One senior biology concentrator, who owns an African pygmy hedgehog named "Tigger," explains her difficulties.

"I hear that with some serious attention, you can get a hedgehog to be friendlier and more petlike', but it's hard to be a student here and do anything other than school, so I don't get to play with him much," she said. "I am looking forward to getting a pet that actually loves me back; when I graduate, I might get a puppy."

Puppies are harder to hide than hedgehogs, but that's not a problem for some Harvard residents, specifically tutors and masters, who are allowed to own pets.

Quincy House Co-Masters Michael Shinagel and Marjorie L. North own a puppy of the Toto variety whom they redundantly dubbed Quincy. North says in an e-mail that the dog is both for their benefit and that of the students.

"We keep a pet in residence because A. we love dogs, B. we believe that the students really miss their pets and enjoy the 'puppy therapy' that a dog in residence can provide."

"Quincy" can often be found in the Quincy courtyard surrounded by a group of undergraduates eager to play with her.

"I think it makes Quincy House more of a family environment, a warmer community, when a cute furry puppy comes bounding up to our students with pure, unadulterated enthusiasm and love," says North.

Another dog in Quincy was fortunate enough to make it into the facebook. "Loki Lund," pet of Assistant Senior Tutor Louisa Lund, has her picture along with her facetious e-mail (loki@valhalla), concentration (anthropology and canine studies) and her phone number (woof!) in the book.

But for some students, playing with a master's dog once in a while is just not enough. Although local lore has it that pets are banned because cats were left to starve in dorms over winter break, some more responsible pet owners still say that they need their furry, or slimy, or spiny creatures to get through the day. After all, sometimes we all just need something to cuddle.