I can't stand people who think they have a special relationship with cats and give themselves nicknames like Tigerton Whitepaws or Mousedancer. If you think I'm exaggerating, you haven't been to a science fiction convention. He decided to try again while reminding me that he was only doing it because I was intimidating him. Eventually, we hit upon the notion of me as a bear. I can go for that.
Bears are mostly solitary with spates of socializing.
They're ungainly and plump but capable of amazing speed and intensity when roused. They're rather grumpy and standoffish after they grow up but remain loving to their family members. They spend a lot of time eating, hem hem. They sleep for months at a time. I can see the parallels, oh yes.