All-Purpose Pet

All-Purpose Pets are a non-sapient species of small shapeshifting creatures genetically engineered by the robot Mentor First on the planet Jamya, using genetic samples from Pleistocenic Earth animals such as cave bears and sabertooth tigers.

Biology
In their natural form, All-Purpose Pets are green cat-sized creatures with a long fuzzy tail and fangs. Their skin feels at the same time soft and bristly to the touch. Their sense of smell seems to be well developed as they explore new environments by sniffing. They can assume the appearance of other species, such as cats and dogs, but their green color remains unchanged.

They seem to have some sort of limited telepathy, as they can sense the type of animal that people around them are fond of, and shift into this form to please them. They can also display the behaviour of one type of animal while resembling another, e.g. purring while looking like a dog. If one concentrates, it is possible to influence the shape that the All-Purpose Pet will assume. They can create structures such as gills or wings to operate in different environments.

Like the Jamyn Dragons, All-Purpose Pets are all female and reproduce by parthenogenesis, although unlike the Dragons, the All-Purpose Pets are oviparous.

Despite being created from predators and having fangs in their base form, All-Purpose Pets are docile vegetarians. They can consume fruits, vegetables and algae from practically any planet and are not very selective about what they eat as long as it's floral matter.

Appearances

 * Norby's Other Secret, by Isaac Asimov and Janet Asimov (1984)
 * Norby and the Lost Princess, by Isaac Asimov and Janet Asimov (1985)
 * Norby and the Invaders, by Isaac Asimov and Janet Asimov (1985)
 * Norby Finds a Villain, by Isaac Asimov and Janet Asimov (1987)