From a Cat Who Hates Music to a Dog Named After a Rock Star, Meet the Pets of Billboard Staff

“You make me laugh and I like it/ You get away with murder so innocent/ But when you throw a moody/ You’re all claws and you bite/ That’s all right!” To those unfamiliar, these may seem like lyrics written by a loving pet parent — and they’d be right. Those sweet and amusing words were penned by none other than the late, great, cat-loving rock icon Freddie Mercury of Queen, for the band’s Innuendo track “Delilah,” which is about his beloved feline of the same name.

So, musicians — they’re just like us! Or is it that we, the normies, are just like them? After all, which of us with furry family members hasn’t made up silly little ditties to sing to our much-adored dogs and cats? (Granted, we don’t get to record them for Billboard-charting albums, but whatever.) Billboard staffers are no different. Not only do we love our four-legged pals, we sing to them, and sometimes, even name them after our favorite musicians!

There’s staff writer Hannah Dailey, who has an adorable kitty named after her “songwriting hero” Stevie Nicks. “Stevie is the first pet I ever owned by myself, so I wanted to give her a name that was particularly special,” she says. “And because she makes me so happy, it only felt right for her to share a name with someone whose music has also added so much to my life.”

Senior photo editor Jenny Regan nearly named her mini goldendoodle Robert Plant because the pooch’s golden locks resembled those of the Led Zeppelin singer in his youth. “But [we] didn’t like ‘Robert’ for a dog,” she shares, noting that her husband is a fan of the band. So the pup was named after another member — Jimmy Page.

While not everyone on our staff has a pet named after a famous artist, some of our furbabies do have their own favorite (and least favorite!) songs and musicians. Take kitty Boba, who prefers to never hear Alvin and the Chipmunks’ cover of “I Gotta Feeling” ever again; good boy Riggins, who is partial to Bad Bunny; regal Paco, who prefers Norah Jones’ soothing tunes during thunderstorms; or Murphy, who’s a huge Swiftie, just like her mom.

Want to meet and learn more about the Billboard staff’s beloved pets? Keep pawing down!