Winston and Joey didn’t become part of our lives because we were trying to build a website, start a YouTube channel, or create a brand. They became part of our lives because, like so many cats do, they found their way into our home and quickly became part of our family. At first, they were simply our boys. They still are. The photos, videos, stories, and book all came later, after we realized how often they made us laugh, how often they surprised us, and how much joy could be found in the ordinary little routines of life with cats.What we share here is not meant to be polished or perfect. It’s just life with Winston and Joey. It’s Winston quietly appearing whenever Dad starts working on something, as if every household project requires his supervision. It’s Joey patiently working at a cabinet door until it finally opens, peeking inside for a few seconds, and then wandering off as though the mystery has been solved. It’s the two of them watching critters from the window, exploring the backyard, wrestling in the hallway, or curling up together in Mom’s spot on the couch like they’ve owned it all along.
Meet Winston.
Winston is the smaller of the boys, gray and white, handsome in that effortless way cats have when they seem completely unaware of how much attention they’re getting. He has a quiet confidence about him. He doesn’t need to be the loudest presence in the room, but somehow you always know he’s there. If something new appears in the house, Winston notices. If a box is opened, Winston investigates. If Dad sits down to work, Winston often settles nearby, not demanding attention so much as making sure everything is proceeding according to his standards.One of Winston’s most entertaining habits is his love of a good ambush. He’ll disappear behind a doorway or around a corner and wait with the patience of a tiny hunter until Joey wanders past. Then, at exactly the right moment, Winston launches into one of his little bunny hop attacks, and suddenly the hallway becomes a racetrack. Joey usually chases him, Winston usually pretends this was the plan all along, and within minutes they’re back to being perfectly normal brothers again, as if nothing happened.But Winston isn’t all mischief. He has a sweet, steady presence that brings calm into the house. He loves sunny spots, backyard exploring, quiet observation, and being near his people. He’s thoughtful, watchful, and wonderfully expressive in small ways. He doesn’t have to do much to make an ordinary moment feel special. Sometimes he only needs to sit nearby.
Meet Joey.
Joey is slightly bigger than Winston, gray and white, fluffy, sweet, and endlessly curious. He has the kind of personality that makes you smile before he even does anything. There’s an innocence to him, but also a determination. If Joey decides something needs investigating, he will investigate it thoroughly, even if the subject is a cabinet he has already opened many times before.His cabinet routine has become one of those little household habits we can’t help but love. He’ll patiently work at the door with his paw until it opens, look inside just long enough to confirm that there is probably nothing exciting in there, and then walk away. The point does not seem to be finding anything. The point is that the cabinet was closed, and Joey believes closed things should be opened.Then there's Robot Daddy (the automatic feeder). At some point, Joey became convinced that pawing underneath it plays an important role in making food appear. We know this isn't how the feeder works, but Joey’s belief is unshakable. To him, the system is simple: paw under Robot Daddy, wait with hope, and eventually food arrives. The fact that food was going to arrive anyway is apparently not relevant.Joey is also deeply affectionate. He loves soft blankets, cozy spots, belly rubs, and being close to the people he loves. He has a gentle way of moving through the house, as if every room might contain something interesting, comforting, or snack-adjacent. If Winston's the quiet observer, Joey's the curious little optimist who assumes the next good thing might be just around the corner.
Brothers.
Winston and Joey aren't brothers by birth, but they have become brothers in every way that matters. Their relationship is one of the sweetest parts of living with them. They wrestle, chase each other, groom each other, compete for the best nap spots, and occasionally behave as though one of them has deeply offended the other by existing too close to a preferred blanket. Then, a short time later, they’re curled up together like lifelong best friends.Watching them grow into that bond has been a gift. It didn’t happen because they were told to love each other. It happened naturally, through shared routines and countless small moments. A nap here. A chase down the hallway there. A quiet afternoon in the same patch of sunlight. Over time, they became a pair. Now it’s hard to imagine one without the other.
