Housepets!

Hello everyone!
Let me first off apologize upfront for anything that may sound bad or wrong. I am relatively new to the phrase, "furry", and new to the culture of anthropomorphic art. I've only really known about this lifestyle for about 6 months to a year. That should be without saying, I'm also new to Housepets. I've only recently discovered this comic and I must say I have thoroughly enjoyed myself thus far. In the past week, I've read all the comics up to date and wanted to voice my opinion on the matter; should Penut and Grape be together. I wanted to make this topic quickly because of everything that I've seen and read is still fresh. I hope you can bare through the length of this because I believe I make some good key points and would like to also compare to a real life scenario. But Remember, this is all My Opinion. From the top =)

First off, my view towards Max. Let me begin by saying, he is an important character and is needed. He's the type of cat you don't want to mess with. If you do, he'll find a way to get to you. Unlike Bino who will always find the dirtiest trick in the book, but having to answer to his friends later, makes him less of a threat. Now what I don't like about Max is how he connected with Grape. Max didn't know Grape was a girl. When he did find out, he all of a sudden had to have her. Now you could say the same with Penut, but Penut and Grape already had a strong connection. When Penut found out,(again in my opinion) the connection he had towards her both grew and changed. Not to sound sexual, but it was like something awoke in him. He didn't know what it was at first, all he knew is that his best friend is now a girl.

Now through the story, Penut discovers who he is. He finds that he very affectionate towards Grape and realizes he has a crush. He begins to realize the feelings he has towards her is much different then any other he's had. Now this is where it gets a little bit tricky. Penut and Grape have always considered each other as friends. I don't think I ever read anywhere about anyone's views within the comic towards Grape and Penut being as brother and sister. They've always been considered as "great friends". I could be wrong. Now sadly in their universe it's about the same as ours. We love our pets and would do anything for them, but the connection we have towards them is different to say your mother or daughter. You could argue that some owners feel a greater bond then others, which I would agree with. But as you can see through out the series, Pets are still considered, Pets. Even with the newly engaged King and Bailey, Bailey's owner was only concerned about the end product, Puppies. Or in a more definitive answer, Money. All he really carried about was that if he still owned Bailey and what would happen to their puppies. So with that said, any legality actions that could conspire between Penut and Grape or the sandwich family, is out the window in my opinion.

Another very important point I'd like to make is how Grape and Penut finally discussed the crush that Penut had towards her. It was there where a decision was made. Grape being the more mature one and the girl, could have been disgusted. She could have been like, "Eww you're my brother", or "Penut I don't see you that way", or even "Penut you and I are of two different species". But she didn't. She accepted the crush in a sense with a peck on the cheek. They both realize they should be with their own kind, but they also feel something toward each other. Both society and their natural instincts for self preservation tells them it's wrong to be with each other, but their hearts say differently. As my 70 year old grandmother told me when I showed her Avatar, "Love's love. You can't fight it. Being different doesn't matter to love". I believe Pete and some other characters through out the comic so far, have talked about how humans are always concerned with self preservation. Always worrying about a legacy to leave behind and how they forget what life is really about. A lesson I myself need to learn and realize.

Something that has both bothered and confused me though is what Grape and Penut have done since they've realized they have a special bond between each other. It's been shown in a few panels where Penut and Grape are cuddling. Which is fine, but in this comic it's more of a boyfriend girlfriend thing to do. I've often felt like both Penut and Grape are cheating on each other, as well as Max and Tarot are being cheated on. The scene where all four of them use Tarot's abilities to role-play the Pridelands and use Penut's reality is where I thought Tarot would find out his crush for Grape. Through the series I've been both worrying and anticipating that Tarot would say something to Penut about his crush, but nothing has been said so far. I know I shouldn't, but I'm hoping something will. The same goes for both Fido and Sabrina. There's nothing that's been said yet, but I have a feeling something soon will come up.

