P is for Pet

Your favourite PET you've had.

I love cats.  I've had a lot of cats over my lifetime and they were all special and had their own unique personalities and habits.  But one particular cat really touched my heart and I think I would have to say he is my favourite.   Teddy doesn't live with me anymore, I had to move and couldn't bring him with me, so he lives with my best friend up in Barrie.  I rarely see him now but she sends me pictures and he looks happy and healthy.  She loves him as much as I do.

So what makes Teddy so special?  What makes him stand out from all the others?  He has personality plus.  He is a black and white cat and he's just beautiful as you can see in the picture.  When I got him from the SPCA  I had to sign a form saying I was okay with a vocal cat.  I figured this was standard procedure so I signed.   Little did I know what I was getting myself into.   Vocal is an understatement.  Teddy pretty much talks non-stop.  Except when he's sleeping.   His constant meowing was nerve-wracking at times and I would just tell him to shut up.  He wouldn't.  He had a lot to say.  And it wasn't that he needed anything like food or water, he just needed constant attention.   If I had my back to him while I worked at my desk, he would put one paw on my back and chatter away at me.  Thankfully he wasn't noisy at night so there was no sleep disruption...except right when I got into bed and then he would torment me with his other little quirks.   

When I closed my eyes he would stare at me...I could feel his eyes on me and he got close enough that his whiskers would tickle my face.  If I opened my eyes he would just meow.  I never pet him once I was in bed because I didn't want to develop a habit that he would no doubt exploit as much as he could.  So I would turn my back on him, but, not to be outdone, he would jump over me to get to my face.  Eventually, he would settle and we would sleep quite peacefully.   Unless I put the covers up around my neck and he couldn't see my arms.  It drove him crazy!!  He'd jump back and forth over my head pawing at the covers trying to find my arms.  Where were they?  How could I pet him without arms??  How could I put food in his dish??  He wouldn't stop until I showed him my arms.  

If I had an overnight guest Teddy was not happy.  He insisted on sleeping between us.  There was no room in the bed, he is a very large cat and I am a large person

and eventually, I would have to put him out of the room.  He was good about that though.  No yowling or scratching at the door.

Teddy always seemed to me like he was a human trapped in a cat suit.   I almost expected him to one day take the suit off and reveal himself.   But that's weird, right?   

I miss him every day and wish I could have kept him.   I saw him last summer and when he saw me he flopped over on his back and I rubbed his tummy for a long time.  I am glad he is being loved and cared for.   But I would love to have him back with me.