Pet Sounds #76: Cat Lovers Psychic Pigs Named Their Band as a Derogatory Slur Jabbing the Police
What do punk-rockers Psychic Pigs have in common with The Simpsons? The band’s name is a derogatory slur toward cops and their streak of brutality, and the long-running animated TV show features a piggish cop, Chief Wiggum, as one of its central characters. But don’t make the mistake of thinking Psychic Pigs are haters; Brandon Welchez adores cats, as he revealed to The Bad Penny this week as part of our Pet Sounds series.
Based in L.A., Psychic Pigs put out a new album in May 2025 through Slovenly Recordings (quite a coincidence considering that “slovenly” is a commonly used descriptor of pigs). Welchez, formerly of psych posse Crocodiles, crafted the self-titled effort – one of last year’s best psychedelic records – in a mere four days. While we could’ve picked Welchez’s brain about pigs and crocodiles, we focused on his cat, Henry, as Pet Sounds revolves around musicians and their pets.
Here’s how our conversation played out:
What was the catalyst that made you decide to welcome a pet companion into your life? Was it a tough choice to make?
I grew up with a dog, but when I was around 10 years old, we adopted a cat. My mom at that time was a visiting nurse who cared for AIDS patients at their homes at the end of their lives. A patient she was close with asked that she care for his kitten after he passed. So Mittens eventually joined our family. Being a little kid, I much preferred the rambunctiousness of a dog, but Mittens was a chiller for sure – and my first experience with a cat.
After I left home at 18, I didn’t have any pets for almost 10 years. At 26, I moved in with the woman who would become my first wife. She had a cat named Bebop, who I became extremely close with very quickly. I credit Bebop with making me a cat man.
Bebop unfortunately went missing in 2011, right before we moved from California to NYC. Still sad over Bebop, we adopted a kitten we named Lucifur. Lucifur unfortunately had FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) and had to be put down at less than one year old.
Soon after, we adopted another kitten we named Jean-Michel. He was a great cat, and we felt bad that our crazy musician hours kept us out of the house a lot, so we decided to adopt a second kitten as a companion for Jean-Michel. Enter Henry. He was the kitten at the shelter with the biggest personality, and I immediately fell in love [with Henry]. He has been a blessing in my life since then. Jean-Michel passed in 2016, sadly.
Henry is 11 years old – . Paint a picture of how his personality has changed over time.
Henry has always been a very sweet and social cat. He was born in a shelter and cared for by good people as a small kitten. After we adopted him, he grew up in an environment where a lot of friends would visit. To my knowledge, no one has ever been mean to him, so he loves people and isn’t shy.
We had a somewhat stressful beginning to 2025, when my ex and I unexpectedly (to me) split. So Henry and I had a period of moving around, including a month of staying on a friend’s couch. Even through the domestic uncertainty of 2025, Henry’s personality has remained the same. He is older now, so he’s a little mellower than in years past. But he still enjoys playing and gets the zoomies and all that.
When and how did you learn that Henry is a mackerel tabby and almost 11 years old?
I adopted him at a few months old, so his birthday – give or take a few weeks – has never been a mystery. And in terms of breed, the tell-tale M on his forehead gives away that he’s a mackerel tabby. All mackerel tabbies have this marking.
What was Henry’s most amusing performance thus far?
He’s had too many funny performances to recount them all. Get him around a Christmas tree, and you’re guaranteed to be in for a laugh. He and I once had to play “good cop/bad cop” with a mouse who had gotten into my apartment. Henry, through intimidation, kept the rodent cornered and allowed me to gently sweep the poor thing into a dustpan and return him outdoors uninjured.
What was Henry’s least amusing performance thus far?
He’s escaped a few times over the years, which is always a harrowing experience. It’s my own fault for leaving a window or a door open or unsecured, so I can only be mad at myself when that happens. He’s a cat; it’s in his nature to want to explore outside. He doesn’t understand the danger cars and coyotes pose.
Are you more fascinated with pigs than cats? Or are you just poking fun at the former?
The “pigs” part of my band name doesn’t refer to the animals but to the police. I have no beef with animal pigs, though I do prefer cats.
Was COVID rougher on you or Henry?
We were both fine during lockdown. He was stoked because I was around basically 24/7. We watched a lot of movies together, and he was witness to a lot of songwriting during that time.
What’s the best aspect of being a cat owner?
I feel all cats have this amazing blend of mystery, love, mischief and comedy. They are great companions. Henry is a cuddler, but even then, he’s not on me 24 hours a day. He does his own thing. He likes to hang out in his “apartment” (a cupboard with sweaters). I just find him so inspiring and adorable and love him so much.
For more on Psychic Pigs, visit their Bandcamp page.
For more editions of Pet Sounds, check out our extensive archive.
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