I have a confession to make. I'm a recovering cat person.

Yes, for most of my life I honestly and truly was obsessed with cats.

But that was before Tofu entered my life.

He is everything a cat is not and somehow he managed to exceed every expectation I ever had of a pet. A lover of long walks in the park, he's also perfectly content to be curled up on my lap. He's my little greeter after a long day at work, somehow knowing when to walk to the door in anticipation of my arrival each day. He is the staunch protector of our household against the terrors of strangers, crows, and blowing leaves alike.

But, unlike his half-brother Theo, he craves the comfort of his pack. When we get together with family, he always follows or keeps his eye on the person who leaves the room, anxious that some harm may come to that person.

My husband and I went to the breeder at the same time Ben was picking up Calvin. It was our first time deciding on a puppy and we were overcome by what seemed like a sea of mostly reds. We were handed one puppy after another. One was a tiny thing that shivered in my arms. Another was overzealous and squirmed out of my husband's arms. After a sufficient amount of time had passed, a black and tan appeared among the other faces. I'm certain now that Tofu had been assessing the situation and deciding whether or not he'd approach us. I'm glad he did because it was love at first sight. We picked him up and he was calm but affectionate. A perfect match for our subdued household. As it turned out, he was also Calvin's littermate and "older" brother if only by a few minutes.

At first his high need for contact was overwhelming. Crate training proved impossible except for bedtime when he'd finally settle in on our bedside table where he was able to keep an eye on us. Separation anxiety was another issue altogether. If he had a theme song to express how he felt, I'm sure it would have been this:



But we overcame these issues with training and a lot of patience. He's since learned the importance of being able to go to his own bed when we're busy with housecleaning or other tasks around the house and has taken to perching by the window during the day to watch foot traffic pass by our house. However, the moment we sit down he's there to warm our laps and give kisses.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.