Note: this post was first published in 2015 hence the 20 years mentioned in the title. Ten years later and the plush toy is almost 30 years old and no doubt still loved just as much.
This is the title of the Reddit post which explains the picture at the top of the page:
“In 1995, my great-aunt gave me a stuffed cat. It was my absolute favorite, and slept with me every night through my childhood. When she passed, we found out she had bought an identical cat and kept it in pristine condition for two decades. The years of love certainly left their mark.
Here is a comment (with the original post below). It is quite common to buy ‘spares’ of plush toys for children to replace them when they wear out. The problem is that the child knows when the spare one is being used unless the mother is an artist at disguising objects. The connection between child and plush toy or blanket is very great. It is a relationship which lasts into adulthood, even middle age and it has to be the original toy as they are living individuals. Children get untold amounts of benefit from their toy companions. I know a woman of 63 who carries around a plush toy frog in her handbag. He is called Jeremy (the frog was made by manufacturers Jeremy Fisher). She relates to it as a living being.