While Gabriel grew up with cats, Kate had never had a cat in her life. Gabriel made it his mission to change that. After months of discussion, Gabriel and Kate decided to go to the Humane Society, with the possibility of adopting a cat. Upon entering the cat room, one cat stood out to both Gabriel and Kate: the long haired calico that strutted around like she owned the place. Any cat who dared to enter her personal bubble received a hiss and a scratch. Kate was horrified. Gabriel was in love. Shelby has slowly but surely warmed up to being a welcoming cat; she will now cuddle and purr. But don't let her fluffiness mislead you. As the feline matriarch of the family, Shelby is sure to make sure her brothers are always on their best behavior, whether it be through swatting at them when they are bad to hiding behind a door then jumping out to scare them. Shelby makes sure the world is to her liking and she will keep it that way.

On the way to Table Rock for a day of hiking, Gabriel and Kate decided to stop for lunch at a local restaurant. Little did they know that they would be leaving with more than just a full stomach. Guarding the restaurant was a stray black cat. While Gabriel and Kate ate their meal, the cat sat dedicatedly on the trashcan outside, staring in the window looking at them. The couple's lunch consisted of sandwiches and fried pickles. After their meal, Gabriel and Kate just couldn't leave their new furry friend. The staff at the restaurant stated that they were looking for someone to take him home. And the couple was happy to do that. Named after the lunch of fried pickles that they had that day, Pickles has certainly had a lifestyle change since moving away from sitting on the trashcan. As they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure!

Kate had one rule regarding pets in the house: "there can only be as many animals in the house as there are humans." But Gabriel has a way of persuading Kate into things she didn't plan. Or maybe it was Bingo who persuaded her. In August of 2023, Kate's coworker's cat had a litter of kittens and was looking for homes. Kate showed the pictures of the kittens to Gabriel, who immediately fell in love. Kate may say otherwise, but she was in love, too. Bingo was taken home at 8 weeks. He had never before been out of the bathroom where he was born. From the time he first stepped foot into Gabriel and Kate's house, his spunky personality came out in full force. Bingo loves many things in this world: cuddles, play time, eating human food when you're not looking (specifically shrimp,) among many other activities. Shelby and Pickles have no problem reminding Bingo that he needs to behave, but Bingo has a mind of his own and wants to forge his own path. You never know where you'll find him, whether it be on top of the fridge or hiding inside a cabinet. It's safe to say that Bingo has never had to know what it is like to have to be a stray cat, and it shows. He lives his life like a king and the whole house is his kingdom.