Bodie Bear

8 years ago, we were on our way home from our honeymoon and stopped at the rest stop in Plymouth, right outside of the OBX. As we stopped our car, my husband and I both noticed a scrawny kitten eaten something near a trashcan. We looked at each other and he said, “no”. We went into the building and upon exiting, the poor kitten was still there eating a cheeseburger that someone had given him. I looked at my husband and said, “I am not saying we are keeping him. I am saying that I cannot leave a tiny kitten at a rest stop eating a cheeseburger.” Scooped him up and hopped back into the car. Three hours later, Bodie Bear (named after the Bodie Lighthouse) entered his forever home.

Over The Years

When we first found Bodie, he was a scrawny, sickly kitten. I nicknamed him Captain Poopy Butt because of the persistent diarrhea that the vet could not really explain. The poor baby had to spend most of his time in our guest bathroom for the first few months. Eventually, we got his gut issue under control and Bodie entered gen pop full-time. It had been 6 years since we had kittens in the house and our 3 older cats had no idea what to do with this rambunctious ball of fur. Bodie Bear was keeping them on their toe beans.

A couple of years later, Bodie found his BFF when Monti came into the picture. From the moment that Bodie met the tiny kitten we named Monti, he was enamored. The love was mutual. Monti was just as smitten with Bodie. There was nothing separating the bond between them. They snuggled, slept, played, and ate together. Hours were spent wrestling and chasing each other. Bodie was in heaven with his best friend, Monti. He was a happy cat. Until, Bodie had to say goodbye to Monti way too soon.

The Past Couple of Years

It has been a rough the past couple of years for Bodie. He went into a state of depression (yes, cats can get depressed). His best friend was no longer around to play with. Gone were the days of WCW (World Cat Wrestling). It was sad to see Bodie this way. Once so full of life and happy, now sad and withdrawn. The worst part was when his depression turned into aggression. He started attacking some of the other cats. It didn’t start as aggression at first. Bodie just wanted to play and wrestle again. However, the other cats were not willing participants and fights would break out.

After trying everything, I knew I was going to have to get Bodie another kitten. It was obvious that he wasn’t going to be able to replace what he had with Monti with any of the other cats, so we needed to find Bodie a kitten playmate. A year and half later, we found Bodie not one, but two kitten playmates. Lily and Cactus are foster fails that Bodie fell in love with. In fact, all of the cats have fallen in love with them. Bodie Bear is once again a happy cat. He has 2 wrestling playmates and is loving every minute of it.

Gone But Not Forgotten

I believe that Bodie still misses Monti from time to time. Like I said they had a bond that could not be broken. Not even in death. I had an animal communication session done a couple of weeks ago. I was able to connect with Monti and Lily, as well as Cactus. For a while, I felt as if the was something familiar about Lily. Sometimes, she reminded me of Monti. Through our communication session, I learned that Monti had indeed sent Lily and her sister to me. Apparently, both Bodie and I needed some joy brought back into our lives and Lily filled that need. There is a sense of Deja vu watching Bodie and Lily play. It can be bittersweet, but I am happy that Bodie is happy again.

“A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.” – Ernest Hemingway