Never did for me, the pet thing. The idea of kissing an animal to me is pretty much verboten. And I have no surprise at a guy who's never kissed a kid that's not his.

But you just explained your weird pet thing, growing up. I agree that it probably wouldn't happen if this guy sprouted, full grown, from his non-sexual family. But was he never a kid with a pet? I know lots of little boys who kiss everything.

Which can be really bothersome, when it crosses your own personal boundaries.

I don't think it ever would occur to me to kiss a pet.

I kiss my cats on the head all the time. I thought everybody did that.

I kiss Ruby ALL THE TIME.

Me, too. Cats and dogs (though not all of either that we have.)

But you just explained your weird pet thing, growing up.

This isn't about my weird pet thing -- this is not only an entire country, but most of the black Americans I've polled recoil the same way and call pet kissing a white thing.

And, it's not just black folk.

Hmm. The only pets I ever had as a kid were hermit crabs.

Also -- that "weird pet thing" isn't so much a weird thing, as an animal as utility thing. Kissing work animals is ... probably not so common. They were work animals we liked and played with, but still guard dogs.

Crap, I'm still up.

Anyway, no, the person in my story didn't have pets, as far as I know.

Europeans kiss and coddle pets, so it's not an Anerican thing. I think viewing animals as workers rather than companions, no matter what culture you're from is the key to how you treat them. The farmers in upstate NY where Jason's parents used to live don't kiss barn cats--often they don't even name them.