Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for September 11, 2019

A cat. Not bad, I suppose. But how are they going to milk this for anther four days?

Close call on the boys’ part; they nearly choked on the meal. (What what makes taking in animal such wonderful family news anyway? This coming from someone who grew up with cats.)

Dang. I was hoping for an exchange student.

I was hoping for the real deal…

Talk about lame. Making an announcement about becoming a furry parent at a family dinner table? Irma could have simply called Gunther and casually mentioned getting a cat. Save the family dinner table for truly notable and life-changing announcement, Irma. Cat does not fit the criteria.

I guess we don’t see cats that often in Luann. Greg will be stretching his artistic muscles…

oh thank god i think i’m relieved just like Les and Gunny are

A “Cat!” What a relief!!! Schrodinger’s Dog is gonna HATE this!

Me? H3LL, I’m Happy!!!

KUDOS to ALL who said they were going to adopt a pet! And a special shout out to all those that predicted that “pet” would be a “cat!”

Now, this “adopt a cat bit” has been done before. Years ago when Luann found a stray cat shivering in the rain and took him in. The kicker was, that Frank was allergic to cats. And if memory serves, that cat went to Mrs Horner. So I wonder what the “catch” will be this time around?

Maybe Al set up Irma to make the boys squirm…his idea of humor?

Well, I didn’t specify the species of ‘child’ but I missed by a bit.

A foster cat? Foster means temporary until a permanent home is found. Big Al. I don’t trust him. He’s probably going to hold someone’s cat hostage until they pay up on a debt they owe him.

The boys were totally setup!!!

The only thing that can possibly redeem this idea is if the cat is a gray cat and acts like Mr. Gray.

me Id rather have adog!!

It’s been 18 years

All.

There was a “cat” in the Strip once before. 14 years ago to be exact. Cute story. It starts here:

https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2005/10/31

Called it!

Gunther nearly dissolved in his own juice – he is still a mess inside. Mommy evidently taught Gunther very strict morals which remain as a part of his deep attachment. So seeing Mommy get married and then maybe preggers would be like seeing his favorite male teacher taking a leak on the blackboard.

“And if that goes well, we’ll adopt four children…”

Is that the first time we’ve seen Mr Grey smile? (1st panel)

Oops – the temporary colorist forgot to color the food on their plates. Looks like they are eating unwound rolls of electrical tape and black nylon cable ties with rice.

.

I have allergies to cats, so I had to comment on something else. Soggy rice not – a taste nice…

Dumb big announcement.

To a lot of us, not really a big surprise (I was one of many who suspected a pet rather than a pregnancy). Still, it must come as a relief to Leslie and even more to Gunther.

Mr. Gray remains so inscrutable. He’s probably a good (and seasoned) poker player….

I am as relieved as Gun and Les.

Ha! Luann’s family used to have a cat until TJ talked him into trading it for a basketball!

A cat or dog owner should not be a parent….nor an owner in a way. They are a “guardian”. A pet should be treated as a charge, not property. Care for, watch out, protect and teach them. Treat them as good as your kids, love them as much as any family member, but they are not kids. Keep one foot planted in reality at all times.

P.S….LOVE my pets/friends/4-legged family.

It could be truly notable and it’s certainly life changing.

A kid woulda been a goat? (Leslie sorta looks like a goat TBH)

Wait until it reaches CN news from ‘Breaking Cat News’!

I was hoping they’d take Shannon off of Toni and Bwad’s hands.

Gunther’s got scleras under those dots? How does that even work.

I’m reading an obit this morning about an 81 year old gent. He was predeceased by his wife of 45 years and had one son. He had 4 children by his second wife!!!I I have no idea of her age, but?!?!

You mean to tell me I spilled my drink all over myself yesterday for nothing?!

G & K did this to us on purr-pose!

It’s a fur baby!

And guess who gets to take care of it when the parents travel on vacations?

That is such an annoying notion.

Breath, Gunth, breath.

I’m getting claustrophobic, looking at the four of them sitting next to each other, occupying considerably less than 50% of the seating availability.

How did Greg want to stretch to this out? Did he plan on making another announcement?

A big and lazy red cat or a very strong and weird red cat? I dunno, but this seems to me like a foreshadowing. Maybe they’ll start with the cat and end up having a baby. I’ve seen this happen twice.

Doh!! Victim of a patented GnK misdirection play again!! I am such a sucker! Actually I am victim of what I yell at all my dear fellow commentators here, projection. Projecting what I want an event to happen to the characters. Anyway congrats to all those who predicted a pet, I still don’t agree with the idea of a pet parent, pets are pets not kid substitutes, although in terms of companionship and being in a family unit I guess. Children though are a whole different ball of wax, part of what this toon is all about really. I still plan to adopt a dog by Spring, if not sooner, I will comment on my progress. I wonder about the smaller pit bulls. I think the dog has a undeserved bad rap, I think being loved should make them a very gentle breed. Other than that a small bulldog, or terrier. What y’all think?

Well! Now the “special announcement” has been made, perhaps for rest of the week, the dinner table conversation will take a hard left turn, and veer right back to “Tell Us all about Bets, Gunthie!”

And not deviate one iota…….., ;)

Al is always in his suit and tie!

I’m relieved that they getting a cat, but worried about what type of cat.

LOL Gunther’s Heart can begin beating again.

More proof the cake is a lie! Cats are the root of all evil…

Gunther: “Mom, if I’m so smart, why are you such a moron?”

since they would let Gunther stay in the house i couldn’t see mr Gray letting a baby into the house. “no Irma we’ve built him a baby condo.” “mom is says ‘dog house’”

Every lonely couple needs a cat.