Now I believe I have a different insight then others. I have a younger brother who is almost 20 years old, but technically he's not my brother, only on paper. Even more technically he wasn't my brother on paper until I was 12. Family issues I care not to discuss about, didn't matter to us. We've know each other since I was about three years old, so it's like he's always been there. We have photo's of us that I have no recollection of, so even though we're not blood brothers, we still consider our self's as brothers. With all that said, I believe it's still different between Grape and Penut. Even if my brother was my sister, I'd still consider her as my sister. With Penut though, he remembers. The scene where he's talking to Res and explains how he use to be a single pet and how they rescued Grape, in my opinion, is a different connection then that of mine. Instead of seeing her as his sister, he viewed her as a friend. Even the Sandwich's agreed that Penut needed a "friend" to play with. If I remember correctly, they discussed this at the pound where Grape was being held.

So in conclusion to everything, I believe Grape and Penut should be a couple somewhere through the series or at least investigate the idea and see where it leads them. Every time someone suggests to Grape about being a dog lover, she immediately becomes defensive. Which only in turn becomes more evident that she is. Since inter species love is Taboo, it makes both Grape and Penut being together one heck of a story. The drama that it would cause along with what's happening in the background with Pete and his Foes dueling in the dynamic game that's being played, would make it even more since for Grape and Penut to be together. Especially since Pete wants both man and beast to be as one equal. I can also see the drama that would ensue if/when Fido and Sabrina are also found out. It would be very interesting to see how Penut and Grape would react to all of it as well.


*So thank you all for reading and sticking through it. Remember this is just my opinion and views towards the series. I will do my very best to defend what I have written. I'm not an expert, but I'll try my hardest. To Rick Griffen, if you read this, know that am for Grape and Penut becoming a couple, but whatever you do not take my opinion to heart. I'm just a mere fan that loves your work. Whatever you decide and feels right in your heart, do it. I am 100% behind whatever and wherever you take your series.

If you're wondering why I made this topic, it is to only further understand the series and why people believe Grape and Penut should And should not be a couple. While I was reading, I kept pushing forward hoping to see what was to become of Grape and Penut, but as we know nothing has happened yet. I searched this topic a bit before posting this, but found little to no answers to why or if they are a couple or not. So with that said, I have been slightly confused as to weather or not they are really a couple.

But as always Thanks for reading. =)

It has not been said as to how much a taboo interspecies relationships are outside of Babylon Gardens. Res said it was "cute" that Grape was a dog lover, and for all we know, Bino may be behind most of the anti- interspecies stuff...

I think it's less of a big deal then people would think. There are after all cats who get along with dogs IRL and we already know other then some very non-canon fanfics, that no offspring would happen.

copper wrote:It has not been said as to how much a taboo interspecies relationships are outside of Babylon Gardens. Res said it was "cute" that Grape was a dog lover, and for all we know, Bino may be behind most of the anti- interspecies stuff...

Considering Res and the Barn cats I think its pretty likely the taboo is mostly Binos doing. Also considering the way Bailey views life in general and that is par for the course for most Dogs and animals in general the Taboo as a wide spread thing starts to make less and less sense anyway.

You all three make very good points. To as how far the taboo goes, I didn't consider. There are a few things I'd like to elaborate on though. One being the Wolfs. What would the Wolfs think about a cat and dog being together. Them being from the wild, I'm fairly certain that wolfs and cougars don't exactly get along with each other. At the same they're learning to live with humans and pets, so they may accept the taboo, but still not like it.

Also another thing to consider about the taboo is why it could be one in the first place. As we know cats and dogs can't have offspring, only with their own kind. So I believe the taboo could go deeper into the subconscious. As with all animal instincts, including our own, we are driven to continue our species, with out that natural instinct our species could die. Which is why it could be considered a taboo among pets. At the same time as mentioned, both Res and the Barn Cats thought it was "cute". One thing to consider though is that they have the luxury to be on the outside looking in. They don't have to live in Babylon Gardens so in a sense they wouldn't have to worry about the persecution that Grape and Penut would have to deal with. In way all of it could be interpreted as being selfish. Only thinking them self's and their love, rather then their species as a whole.

The Taboo honestly is something that most likely stems from the same taboo that people thought that cats and dogs can't date, similar to werewolves and vampyres can't coexist.