How We Became a Family
People often ask how Winston and Joey came into our lives. Like many of the best stories, it wasn't something we planned. We weren't searching for internet-famous cats or imagining that one day we'd be writing books or sharing videos with people all over the world. We were simply fortunate enough to cross paths with two cats who happened to need a home at exactly the right time.Winston found us first.On November 9, 2022, one of my coworkers discovered a young gray and white cat wandering around the citrus packing plant where I worked. He was only about six months old and seemed perfectly content introducing himself to everyone in the yard. When I walked outside to meet him, he didn't hesitate. He came right over as though we'd already known each other for years.I called Winston's soon-to-be Mama and sent her a picture."Want a kitty?" (As if I really needed to ask.)The answer came back exactly as I expected.Of course.For the rest of the day, Winston became my unofficial office assistant. I found a banker's box and a towel for the drive home, gave him some fresh water, and closed my office door so he could safely wander around instead of sitting in the box all afternoon. It quickly became obvious that he wasn't interested in giving me much time to work. Every few minutes he'd climb onto my desk, then onto my lap, looking for attention and affection. It didn't feel like we were trying to decide whether to keep him. It already felt like he'd decided we belonged to him.
When we brought him home that evening, everything was new and unfamiliar. He explored cautiously for a while, trying to make sense of this strange new place. Eventually, he climbed onto Mama's chest, curled into a little ball, and fell asleep.That was his first night at home.Somehow, it already felt like he'd always been there.For the next couple of months, Winston settled into life as an only cat. We knew from the beginning that we'd eventually like to find him a companion. We wanted him to have someone to play with while we were at work and, hopefully, a lifelong friend.As it turned out, we didn't have to search very hard.On January 10, 2023, a neighbor posted a picture of another young gray and white kitten on our community Facebook page. Their daughter had found him at work and brought him home, but they already had several animals and knew they couldn't keep him. The moment we saw his picture, we knew we had to meet him.We later learned that Joey had originally been adopted from a local animal shelter only a few months earlier. Somehow he had gotten outside, become lost, and eventually found his way into the hands of a family that wanted to help him find a permanent home.That home turned out to be ours.
Like Winston, Joey was about six months old, but he was smaller than we'd expected and impossibly cute. He was also a little shy. Everything about his new surroundings was unfamiliar, and to make matters more intimidating, Winston wasn't entirely sure what to think about this unexpected visitor. The first evening was a little tense, with Joey mostly looking for safe places to hide while Winston tried to figure out exactly who this newcomer was.Fortunately, cats have a wonderful way of surprising us.Within a day or two, the uncertainty had disappeared. They were chasing each other through the house, sleeping beside one another, and beginning the friendship that would grow into something much deeper. Before long, they weren't simply two cats sharing a house.They were brothers.Watching that relationship develop has been one of the greatest joys we've experienced as cat parents. They wrestle, groom each other, race through the hallway, steal each other's favorite sleeping spots, and somehow end almost every day curled up together as though they've been family forever.Now, it’s hard to imagine our lives without them. Winston and Joey have become part of every routine, every quiet evening, and every ordinary day that feels a little better because they’re here.The truth is, we didn't rescue Winston and Joey.They rescued us.
Family isn't always the one you're born into. Sometimes it's the one that finds you.
Life with the Boys
Life with Winston and Joey isn't made up of grand adventures. It’s made up of little ones. The kind that happen while coffee is brewing, while work is being done, while dinner is running late, or while someone is trying to sit in a chair that apparently already belongs to a cat.Some days, Winston is hiding behind the door waiting for Joey. Some days, Joey is sitting by the window, completely absorbed by whatever important business is taking place outside. Some days, they lead us to the door because they want to explore the yard. Other days, they nap so deeply and comfortably that it feels rude to move, even if they’ve taken over the exact place someone else was planning to sit.Those are the moments we love most. Not because they're dramatic, but because they're real. They’re the little things that happen when cats become part of your life. The sound of paws in the hallway. The familiar look that means dinner should have happened already. The way a house feels warmer when a cat is sleeping nearby.
