J.M. NORTHUP

MEET MY CHARACTER

• Tell us about your story:
  • What is the name of your book?
    • “Teddy Loses His Ears” is a nonfiction children’s story featuring hand painted illustrations. 
  • When and where is your tale set?
    • The story begins in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, but part of my adventure involves moving west across Canada to Surrey, British Columbia, where I currently live with my loving family. 

• Who are you?
  • My name is Teddy, and I am a real-life rescue cat that lost their ears to Frostbite while I was homeless. This is my introduction story into the Adventures of Teddy series! 
  • Would you consider yourself to be good/bad or indifferent? 
    • I am all three and I think that is what makes me so relatable! I am a loyal, well mannered, cuddly. and most definitely worthy of love. 
    • This book. however, highlights some indifference as I share an emotional journey of about my struggle with self-esteem and acceptance based on aesthetics. Despite imprinting with my family, I still have some trust issues I need to overcome and because of those self-preservation instincts, I sometimes behave badly by swatting at feet when humans move passed me swiftly. 

• What do we need to know about you?
  • What is your personal goal? 
    • My personal goal is educating pet guardians about the serious physiological effects of environment on animals. I hope by sharing my story, people will remember to consider care factors; that include weather, in the overall well-being of their pets. Sadly, it is common to hear tales of animals that have sustained injuries due to exposure of extreme weather conditions. These injuries are completely preventable. 
  • What is standing in your way?  What conflict(s) do you face? 
    • I went through some ups & downs during my journey and recovery, but absolutely nothing is standing in my way now! Educating children about responsible pet care through picture and story, of a loveable character, will stick with them & they will remember to make these considerations in the future. I also hope that my stories normalize some disabilities faced by our friends because we are all different and unique and beautiful. 
  • Why is this goal important to you?  What’s your motivation? 
    • My motivation is to raise awareness to the dedicated volunteers who rescue unwanted pets like me and network tirelessly to ensure we all have a second chance to find a forever family and receive proper and necessary care. 
    • My personal goal is to inspire as many people as possible to adopt vs shop for their next family pet or consider relieving some of the burden on the rescue shelters by volunteering to temporarily foster animals, just until they can be adopted. There are so many ways to help! 
  • If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be, and why? 
    • Most people might guess that I would change my ears back to before the accident, but I would not. It is because of my journey that I now understand my true identity and have realized my purpose. I am significant and will make a positive impact in this world, despite the worst moments I endured in my life. 

• How do I get a copy of your book?
  • Is it available now, or when can we expect to see it released?
    • “Teddy Loses His Ears” is already available worldwide on Amazon, Chapters/Indigo and can be requested at Libraries across Canada! 
    • Book 2 – Titled “Teddy Loves Spaghetti” will be released September 2022 and will be available soon, as a pre-sale! 
    • Please check out my website to see pictures of me at home, chilling with my family, living my best cat life! You’ll also find free colouring pages and see more upcoming books in my Adventure Series!