I think the taboo is a joke in my opinion, but if you look into the series, I think the taboo honestly stems from the three main people that brought the topic up: Bino, Fido and Joey. Peanut is treated more like the victim than a actual supporter because it's perfectly normal to follow these tendencies, but put that tendency next to Bino and you got yourself a crime.

If Sabrina and Fido can find each other attractive regardless of species, that's fine. The point here though is if people start thinking "This male dog just likes cats because he thinks they are attractive, not because he thinks they are equals.", that's where the credibility starts to lose itself. We know Fido has always been equal with cats, regardless of what he does, but someone like Bino can easily turn that credibility against him and now Fido is shamed by every dog he knows. It's hard to also say if Fido is trying to find a time to confess to the relationship or if he's just trying to hide it for as long as he can until someone figures it out, but it's one of these things that we have to wait and see someday.

To be honest I always thought Little!Bino and Little!Fox, along with a few other dogs during the times of puppies, were the ones responsible, especially since we've only really learned the general.opinion of B.G. and B.G. ONLY. It would not be to big of a stretch to that Babylon Gardens might be old fashioned, along with other areas(like Bailey's old town).

We really don't know to much about the HP! world, aside from what Rick himself shows and says.

This is from my own musings really, but what I think about the whole interspecies thing is simple. It is Bino. He has an ideal about what a dog should be and do and he gets it from the larger stereotype. He probably watched a tv show like Lassie or read old books or idolized an "ideal" hero dog of some sort as a pup. My evidence is in the way he acts himself as well as anyone who deviates from this "ideal. He flies off the handle at them, goes into an insane rant, or persecutes them. This ideal of his stretches even to names, like Tiger. I honestly think Fox used to be the same way, but grew out of most of it. His puppy form was definitely more aggressive. If you want more evidence of this, just look at the name of the club he founded with Fido. "The Good Ol' Dogs Club". It is reminiscent of the Good Ol' days and Good Ol' dogs, harking back to a time that never existed, an ideal time, or, in this case, an ideal dog...

I don't think it's just Bino. I think it's something some pets think is horrible and others just don't care about. Bino is just kind of a very vocal and influential opponent.

Sleet wrote:Bino is just kind of a very vocal and influential opponent.

Yes, peer pressure in Babylon Gardens is Huge. So the taboo may have stemmed from Bino and the others, but now how far has it gone. How much has it embedded into the culture of Pets/Babylon Gardens?

yes

Considering the potential symbolism going on, I assume the prejudice is deeper than just rooting from one pet.

Sleet wrote:Considering the potential symbolism going on, I assume the prejudice is deeper than just rooting from one pet.

I like that. That is what I thought at first. In their defense though, there are many different ways for interpreting what the pets have said. All we really know is what Rick has let us seen. In my opinion though, from how both cats and dogs have portrayed each other, neither one really paints a pretty picture of the other. They don't like each, that's for certain, or at least in Babylon Gardens.


One thing I'd like investigate and see what people think, https://www.housepetscomic.com/cast/

I hope I don't offend Rick by trying to read him, but if you read through the cast list, he has slight innuwindows towards dogs and cats having relations. Something I find rather interesting how he describes Rufus. I may be way off, but even Rufus living on the country side, outside of Babylon Gardens, still likes to keep it secret that he May like cats. Again it's just something that I observed and might be wrong.



Now I like how all this is going. Everyone is very Calm and Mellow. Remember this a Discussion about PenutxGrape. I'm for PenutxGrape, but anyone who is against it, please jump right in. I think we can agree that everyone has their own opinion which is completely fine. I just don't anyone to feel that their opinion doesn't matter. I hope I haven't over stepped my bounds.

Wow, that's mega-hyper-over-analyze things. As I said before, threads about this will never stop emerge XD. Honestly, I think we shouldn't discuss about this until this subject has been brought on the comic again, because there's nothing new here that we haven't said before. We should wait and see how things keep going.

Sleet wrote:Considering the potential symbolism going on, I assume the prejudice is deeper than just rooting from one pet.

