David Lee Roth had the idea that if you covered a successful song, you were half way home. C'mon - Van Halen doing 'Dancing in the Streets'? It was stupid. I started feeling like I would rather bomb playing my own songs than be successful playing someone else's music.
I usually just have one cat. It is difficult, but I have my one cat that he'll travel with me if it's appropriate, if I'm not going overseas.