Yesterday’s strip made me realize that Gunther’s mom may well be young enough to have more kids. If she had Gunther early in life, say age 20 (not even a teen mom) she’d be 39 now. She doesn’t come across as that young, and of course she married someone older, but no reason this can’t be an intro to adding a baby later. That would ave a pretty interesting addition!

The world’s population is projected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion by 2050 and exceed 11 billion in 2100. Maybe we need a worldwide “Trap, Neuter, Release” program for humans?

Oh, so we’re doing a repeat of Nancy’s “I feel kinky” where a character says a phrase that by all accounts should be unambiguous, but here it’s twisted so far upon itself that it means something different, all in an attempt to force a Wacky Misunderstanding™ that for some reason couldn’t be done in a more natural way.

At least a cat doesn’t need to be sent to college and want to drive the car.

A good shock to the system is a good thing every now and then. Gets you to wake up and gets the blood flowing.

Someone guessed it correctly yesterday…not a child but a pet

I know this will be unpopular but… it is what it is.

“Domestic” cats are an invasive species anywhere they are introduced.

“_The National Wildlife Federation_ defines invasive species as any kind of living organism — an animal, plant, seeds, even bacteria or fungus — that is not native to an ecosystem and causes harm. It turns out that domesticated cats have no native range. Originally bred from wild cats and introduced to North America by European colonists, domesticated cats are now listed as one of the top 100 invasive species worldwide by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.”

So do The American Bird Conservancy, The Wildlife Society, and so many others.

yay it’s a cat!

A cat? they’re not going to be parents, they’re going to be waitstaff

OK! Now G&K have pulled the gag on us! … And, with Gunther, it’s obviously a visual gag!! That said, it’s …

PSA time: Foster care for pets is a great thing to do! (Hope A&I are up to the challenge). I’ve known folks who take in dogs or cats for a period of time, as even the good shelters get way too full. If one is up to it, it’s a fine public service one can volunteer to do! … End PSA.

As for me, I’ve owned dogs, cats, and I’ve learned some good stuff from each and all of them. More recently, it has been – yes, a rabbit!! for a good while … And, say what you want … Rabbits are Cool! They make for great pets!

I am curious how Al and Irma will be handling their new ‘guest’, though! :)

Poor Kitty.

You should have specified Foster Parents …

Next week, Gunter and Bets visit the bookstore and pick up a book on baby names. Surprise! They run into Toni and Brad doing the same thing.

Hey, I think they need a baby goat!

Question, how old are they, anyway? “Kid” (human, not goat) might actually be a possibility.

How nice! Good to see more cat people around. And, as an added bonus, the boys are thinking alike for a change.

What a letdown. I was kinda hoping…

that was a claws one!

4

Blech. Only a cat. Do not get me wrong…. I love pets…. but as far as the story arc….. two issues…. a) it is only a cat being adopted…… not as interesting as the thought of an Irma/Al pregnancy arc, and b) this very sadly and dramatically increases the odds that much of the remainder of the week will be centered on Unger/Madison bickering and/or more Unger/Madison fighting over a female.

I would much more readily enjoy arcs with Gunther that are not with Les or Les arcs not with Gunther. Together…. not so much to my liking anymore.

Congratulations, it’s a cat!

Well, that was anticlimactic. A couple of the comments called it yesterday, but I was thinking there would at least be a bit more of a twist than that. I was thinking they were going to adopt a child …

OH MY GOD> When pet owners refer to their pets as fur babies or their 4 legged kids etc, do you think they are so delusional they cannot tell the difference between dog ans human? I mean holly crap this is getting stupid. I have good friend who could not have kids. She has become a cat lover. 1 at a time. She does not call her cat her daughter. but I promise you that this cat means to her, as much as my kids mean to me. I have kids, I have pets. I love them all. My pets are slightly more expendable. I will not mortgage my house for my pet o have surgery if the money is too much, or the outcome iffy. I had to let a beloved cat go over money however, even though he could be cured, because it was way to much. It would have cost $1800 dollars for his treatment vs 175 to euthanize. I did not have the money, he was in a lot of pain. He would have died within 24 hours without intervention. I had no choice. WE DO know the difference. does not change one iota about how we feel about them.

Many pets that need foster homes have been in shelters for a while or they have special needs. There’s a Maine Coon rescue web site where many of the cats that need homes are currently living in temporary (foster) homes. I look forward to seeing the cat (how it is drawn). G&K have just been drawing dogs (Puddles and Jack’s dog). It’s time for a new animal.

They did that Deliberately.

So, is the Cat “Nermal”?

Ah they are getting a baby with fangs and claws. And who purrs.

The food on the plates doesn’t look very appetizing …

come on, Irma, what happened, …

you’re usually a very good cook ….

I guess it could be worse – the could have announced that they were getting a buffalo.

.

♫ Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam;

and I’ll show you a house that needs new carpet… ♪

What’s New Pussy Cat?

Lost opportunity. Could’ve stretched this joke out across several days of strips.

The ads next to the comment section on my screen are, after having never done so before, featuring pet supplies. Big Comics is watching…

Pet owner.

It’ll be the cat from Hell and rip up all Gunther’s fancy threads…not to mention whatever Tiffany may have sent. How do you them apples ?

I love animals as much as the next guy who doesn’t want the wife to know he cried about her last cat, but Hallowe’en is coming up. Time for our favorite witch to make an appearance. The spoOoooOOooOoky machinations of …

A few years later, the only character who likes Les is… the cat.