Last Updated on December 13, 2024 by Lauren Belzer
Surprise! We got a kitten! Everyone, meet Todd. Todd is a cream Persian kitten and the cutest, fluffiest little bean in the whole world.
He first graced the world with his presence on March 9, 2020, and we’re so glad he did!
Max and I had been casually looking at Persian kittens for a few months – and looking at pictures on Google quickly turned into talking to breeders in Facebook groups. That eventually led to meeting our furry family member on a whim when he was only 6 weeks old.
I had been messaging back and forth with a breeder once I saw a specific video of him in the Facebook group. I loved his cream color and he looked SO cute and lazy. Max and I both wanted a calm cat with a friendly temperament – and that’s exactly how Todd is. He can have his crazy moments, like any baby animal, but he’s the laziest little guy in the world overall.
The First Week
When we first brought Todd home, I was scared sh*tless, to say the least. A few days before we even picked him up, the breeder had sent us photos of his eyes, completely swollen shut, from what she thought was a spider bite or allergic reaction—but no one knew for sure, not even the vet. It wasn’t the best feeling in the world, thinking you could be potentially picking up a sick kitten, but we wanted our Todd!
I was so anxious with so many things going on in my life at that moment (not to mention COVID-19, quarantine, and a stressful week at work) that I literally couldn’t even look at poor baby Todd. I couldn’t even eat…
That went on for 6 WHOLE DAYS.
I was convinced that he was sick and that we would probably have to take him back to the breeder…negative thoughts fought their way into my head and I told myself not to get attached.
After multiple FaceTime and phone calls with both my parents and Max’s, they all convinced me that I was getting in my head, that everything else going on in my life was clouding how much I really, truly wanted this sweet little kitty.
The tough reality is this: just like people, animals get sick. Persian cats are extremely prone to respiratory illness. It’s just a fact of life and something we knew we would run into at some point, but it was something I was not prepared to handle right away.
Well…we got through it! Max was such a trooper, handling everything Todd-related while I had mental breakdown after mental breakdown. What I came to realize after tons of “therapy” sessions that week (thanks, Dad), is that he’ll get sick again someday, and then he’ll get sick again sometime after that. I’m sure it will stress me out just like the first week (thank you, anxiety), but that’s just how it goes.
All I can say is thank God I have Max to pet-parent with me and thank God for pet insurance!
How Did We Choose the Name Todd?
When we had first started casually looking at kittens and breeders, Max started calling every little boy kitten Todd. Don’t ask me why, but he said “Hi Todd” to every picture or video we came across.
When we first put the deposit down for our Todd, we were at Max’s aunt’s house in Orange County. We FaceTimed my parents and brainstormed with them on what we should name him. Originally we were thinking of Italian food names (Gnocchi, Linguini, or Ravioli), then we moved to cheeses (Gouda was my sister Perri’s favorite), and then on human names (George, Albert, and Harold). But Todd kept popping into our heads.
We even looked at long lists of cat names…
Every time we tried to see him as anything other than Todd, we just couldn’t. It was truly meant to be!
He does have a few nicknames, too:
- Toddy (or Toddy Boy)
- Tob
- Smush Ball
Yes, He Has an Instagram
I told myself I wasn’t going to make Todd an Instagram…and then I did. But in my defense, my sister convinced me. She has so much fun running her dogs’ Instagram that she said it would be a fun little “passion project” for me.
She was right.
I truly enjoy running his account and showing the world his adorable personality! If you want to follow him, his Instagram handle is @lazy.todd. Fitting, right?
I truly just never want him to grow up. He’s such a sweet little angel, and despite the health issues he’s had in these first few months, he’s truly the most amazing little thing we could have ever asked for in our first pet.
If you’re thinking about getting a purebred cat, I highly recommend looking into the Persian breed. They really are such gentle and people-loving cats and we’re extremely happy with our little Persian cutie!
We adore you, Toddy boy!