I've gotten used to these fleebags... but in all, they represent an ongoing issue that's not just plaguing the character, but also all of X-Men and probably everywhere else. Gambit has cats. Wonderful. What's my issue? How they are used in reference to the Gambit. They aren't seen as just his pets. No. They don't even make them useful. It's a @#@$@ action comic and they are just there like a useless slice of life. He's world-class thief - put a camera on them, make them do something. The cats are supposed to be a small part of his overall characterization and connection to other characters. For whatever reason many writers seriously obsess over them and make Gambit in turn do the same to the point his own wife is written as teasing him over it (mind you it happened in Excalibur by one of the writers most guilty).I still find it weird that so many writers focus on them, yet we haven't seen Gambit interact with the person who gave them to him since he married that person's daughter. It's ridiculous. I digress, writers aren't writing characters based on the subjects' interactions and past experiences - a lot of people are writing characters to mirror themselves, their interests, their moralities, and their political standings (like, what the heck?). This becomes a problem when everyone is hired not based on their merits but because they are friends or friends of friends. It fosters a hive mind mentality - an echo chamber at best. Bad ideas don't get challenged, and poor plot points are carried out and doubled down on.I'm not blaming the death spiral of the X-Men franchise and comic book industry as a whole on the cats - I just see how they are utilized as a sign of what's been going wrong with Gambit's character development: "I don't know much about Gambit - but I really want to get one of my ideas into the MCU one day! I also LOVE cats and Rogue!"Sorry about that.
...what... Is this? Digital animal shelter?!