Paws, Pets & Metal is Metal Insider’s newest column on bands with pets, discovering who watches them on the road, and more. Get to know more about these metal furbabies. We caught up with Jon of Mars’ Barrett Holcomb as he remembers his cat Venus who passed away this past February. R.I.P Venus. 

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

My cat’s name was Venus, she was about 23 years old when she passed on 2/7/23. I miss her greatly, she was the coolest cat in the universe and could melt anyone’s heart.

Have you ever taken your pet on tour?

No, she was pretty old by the time tours would be a thing, so she stayed home!

Who looks after your pet while on the road?

I would have my closest friend Jr stop by to take care of her

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

She fucking loved when I played Meshuggah, or just when I played guitar in general. 

How did you introduce your pet to metal?

By playing metal!

What animal charity means most to you?

The Humane Society is where we adopted almost all of our pets growing up, Venus was no exception. There are lots of friends waiting for a good home!

Rest in peace, Venus.