Snuffles Update

Snuffles is the tiny very sick half blind feral kitten I found behind my shop last year November. Against all odds he survived and the love he has brought into my home is beyond words. To see him waiting in the yard for me to return home every evening never ceases to lift my heart!

Chilling on a roll of material.

Snuffles is quite fat now, he weighed 1,6kg the last time I weighed him, and extremely strong...which I will go back to later! He has more personality than any other house cat I have ever had. We have 3 other cats, but we got into the habit of feeding Snuffles separately due to his ill health. I had to feed him with a syringe for over 3 weeks when I got him. Snuffles is fine now, so one ill advised day I decided to feed him the same food as the other cats, and together with them. BIG MISTAKE. The next morning I detected a foul odour emanating from the kitchen. Snuffles had pooped (massively) on top of the pellets. I canceled that plan, and the other cats pellets now remain poop free.

                                                    

Snuffles 1/Succulent 0

Snuffles is obsessed with playing, and can be found constantly pouncing out of doorways, and from behind corners. One day recently he became obsessed with stalking my husband's toes, while he was working outside, to such an extent he had to lock him in the house. Another cold and rainy day he sat on the edge of the couch and swatted everybody who walked past...the whole day! His favourite toy is a ball of scrunched up paper, which he pounces on, kicks, and carries around.

Swatting me while I am trying to take photos of the articles I sell online.

Snuffles learns really easily. On the day he swatted everybody on the couch, the family turned it in an opportunity to teach him to high five. Which he will now do occasionally if you ask. He has learnt the word kiss, and if you asked him for a kiss he will lightly touch his nose to your lips. Very often he will refuse, but it is clear he recognises the request by the way he turns his head!

              

Watching me work.

Snuffles is FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) positive, and is very susceptible to colds. He has just had a bad one, and for the first time since he was a tiny baby I had to administer antibiotics, which worked impressively well. I try to let his immune system fight off the virus first. But I could smell (yes smell, I have 3 kids) the infection. I have a VERY sensitive sense of smell. Trying to administer the antibiotic was another story altogether, and I am sporting a few injuries. I can't believe how strong he is, my husband could barely hold him this morning while I gave him his second dose. I'm going to experiment with putting it in his food this evening. Hold thumbs for me.

                                         

Playing with his jungle gym, and the abandoned when he got bored.

Snuffles is not friends with our other 3 house cats at all. He does love our fox terrier, and the feeling is mutual. Although he doesn't need the help (the other cats are intimidated by him) our fox terrier took it upon himself to guard him while he eats if I am not in the kitchen, growling at the other cats if they come too near. A few days ago my daughter decide to put a collar on him. (Which didn't suit him at all!) Somehow he managed to get one leg stuck in the collar, and this happened while he was at the bottom of our long driveway. Snowy, the dog, walked next to the Snuffles, supporting him all the way until he could come back into the yard and get attention for his predicament.

                                   

Where he liked to sit as a tiny kitten.

Snuffles loves to be in our presence, but being feral, doesn't really enjoy being held or cuddled. Most of the time he sleeps in really odd places, especially on the floor. When he does cuddle with me though, he wants to sit in my neck like he did when he was a baby and I get a mouth and nose full of fur! Then he will spend the rest of the night sleeping in my hair! No bottom of the bed for him!

                                 

With my daughter.

And now, fat!

We previously had a female feral cat, called Cat. She displayed many of the same qualities as Snuffles, but spent very little time indoors. She would greet me when I came home from work by sitting on the roof opposite the stairs. She was a lethal hunter which was disturbing, sometimes extremely so. Someone in the neighbourhood had rabbits which bred out of control and she would catch them and bring them home. Finding the lower half of a bunny in your kitchen is not what you would like to come home to!!! She was obsessed with catching food for the family, which meant the other 3 cats as well as us humans constantly received presents. One day she simply disappeared and we were so sad. Shortly afterwards I found Snuffles, so I like to think some of her spirit resides in him. I certainly hope his blindness prevents him from hunting like her though!

Cat RIP

I feel so bad for the plight of the feral kittens in town. It breaks my heart to see the tiny little kittens dead in the road. When (and note I said when) I am a Steemit millionaire, I would like to devote some time to doing something. I'm not sure what, but I will research it when the time comes.

                              

He climbed into my teacup, with tea still in it when he was a kitten. Until today he is slightly obsessed with tea and will steal some whenever he gets a chance!

                                  

Chilling on my youngest son's curls.

                              

When I first found him.

For all of you who have been following Snuffles journey, I have been pleased to share this update with you. He is my fourth child!

Thank you for reading! Please follow me @onetree