Agreed. I think all of this inter-species issue is something similar to racism in humans. Some people don't have any problem, some people supports it and others are against it.

Sleet wrote:Considering the potential symbolism going on, I assume the prejudice is deeper than just rooting from one pet.

This is why we need that whole taboo explored and explained more, because as it stands, it seems to be not a wide spread as some people think it is. However since it hasn't been explore in a larger context yet (and really its been completely ignored for quite some time now other then that small B story in Housepets Babies!) we really have far to little to go off of.

Gren wrote:Wow, that's mega-hyper-over-analyze things.

Heh alright I'll take it that I'm way off =).

IceKitsune wrote:

Sleet wrote:Considering the potential symbolism going on, I assume the prejudice is deeper than just rooting from one pet.

This is why we need that whole taboo explored and explained more, because as it stands, it seems to be not a wide spread as some people think it is. However since it hasn't been explore in a larger context yet (and really its been completely ignored for quite some time now other then that small B story in Housepets Babies!) we really have far to little to go off of.

That's because it's a small element. Rick as a huge cast with ongoing stories for the most of them and a million other things to take care of. I don't see this issue being completely explained anytime soon.

There are enough furry comics about characters' love not being accepted. It's neat that Housepets! has elements of the theme but I wouldn't want it to go overboard.

I'm not saying I would want him to do anything super long term like with the Nerds (because that would be very silly) but maybe like an arc or two, to just explain how wide spread it is and maybe how other characters feel about it and so on. I mean Fido and Sabrina don't really gets arcs focused on them and it would be a way to easily do it.

Foxstar wrote:That's because it's a small element. Rick as a huge cast with ongoing stories for the most of them and a million other things to take care of. I don't see this issue being completely explained anytime soon.

Well, since it's most likely that the ninety percent of the people who completed the survey has chosen "more relationships", I wouldn't surprise if we see more of this anytime soon.

Gren wrote: Well, since it's most likely that the ninety percent of the people who completed the survey has chosen "more relationships", I wouldn't surprise if we see more of this anytime soon.

Sorry slightly off topic.... A survey??

Tatsuo wrote:

Gren wrote: Well, since it's most likely that the ninety percent of the people who completed the survey has chosen "more relationships", I wouldn't surprise if we see more of this anytime soon.

Sorry slightly off topic.... A survey??

Some days ago Rick had made a survey about ten generic questions about the comic. The survey is closed now but at least you can see what it was all about here.

Hmm and the survey results were to have more relationships? As in more characters and more of the already created characters in one?

I have a feeling all of this'll be revealed in due time, seeing as I've only been on here for a couple of months and I've heard a lot on the forums about it already.

^^Ha nice one!

Spens wrote:I have a feeling all of this'll be revealed in due time, seeing as I've only been on here for a couple of months and I've heard a lot on the forums about it already.

Well I hope so and look forward to it. Back in 09 it looked like everyone was gun ho for Penut and Grape getting together. Between then and now though, something changed... bigger fan base maybe?

Well it's been a while since that's been teased. The fanbase has grown and many of the fans weren't even around back then, so they aren't as excited as we were about it.

For what it's worth I still ship Grapenut.

Sleet wrote:Well it's been a while since that's been teased. The fanbase has grown and many of the fans weren't even around back then, so they aren't as excited as we were about it.

For what it's worth I still ship Grapenut.

Heck, until Rick killed it, I was one of the biggest King Of Hearts shippers out there! Boy have times changed...

copper wrote:Heck, until Rick killed it, I was one of the biggest King Of Hearts shippers out there! Boy have times changed...

Don't even mention it, Rick has killed every ship I've made . The only ones remaining are Sabrido and Duchino (or how I should call it?) though they were canon almost from the beginning XD

copper wrote:

Sleet wrote:Well it's been a while since that's been teased. The fanbase has grown and many of the fans weren't even around back then, so they aren't as excited as we were about it.

For what it's worth I still ship Grapenut.

Heck, until Rick killed it, I was one of the biggest King Of Hearts shippers out there! Boy have times changed...

