring dragons and dark and stormy nights, even though it didn’t include pink sparkle ponies.

2. I’ll vote. I’ll vote. But only because of the starving kittens getting fed. ;)

3. I was going to say, this wasn’t an attempt to curry votes, actually, so don’t feel obliged (I think it’s pretty evident I don’t actually feel you should have been obliged with the last post, either). It’s more of, I can’t make a joke about starving kittens without feeling bad about, you know, starving kittens.

4. Yeah, being a sap is how I ended up with 4 cats. Well, 3 kittens, and 1 cat. I am that lady…

5. Donating to the Human Society or other charity never makes you a sap – quite the opposite in fact.

6. For being a sap, I will vote for you. You’re a humane guy, and it shows in your writing.

7. This sir, is one of the reasons why I think you’re fantastic.

8. I still can’t believe you invoked kittens in the first place *wipes away tears*. With this post, however, you have redeemed yourself, and given me the moment of catharsis I so desperately needed. For that, and for the kittens, I thank you.

9. Never show weakness! Now all of the other science fiction writers are going to run your shorts up a flagpole. Jim Hines has been looking for a reason to jump you for weeks, and he HATES kittens!

10. There was a bit of a flame war here the other day when it was noticed that the Hennepin County HS was ‘importing’ dogs from other states. Some folks really were outraged. The director explained they had not put a healthy dog dog there since 1997! So dogs, no problem. Sadly, he said the extreme surplus of cats made them a different story. Thanks for thinking of the kitties John.

    And the rest of you – spay or neuter your cats!

11. You’re my kind of sap, Scalzi.

12. I was going to vote, regardless. I really enjoyed your short story (as I’ve enjoyed your other books). But the fact that you were also willing to donate to the Humane Society because you felt guilty about hungry kitties is yet another reason why I like you (even though we don’t know each other). It’s the same reason why I always donate at the checkout of the local pet store when I’m buying food for my own cat.

13. Someone on twitter asked what they should do for their birthday today, since it’s Friday the 13th. Because of your post I told them to go adopt a black cat, ’cause they need homes too. So I think your last post accomplished more then you think :)

14. *extraordinarily subtle sound, as if millions of virtual hats were suddenly doffed*

15. Be honest, being a sap wasn’t your only motivating factor here. Zeus, giving you the evil eye while you posted all those adoreble kitten pictures, helped make you open your wallet. You were afraid for your life. (Zeus being obviously very suspicious of your interest in many newborn cats.)

16. IANAL, but I’m pretty sure “being a sap” is not a tort. Perhaps Mythago can enlighten us.

17. Awwwww. You old softie. I suppose that’s my cue to put the RSCPA on my charity list … there’s a vacancy since one of the causes I donate to has taken to unsolicited phone calls, anyway …

18. Truthfully I’ve rescued at least 2 kittens of the streets of Dayton myself, looking at one of them right now. Anyway good cause.

19. Being a sap is not a tort. I would like it to be*, because then I could get rich, so I’ll start lobbying for —

    OMG KITTENS! *squeeeee*

    *Joking. If I got to invent a new tort I’d pick “aggravated douchecanoery”.

20. We inherited Simba because his previous owner decided she didn’t want him anymore. We got Hobbes when we were going to Petsmart to get food for Caitlin and Simba, and the local shelter was doing pet adoptions outside the store. When my husband’s friend phoned him to tell him that his mother didn’t want Simba anymore, my husband said “You stay away from my wife!”…and promptly came home to tell me himself. When we were approaching Petsmart on the day we got Hobbes, I heard hubby say “Oh, shit!” I asked him what he meant, and he pointed to Hobbes.

    To this day, hubby stands firm that Simba’s alternate name is not “You stay away from my wife!”, it’s “We’ll take him!”. He is also convinced that Hobbes’ alternate name is not “Oh, shit!”, but “I want him!” He insists he “doesn’t have the authority” to bring more cats into the household, he only did so to please me.

    Anyway, however we acquired them, it’s likely Simba and Hobbes would have been euthanized by now, had they gone into/stayed in a shelter. They’re wonderful cats, and we can’t imagine our household without them–even when Simba’s nearly knocking my glasses off wanting attention, as he’s doing now. Every second I spend typing is a second I don’t spend making a fuss of him, you see.

    :-)

21. There is nothing wrong with making the world suck a little less John.

22. Local kittens benefit from your self-promotion – sounds very fair to me!

23. Using kittens for self promotion is bad, and you should feel bad. Donating is not enough, sir, not enough! The only way to atone for this evil is for you to personally apologize to kittens everywhere, or failing that, to use the power of Whatever to make all the other evil people donate to kittens everywhere.

    (My cat approves of this post. He also liked Fuzzy Nation, but more as a resting place than a novel.)

24. And don’t forget rabbit rescue groups too, while your purse-strings are loosened by guilt… ;)

25. I got the first of my cat as rescue from a household where her family loved her, but the family’S customers abused her.

    I got my second cat as stray kitten placed onto the ground of plastic bucket, because it’s mom and siblings starved.

    So yeah, everybody who makes the world a bit better for the kittens is okay in my book. :)

26. I just spent the better part of the last week searching for (and thankfully, finding) my cat, Pixel (click my name for details), so I heartily endorse this post. I got to see, not just think about, a number of homeless kitties on a trip to the local SPCA shelter.

    PSA: If you own a cat and let it roam outside, consider having it microchipped (a chip that’s implanted in the animal that can be scanned by veternarians, shelter people and such). Pixel will not be roaming outside again until that’s done. :-)

27. “Donating to the Human Society or other charity never makes you a sap”

    Donating to the “Humane Society Of The United States” kinda would, though, because they aren’t actually related to the local Humane Societies that actually do the work to help animals. The HSUS is kinda sketchy.

28. If you’re gonna be a sap, it’s hard to argue against being a sap for kittens. Although I prefer puppies personally.

29. NO, you are a softie for kittehs and goggies. which is okay in my book. I got four kittehs who are either rescues from organized sites or a personal rescue from a cow-orker. (short story, she told me if she’s had to keep Angelina, she’d have shoved her out the door to fend for herself, like she’d done her own cat when her mom’s other cat turned out to be nicer than her own cat she’d had for a while. I told her not to ever speak to me again. Did not tell her I thought she was a pile of shit.)

30. Two-thirds of the Triple Felinoid were rescue kitties. Good for you.