Social networking site of the day: Catster

WHERE’S IT AT?
www.catster.com

LET ME GUESS, IT’S LIKE FRIENDSTER BUT FOR…
Yes, cats. Catster is what you’d expect, a social networking site for cats which offers a wide range of community features, with no risk of fur flying if they don’t get on. So far, over 83,000 mogs have signed up, with a little help from their web-savvy owners.

SO HOW DOES IT WORK?
Each cat gets their own page, which can include photos, basic details, a nifty ‘Kitty Complexion’ chart to describe their character, and a questionnaire about their likes and dislikes. You can surf these profiles, and leave virtual treats for the cats you like.

THAT SOUNDS A BIT TWEE…
Well, if you’re not mad about cats, you’ll want to keep well clear, especially if the sight of people pretending to write in their pet’s voice sends you into a psychotic rage. But if you’re a fan of all things feline, you’ll want to dive right in.

WHAT ELSE IS ON THERE?
A surprising amount of the member cats have regularly-updated blogs, which they presumably write in between sleeping, eating and bringing home mice at 3am to eat on the living room floor. You can rate other cats, browse the forums, get advice on cat-care, and if you’re really keen join the subscription-only CatsterPlus, which gives you more photo bandwidth and options to boost your mog’s profile.

HOW MUCH IS THAT THEN?
$19.95 a year, or $3.50 a month. That’s just a few tins of cat-food (although I’m not suggesting you deprive your feline friend in order to pay for it. That would be cruel.)

CATS ARE RUBBISH THOUGH, WHAT ABOUT DOGS?
Glad you asked. The same company runs an alternative site for pet pooches, called – yes, you guessed it, Dogster.