Oh, you're so right about that!
But the Grapenut shall prevail!

I do agree with an above poster that Peanut and Grape together is not as big of a deal as people seem to think. I think they have a perfect understanding of their feelings, which is... They love each other and like to be cuddly and care for one another, but they're both attracted to members of their own species. There's no discomfort, and even Max and Tarot seem to basically get the idea and aren't threatened by it. Tarot definitely, Max maybe.

Honestly - and this might be my own polyamory speaking, here - it's really not as shocking as it's made out to be, particularly for non-humans. It is what it is.

Well Peanut's attracted to both species.

I'm not entirely convinced Grape is completely not into dogs but regardless she loves Max and that's just fine for her.

Ryusuta wrote:I do agree with an above poster that Peanut and Grape together is not as big of a deal as people seem to think. I think they have a perfect understanding of their feelings, which is... They love each other and like to be cuddly and care for one another, but they're both attracted to members of their own species. There's no discomfort, and even Max and Tarot seem to basically get the idea and aren't threatened by it. Tarot definitely, Max maybe.

Honestly - and this might be my own polyamory speaking, here - it's really not as shocking as it's made out to be, particularly for non-humans. It is what it is.

http://www.housepetscomic.com/2012/05/0 ... y-tonight/

I am not so sure Max is ENTIRELY comfortable with it...

^ Hey good catch I didn't notice that.

copper wrote:

Ryusuta wrote:I do agree with an above poster that Peanut and Grape together is not as big of a deal as people seem to think. I think they have a perfect understanding of their feelings, which is... They love each other and like to be cuddly and care for one another, but they're both attracted to members of their own species. There's no discomfort, and even Max and Tarot seem to basically get the idea and aren't threatened by it. Tarot definitely, Max maybe.

Honestly - and this might be my own polyamory speaking, here - it's really not as shocking as it's made out to be, particularly for non-humans. It is what it is.

http://www.housepetscomic.com/2012/05/0 ... y-tonight/

I am not so sure Max is ENTIRELY comfortable with it...

Could just as easily be that he's trying to see the film and Peanut's ears are in the way.

copper wrote:

Ryusuta wrote:I do agree with an above poster that Peanut and Grape together is not as big of a deal as people seem to think. I think they have a perfect understanding of their feelings, which is... They love each other and like to be cuddly and care for one another, but they're both attracted to members of their own species. There's no discomfort, and even Max and Tarot seem to basically get the idea and aren't threatened by it. Tarot definitely, Max maybe.

Honestly - and this might be my own polyamory speaking, here - it's really not as shocking as it's made out to be, particularly for non-humans. It is what it is.

http://www.housepetscomic.com/2012/05/0 ... y-tonight/

I am not so sure Max is ENTIRELY comfortable with it...

I myself thought Max was suspicious of her cuddling with someone else, but I kind of doubt he would resent it being Peanut, since he should know how close they are by now.

D-Rock wrote: since he should know how close they are by now.

Hmm as in a brother, or a "really" good friend? If I caught my girl cuddling with another dude, I probably would say something, that's just me though.

Tatsuo wrote:

D-Rock wrote: since he should know how close they are by now.

Hmm as in a brother, or a "really" good friend? If I caught my girl cuddling with another dude, I probably would say something, that's just me though.

As a brother, pretty much. They did grow up together.

Foxstar wrote:

Tatsuo wrote:

D-Rock wrote: since he should know how close they are by now.

Hmm as in a brother, or a "really" good friend? If I caught my girl cuddling with another dude, I probably would say something, that's just me though.

As a brother, pretty much. They did grow up together.

Well I'll respect your opinion, but until I see someone in the comic say something about Penut and Grape being siblings, or how someone perceives them as a couple, I'm holding firm. I do love though how Rick made that cliff hanger in the last strip he made for King's and Baily's marriage. Lol I'm still believing there's a chance. =)



Edit: thinking about... The only difference between the girl next door and them, is that they live under the same roof.........and the same last name, but I already gave my opinion on that. I don't know maybe it's just me but I can see them together.