A veritable PetCo, Pomona College is home to a variety of different pets. They bring color and excitement to the lives of their owners and, when given the chance, these pets even reach out to the entire college community with their joyful spirits and special talents.

Emily Samiljan ’01 has had two corn snakes while at Pomona, Gina and Fancy. Gina was named for the porn star ring of the name, while Fancy was named after a student at Pitzer. "I used to bring them to class and a few parties," Emily said. The best feature of the snakes was the spectacle of feeding-time. Those savory live mice–who could resist? They were both conversation starters and conversation killers, Emily said, but most people were receptive to their presence.

In Lawry, Alison Wechsler ’01 and her bunny, Penelope, are a happy couple that has been together for two and a half years. Penelope’s best stunt is that "she can do 180s in the air," Alison said. The bunny also licks, kisses, head-butts, and generally acts cute with her one ear sticking up and the other flopped down. The two do not have any particular traits in common, like a twitchy nose. I have a twitchy nose, so I did not find the question too out of line.

Erika Gamst The famous Komodo dragon from that movie with Marlon Brando.

The bunny has no other bunny friends with whom to commiserate, but Alison said that her sophomore year there was another bunny down the hall. Despite efforts to let the two harmoniously play together, the other (male) bunny had different intentions and the two had to be separated.

For Maya Lopez ’01 and her dog, Gypsum, last semester, doggy friends were very important. Maya rescued the dog from a shelter in Salt Lake City. When they got to Claremont, she used to organize puppy play-dates for her dog, taking her to the beach and to parks so she could romp in the grass and sniff butts with others of her kind. The German Shepherd Malamut mix was a great traveling partner for Maya, and many of Maya’s friends became involved in her care.

Having a dog on campus, however, defies all pet rules and regulations of the college, and Maya was asked to find a new home for her canine. The custody battle began. After a rough period in a dirty kennel, Maya finally had to take Gypsum to her parents’ house, where she now has another dog to play with.

Gypsum was wonderful to have on campus, Maya said, remarking that "animals bring positive energy to people." She presented a new context of interaction with people, and people enjoyed playing with her. She was a big responsibility, though, and difficult to keep on campus.

Smuggling food from the dining hall to her three-foot iguana, Salvador (nicknamed Chava), Erica Gamst ’01 is also a happy pet owner. Chava sits on people’s laps and "he climbs up your body, sits on your head, and gets tangled in your hair," said Erica affectionately. An ongoing feat they have yet to achieve is fetching, and Erica is slowly giving up hope. But the lizard keeps her company and adds color to her room. A perfect match; Erica admits, "we’re both quiet."

Patrick Resing ’01 has experienced "ten days of fish bliss" with his betta, Big Hillary. She makes his room more lively and gives him responsibility, he said. On Fridays the two get ready for a night out by cleaning the bowl, and then head out, bowl in arm, for a night on the town.

"If she dies before Sunday, I get a new one free," Patrick said of his remarkable, platinum-plus colored companion.

The Clark I cat (a.k.a. Mangy, Alley, Psycho Kitty or just Kitty) has become a community pet for the students in the Clark I courtyards. The fickle feline has the capacity to be mean, but can also be much more sedate and stroll into students’ rooms for a cozy nap on a neighborhood bed. This dual personality is a reflection of its many pseudo-owners. Some students show their affection through abuse, pestering and "molestering" the poor cat.

Others just scratch her under her cheeks, and then bear the brunt of her aggressive behavior. Usually, though, the cat is a welcome member of the campus community.

She has a Rambo-esque sense of survival, having endured the harsh Southern California winter months while most students went home for break. One student remarked that the cat "reminds people of their own cats," and for that reason it is comforting to have her prowling the courtyards.

Pets liven up Pomona College and make their owners better people. They are a source of company and entertainment, and most students who have them find the responsibility worthwhile.