Our home/office would be lonely without our mascots: 11-year-old Franklin (a pudgy black-and-white cat), 6-year-old Wally (a skinny black-and-white cat), a tank full of fresh-water fish and 2-year-old Lily (a black-and-white dog of indeterminate breed).

No, honestly, we didn’t color coordinate the pets with fur. For one reason or another, these three just joined our home over time.