A precious pair of Persians in a town north of London have been entertaining thousands of people all over the world with their adorable relationship with “cat dad.”
A Dynamic Duo
Teddie, a ginger, and Casper, who is all white, live with mom Gill and dad Dave in Chesterfield. The two cats have gained a loyal group of fans on social media.
Gill said she and Dave got the two cats as 7-month-old kittens when their families couldn’t look after them. The cats came from different parts of the country, and their 2015 birthdays are just four days apart.
“Teddie settled in straight away and wanted cuddles from day one and was very playful,” said Gill.
But Casper was more tentative and took a few weeks to settle in.
“That’s because he hadn’t had a very good start to life. Once he settled in he was playful like Teddie,” said Gill.
Gill said in 2016, her niece suggested she put the boys on Instagram.
“So, she set it up for me,” said Gill.
She put the first post up in July of 2016 and the dynamic duo and their antics garnered thousands of fans on Instagram.
“They now have over 109,000 followers,” said Gill. “They are also on TikTok and they’ve got over 131,000 followers. The response has been amazing on both platforms, especially the videos between Teddie and cat dad.”
Teddie is quite a climber, and the most popular video thus far is of him scurrying up the fence “like a rat up a drainpipe” and attempting to escape the yard.
“It’s had more than 146,000 likes and over 4 million views,” said Gill.
Dad’s Little Helper
Dave is an avid gardener, and Teddie frequently follows him around, attempting to “help.”
“Wherever cat dad is, Teddie isn’t far behind him as he wants to be involved in anything cat dad does, whether it’s in the garden or in the house, but he can be a bit of a pain sometimes, always getting in the way,” said Gill.
Dave is frequently on hands and knees tending the garden and Teddie will be right there, demanding attention, even climbing on Dave’s back or settling onto his legs.
Teddie also enjoys a high perch, and when Dave was building a new greenhouse, the frisky feline was quick to climb up the ladder and try to help.
A Couple of Chatty Boys
Both Casper and Teddie are very talkative.
“Casper is always chatty no matter what time of day it is,” said Gill. “He comes and sits and stares at you and meows when he wants feeding and when he wants to go out in the garden. Teddie meows when he wants picking up and cuddling.“
Teddie asks for “picky ups” just about every hour of the day, Gill said.
“Casper does meow and rub around our legs and we do pick him up but that only lasts for about 10 seconds. He’s not a picky up cat but he loves chin and head scratches and he demands belly rubs most days,” said Gill.
It always looks like cat dad is the main focus as cat mom is always doing the videos, but Gill said once she’s finished she has time for picky ups as well.
“Although Teddie seems permanently stuck to cat dad’s arms during the day,” she said.
Teddie and Casper get along well, though they don’t sleep snuggled up together.
“They do play fight occasionally with each other,” she said. “They have chased cats out of the garden on a couple of occasions and they looked a bit wild then.”
Love All Day Long
Gill said at day’s end on most days, Dave carries Teddie to bed.
“He’s usually fast asleep snoring his head off on the cat tree in the living room,” said Gill. “(Dave) gently puts (Teddie) on a blanket on the dressing table in our bedroom where he carries on sleeping and snoring. When this is happening, Casper knows it’s time for bed and goes upstairs on his own and always waits on the landing at the top of the stairs for a face rub.”
Gill said she’s had a number of requests from organizations wanting to license “cat dad and Teddie” videos, but she’s declined them because she enjoys doing them for fun.
“I love creating these videos as you don’t need hours of material and I’ve always got my iPhone on me, ready to snap a picture or video, although Teddie and Casper can sometimes be divas and not cooperate, especially when I want a picture,” she said. “They’re both silly boys and we hope that our followers and people viewing the videos can see just how much they’re loved!”