make him purr

Wow. This post's title totally sounds like a headline straight out of Cosmo. Success.

Actually, the topic up for discussion is this AskMen blog post, "Do real men own cats?" Felines, the authors assert, are "just plain girlie."

Hmm.

Pets and relationships.

Not entirely a controversial, potentially deal-breaking issue, but something that can still influence a match's success. The anthology I profiled last week, "Things I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me," even has a whole first-person story about how a dog is not a good reason to stay in a relationship.

Has an animal ever affected -- positively or negatively -- your impression of a mate?

(Please avoid all references to doggystyle. TMI.)