Tingha

The Tingha were a species of telepathic symbiotes.

Biology
The Tingha started life in an incorporeal form, more like an idea or an imaginary friend. They would latch onto a host and feed on their loathing and self doubt. The Tingha also developed a psychic-link with the host, meaning that one needed the other to survive.

Eventually, the Tingha would be able to manifest a physical body. This body was something like a large teddy bear, with thick fur and sharp claws. Human growth hormones were poisonous to the Tingha, and contact with them would cause an extreme allergic reaction in the affect Tingha, causing them to develop a rash and then explode. (AUDIO: Cuddlesome)

History
At some point, one Tingha called the Tinghus made its way to Earth and encountered Ronald Turvey. Claiming to be the ghost of Mr Cuddles, he telepathically contacted Ronald and convinced him to create TurveyCo in the 1980s. He created the Cuddlesome toys in the image of the adult Tingha. When a telepathic signal was transmitted, these Cuddlesomes would infect the owners with a virus that would only kill adults, ridding the world of the growth hormones the Tingha hated. Unfortunately for Tinghus, the signal was never transmitted after Ronald was sent to prison for tax fraud.

25 years later, Ronald was released from prison and TurveyCo started production again. Tinghus had started production on the Cuddlesomes Mark II, which had a different virus. This virus would instead turn humans into human/Tingha hybrids instead of killing them. Tinghus also believed that the Mark I had to be replaced. Ronald had a parental affection for the Mark I Cuddlesomes, and now believed that Tinghus had to be stopped. He was killed by Miranda Evenden before he could do anything, but since there was a psychic connection between Tinghus and Ronald, his death also meant the end of Tinghus. (AUDIO: Cuddlesome)