Why We Share Them
Over time, we started sharing more of Winston and Joey for a simple reason: they made us happy, and we hoped they might make other people happy too. We weren’t trying to turn them into anything (though Dad does occasionally remind them that they need to sing for their supper). Mostly, we just loved them, and the little moments they created felt worth sharing.Our hope is that people see something familiar in them. Maybe Winston’s ambushes remind someone of a cat they grew up with. Maybe Joey opening cabinets feels exactly like the little weirdo currently running their house. Maybe a quiet video of the boys napping together brings back a memory of a cat they still miss.That’s one of the beautiful things about cats. Each one is completely unique, but they have a way of connecting us to all the cats we’ve loved before. Winston and Joey are simply themselves (and absolutely adorable!). We’re just grateful to share a little of that with anyone who wants to follow along.
The Memes
The Boys Have Jobs
Every once in a while, Dad reminds Winston and Joey that their kingdom isn't free.The boys don't seem particularly concerned.From their perspective, they're already working very hard. Winston spends a good part of each day supervising projects around the house, making regular security patrols through Mom and Dad's offices, and ensuring Joey doesn't become too comfortable for too long. Joey is responsible for cabinet inspections, backyard surveillance, quality control of Robot Daddy, and making sure everyone gives him plenty of affection throughout the day.It's a demanding schedule.Dad insists that, in addition to all of that, they should occasionally entertain the humans who help keep the treats flowing. Winston and Joey have reluctantly agreed, although we're fairly certain they believe they're the ones doing us the favor.If the boys have ever made you smile, we'd love to have you spend a little more time with them.
Watch Their Adventures
If you’d like to see more of the boys, our YouTube channel is where we share their everyday adventures. Some videos are funny, some are peaceful, and some are just a few quiet minutes of two cats doing ordinary cat things. That’s really the point.You’ll find backyard exploring, hallway ambushes, adorable naps, bird watching, more adorable naps, and plenty of moments where Winston and Joey are simply being Winston and Joey.We share new videos regularly, and we'd love to have you follow along.
How to Train Your Humans
After living with Winston and Joey for long enough, it became clear that we weren't the ones doing the training. They had trained us. Very successfully.That idea became How to Train Your Humans, a lighthearted book inspired by the boys and the funny, familiar ways cats shape the lives of the people who love them. If you've ever delayed getting up because a cat was sleeping on you, accepted that your favorite chair no longer belongs to you, or felt proud because you served dinner exactly when expected, you’ll probably recognize yourself in it.
Wear Winston & Joey
If you'd like to keep a little Winston and Joey with you even when they're busy napping, we've partnered with our friends at Cat Knows Best to offer a collection of Winston & Joey apparel. Whether you're looking for a comfortable T shirt, a cozy hoodie, or something else to show off your love of kitties, you'll find it there.Every purchase helps support Winston and Joey's important work... or at least helps Dad convince them that singing for their supper was a pretty good idea after all.
Get Bad Advice From a Cat
Sometimes life calls for a little feline wisdom.When we couldn't decide what Winston and Joey might do in everyday situations, we built WhatWouldACatDo.com, a fun little website where you can ask the boys just about anything. Whether you're facing a difficult decision, a minor inconvenience, or simply wondering what a cat's perspective might be, Winston and Joey are always happy to offer their completely unqualified advice.Just don't be surprised if the answer involves naps, treats, cardboard boxes, or avoiding responsibility altogether.
The Cute Stuff
Like most cat parents, we've taken far more photos than we'll ever admit.These are a some of our favorites, capturing the everyday adventures, quiet naps, silly expressions, and unforgettable moments that tell Winston and Joey's story.
Thank You for Visiting
Whether you’ve followed Winston and Joey for years or you’re meeting them for the first time, we’re glad you’re here. We hope their story makes you smile, reminds you of cats you’ve loved, and gives you a few quiet moments of joy in the middle of an ordinary day.Winston and Joey make our lives happier.We hope that they've done the same for you.
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