Website of the Week

Feeling lonely? Miss your pet from home more than you miss your family? A virtual pup from this site is just the thing to keep you company.

When you adopt your dog, you can choose one of Spanish, French, English, Japanese or German nationality. To ensure proper communication, the site provides a translator.

After you pick your pooch, you get to name it. A message bar runs across the screen providing information about dog care and habits. You can teach your dog all kinds of tricks, from the basic sit command to more impressive feats like riding a bicycle and throwing knives at a target (my dog, Hugo, always hits bullseye).

If you’re not a dog person, you can adopt a virtual cat. A kitty diary and a list of “rules of cats” offer amusing insight into the feline mind. For example, “Always accompany guests to the bathroom. It is not necessary to do anything-just sit and stare.” A compilation of kitty quotes includes this gem: “Thousands of years ago cats were worshiped as gods. Cats have not forgotten this.”

Not everyone responds to the affections of furry friends, but that doesn’t mean you have to be alone-just check out the virtual goldfish.