The tendency to converse with dogs, cats, and hamsters ultimately says more about people than it does about their pets. "Do you think it's weird that I tell Nermal I love her multiple times a day?" My sister's question was muffled, her face stuffed in the fur of her six-month-old kitten (named for the cat from Garfield). We were sitting in the living room of her apartment and, as always, Nermal was vying for our attention-pawing at our hair, walking along the couch behind us, spreading across our laps and looking up at us with her big, bright eyes. She's almost aggressively cute, and inspires the kind of love that demands to be vocalized. I'd find it weirder if my sister weren't doing so. The question made me think about my own two cats, and our many and varied interactions throughout the day. I work from home and find myself narrating my tasks to them ("Okay, Martin, no more Twitter") or singing impromptu songs ("It's treat time / Time-to-eat time"). I tell them I love them; sometimes