Theodore Roosevelt Bear

born October 23, 1995

Adopted January 6, 1996

Died February 13, 2003

As a kitten he was spectacular. He captured my heart at first sight, lying on his back in my lap at the cat show and purring. He was a big, friendly ball of fluff, every bit the perfect Persian kitten. I didn't go there to get a cat, which is just as well, because "Seek, and you shall find." Sometimes you'll find something just because you're seeking. When you're not looking and someone or something gets your attention, it's probably because they're outstanding. Bear was definitely outstanding. The Redhead said "I knew when we got him he would break my heart. I was right. He did. But if I had to do it over I wouldn't do it any different, even if it meant winning the lottery."

We brought him home and left to get "Kitten Supplies." We left him locked in the bathroom. When we returned, we heard the roaring of a wounded lion. We rescued him from the bathroom, and he purred and thanked us. Bear, we would learn, didn't like to be alone. When we saw him sit like this we nicknamed him Chair Bear.

Who could resist a face like that?

As a kitten he was spectacular and adorable

As a full grown cat he was magnificent

When The Redhead worked in the office, he would sit in the shelves with the books, just watching, guarding her as he always did when she was around. She called him "my guardian angel."

He cooperated grudgingly with our efforts to make a Christmas card, but the results looked more like "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas"

A favorite pose, the Chair Bear

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