Wise Teddie

The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.

IF IT’S TRUE that cats have nine lives, then Teddie was on his eighth. Barb had noticed the young cat wandering in the neighborhood, so she began setting food out for him. That simple act turned into a month of caring for him, including several trips to the vet. More than a month after Barb had distributed countless “lost cat” flyers throughout her neighborhood, she received a call from Teddie’s owner, who came and reclaimed his cat.

Two years later, Barb got a call from the vet saying the clinic had her cat. “I don’t understand,” she said, thoroughly confused. She learned that Teddie had been found more than three miles from her house, again wandering the streets. He had been microchipped when Barb was caring for him, so her phone number was the one on file. Unable to track down the cat’s owner, Barb decided to keep the cat, who had acquired several names along the way.

The vet called him Caramel Macchiato. His first owner said his name was Stripes. Barb’s sons referred to him by a variety of nicknames, including Tubby. But once he officially became their family’s cat, Barb renamed him Teddie.

She had no idea why. He just seemed like a Teddie.

Teddie seemed to adapt fairly quickly to his new home, where he never lacked companionship—neither human nor animal.

Barb and her husband, Brent, were avid animal lovers committed to rescuing creatures in need. Not surprisingly, they had collected a menagerie of pets over the years.

Things were going smoothly . . . but then Brandy became part of their family.

Brandy, a German shepherd/collie mix, was rescued not long after giving birth to a litter. However, her puppies were never found. The loss clearly affected Brandy. She barely ate anything, and she became more lethargic by the day.

Barb’s heart went out to the despondent dog.

Weeks later a chihuahua named Woody joined their small pack. Instantly Brandy perked up. She even began to mother the little guy. She cleaned him, scolded him when he got out of line, and tucked him in for the night by wrapping her tail around him. Brandy had clearly adopted Woody as her puppy.

She was the definition of gentleness to the little dog.

But that was not the case with poor Teddie. As gentle as Brandy was with Woody, she was aggressive toward Teddie.

Maybe Brandy had been attacked by a feral cat at some point in her life. Whatever her history was with cats, Brandy decided her current mission was to terrorize Teddie. Between ferocious barking, incessant chasing, and giving him a frightening nip, Brandy made it clear she would not tolerate Teddie being anywhere near her.

Barb tried to play the role of peacemaker and gatekeeper as best she could. Thankfully, she didn’t have to assume the role for long.

Teddie quickly figured out how to protect his ninth life by taking up residence in the basement, which was off-limits to Brandy.

From his sanctuary in the basement, Teddie could hear the sound of Brandy’s crate being closed and latched. The moment the shepherd mix was secured upstairs, Teddie would quietly venture to the first floor. And if Brandy was spending the night in one of the boys’ rooms, the moment the bedroom door was shut, Teddie wandered the halls of the house in peace.

Teddie, the cat with many names and past residences, had figured out how to avoid the dichotomy that was Brandy.

Barb knew Teddie’s street smarts—and house smarts—would extend his life and hopefully even give him back one or two.

PAWS & PONDER . . .

Teddie was certainly not a fool; he realized he would never win over Brandy. Attempting to do so would put him in a potentially dangerous scenario. Can you think of a time when you were uneasy about something and made the right decision to avoid it? What were the results? How might you use caution and discernment in a situation you are facing today?

Paws & Pray

Father, thank you for the times you prompt me to carefully think through things and weigh the consequences of my actions. Help me to cultivate this gift by spending time in your Word. If I am headed toward danger, let me hear your voice calling me back to safety.