Google+ Hangouts Get Furry: Now You Can Chat With Cat and Dog Masks [VIDEO]

 By 
Joann Pan
 on 
Google+ Hangouts Get Furry: Now You Can Chat With Cat and Dog Masks [VIDEO]

[brightcove video="1490037315001" /]

Remember that time President Obama met Keyboard Cat during the first White House-hosted Google+ chat? That conversation may have been a spoof courtesy of Conan O'Brien -- but cat-based hangouts are coming to Google+ anyway.

Amit Fulay, Google Product Manager, announced in a public post that in addition to other fun chat effects already available -- mustache, reindeer antlers, halo and devilish horns -- Google's fledgling social network is adding feline and canine mask options.

The designers warn you won't see the new masks straight away. "The effects are being rolled out, so if you don't see it at first, give it a try in a few minutes," Fulay said.

These new changes come a couple days after Google+ was called a virtual "ghost town" by The Wall Street Journal by comparing the network's activity stats with that of Facebook and Twitter. ComScore Inc. released a report that said Google+ may have garnered 90 million users, but these users haven't done much after that initial setup. Critics of the network slam features like "Hangouts" for not offering anything different enough to lure users away from other sites.

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