They won't take wooden needles. I take them on often. It also helps that they're usually circular needles (I make scarves on circular ones also).

Oh god, seed stitch makes me crazy. It's not exciting enough to really pull my interest, but not easy enough that I can kind of tune out and knit to a movie or something.

Also, yeah, I was working on a hat with my kitty in my lap and looked down and discovered she had gnawed through the strand of yarn I was working with. Doh!