Paws, Pets & Metal is Metal Insider’s newest column on bands with pets, who watches them on the road, and more. Get to know more about these metal furbabies. We caught up with Anthea’s Diego Valadez as he shared that his cat Paulie enjoys listening to Evergrey. 

Tell us more about your pet(s) and their names? 

My wife and I are proud parents of three awesome cats. The oldest of the 3 is Wednesday, a beautiful 7-year-old Russian Blue. My wife had her for about 3 years before I came into their lives. She’s very protective and loving but is extremely needy and dramatic when it comes to sudden noises. Our second cat is named Cosette, she’s an American Wirehair cat, who also goes by the moniker, “Little Cat”. She was a rescue from our time living in Highland Park, CA. She came to us through an adoption agency that rescues strays and shelters them in foster homes in hope of finding a permanent home. She’s quite small for her age, hence the nickname, and is not very friendly with other cats, but she can’t resist getting pets from us every now and then. Lastly, the newest member of our family is named Paulie. He’s a one-year-old orange Tabby cat whom we found on our weekly visits to my mom’s house. He was about 5-7 weeks old when we heard him crying near a window of the house. We fell in love instantly, so we got him fixed and brought his little butt home. He is named after the great Paulie Walnuts; may he rest in peace.  

Have you taken your pet on tour? 

Sadly, no. The few times I’ve had to go on the road we leave the cats at home. 

Who looks after your pet while on the road? 

Since my wife is usually my partner in crime when I hit the road, she’ll ask her best friend Lily to come and feed the cats, since they get along with her really well. Her nickname is Tia Lily. Paulie is even the wallpaper on her cellphone.  

What’s your pet’s favorite song or album? 

I think the only cat I can speak for is Pauile, and he’s a metal fan for sure! His favorite band also happens to be mine as well, Evergrey. He frequently chills with me when I’m listening to their music. 

How did you introduce your pet to metal? 

The cats tend to follow me around the house, so they are frequently subjected to metal. I like to play videos or music on the TV while cleaning or working out.

What animal charity means most to you? 

My favorite animal charity is Luxe Paws. They are a Los Angeles based non ended up adopting a kitten I fell in love with. You can learn more about them at savekittensla.org.