Essence of My Angel, Teddy

In case you haven’t guessed, Teddy was an amazing kitty whose little paw prints are forever emblazed across my heart.  I want to share some of the ways he brought joy and laughter to my life.

I first met Teddy in Tucson, Arizona.  I had been working with a T-N-R cat rescue group.  Teddy was among the litter of kittens I provided a foster home for.  One by one, all the little kittens were adopted.  All except Teddy.  He was terminally shy and refused to meet and greet anyone for adoption.  This confused me as he was very sweet and affectionate toward me when we were alone together.  Alas, I agreed that Teddy was no longer up for adoption.  He had found a home with me.

Teddy was very particular to whom he would get close to.  He was very fond of his adoptive brother, Jack, and his sister, Shalom.  They would often engage in a cuddle puddle — on the couch, in a chair, on my pillow, in the middle of the floor, in the tub — they were fast friends.

Teddy and Jack would often take turns giving each other a bath, very careful to get all those hard to reach spots — like the ears!

Some of Teddy’s favorite treats were swiss cheese, anchovies, coffee cake and steak.  There were times that he wouldn’t even wait for me to walk away from my plate.  He would try to swipe the food right off my fork!

His favorite place to sleep was directly on top of me.  If I slept on my back, he would curl up on my chest.  If on my side, he would perch himself at the peak of my hip.  When the weather was cold, he enjoyed being warm and secure underneath the covers beside me.

While Teddy, most times, appeared to be very meek and shy, he was also very territorial and protective.  If I ever had a house guest who outstayed their welcome, Teddy would leave them a message that it was time to move along.

He was my little shadow, following me from room to room until I sat down.  It was always an invitation to join me — and he always would.  Teddy would sit on my lap while I fixed my hair in the morning.  After I picked out my clothes for the day, he would lie on top of them to warm them up for me.  When I was cooking dinner, he would climb up on the counter to watch me (and get a few samples!)

He was my little cuddle buddy.  Whenever I’d curl up on the couch to watch a movie, he would curl up beside me and purr with contentment.

Sometimes, Teddy would just like to be held.  I would cradle him up to my chest and attend to my housework while he stretched his little arms around my neck.

It never mattered to Teddy how I looked or what mood I was in — if I was around, he wanted to me close to me.  He loved me unconditionally.  Rest assured, my little angel, you could do no wrong & the feelings were quite mutual.

These are just a few of my favorite things about my little angel, Teddy.  Just now, I can close my eyes and see him prancing around the meadows that grace Rainbow Bridge with Shalom and Lucy and Mittens and Mr. T. (the cat, not the actor.  LOL!)

Anyway, I am going to do my best now to smile when I think of Teddy and to not mourn the loss of his physical presence.  He will always be missed, but I have to trust that God is taking good care of my baby.

May your days and nights be filled with love and comfort.  Until we meet again, angel.