Mr. Snuggles is looking
for a new home

Mr. Snuggles (aka “Snugs”) is a very adorable cat.

He loves to hang out with me, follow me around, and sleep on my bed.

However, he does have some behavioral issues and he is sometimes a troublemaker.

I think he would do best in a home with another cat (so he has a play buddy) and with someone experienced with cats.

I’ll explain the details below.

Name: Mr. Snuggles (aka “Snugs”)
Age: ~4 years old
Born: April 2019
Weight: 11 pounds

Type: Domestic shorthair, tabby
Favorite activities: napping, playing, looking out the window, and cuddling by your feet
Bad behaviors: jumps on counters, walks in front of feet, and light biting (he usually wants to play)

Hello! My name is Matt.

One evening I came across this cute cat outside of Publix. It was the Publix on Colonial Blvd (a very busy road). I felt really bad for him.

Awwww!! He’s so cute!

I’ve been around cats my whole life. Here’s a picture of me at 7 years old with my first cat:

I’m now in my mid-30s and I travel often, so I can’t keep Snugs long-term.

I’ve rescued a few cats in the past. So I figured I would do the same with Snugs.

That evening in November 2019, I thought to myself, “This poor guy is living outside of Publix on a busy road. He deserves a better home. I’ll take him in, take him to the vet, get him neutered, get his shots up to date, watch over him for a few months, and then find him a permanent home (and maybe some other cats to play with).” [This was before the pandemic.]

I sat with Mr. Snuggles for a while. At first, he was a little scared (but he stayed close):

I walked to the nearest store to get him food and water. He seemed excited about the food (and the fact that I was there), but he was also nervous at the same time lol… so he didn’t eat very much.

After a little while he started to get more comfortable 😉

I made the decision that I would take him home and be his foster parent. I went back to the store to find a box. I gently placed Mr. Snuggles in the box and we ventured back home:

On the way, I stopped to pick up food, supplies, and toys for Mr. Snuggles:

Mr. Snuggles was very scared the first night. I made him as comfortable as possible. I kept him in the bathroom, set up some towels and his new cat bed, and I left him food and water.

The next day he was much better. He was still a little scared, but he was also cute and snuggly, and was laying with me on the couch:

(The photos below where he’s wearing the green collar are from November 2019. He was still under a year old at that time and weighed 7 pounds. Snugs is now 10.5 pounds and a little larger. There are updated photos towards the end of this page.)

He was also “hiding” a bit at times (look at the top of the cabinets!):

Over the next few days, he got more and more relaxed… and he got cuter and cuter:

I also noticed he really liked to snuggle (thats where he gets his name from).

(I jumped forward in time with some of the photos below. They span over many months.)

Note: Snugs still likes to snuggle, but he no longer does so very close to my head. He more so likes to snuggle near my hip or legs. So he’s less of a “snuggler” than I originally thought. He also was just rescued and I think he really liked laying on me and being cared for.

And check out his cute little tail (the vet said he was born like this):

I let Mr. Snuggles get used to me and the new environment for a few weeks and then I brought him to the vet to get updated on shots and to get him neutered.

Lake Nona Animal Clinic

In December 2019, I took Snugs to Lake Nona Animal Clinic. It’s a lovely place and they took good care of him.

(I have copies of all his records.)

1. They gave Snugs a thorough examination:
– He was 100% healthy!
– They determined he was born in April 2019.
– He is a domestic shorthair, tabby.
– He weighed 6 pounds in December 2019 (he’s 10.5 pounds now, but he’s still on the tiny side).

2. They tested him for Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV):
– He doesn’t have it.

3. They tested him for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV):
– He doesn’t have it.

4. They tested him for heart worm disease:
– He doesn’t have it.

5. They gave him a deworming medication:
– This got rid of any possible worms or parasites.

6. They gave him a feline combination vaccine (listed as “new kitty vaccinations” on his records):
– This is also referred to as the FRCPCH feline vaccination, aka feline distemper vaccine. It prevents 3 potentially deadly airborne viruses:

rhinotracheitis (triggered by the common feline herpes virus)
calicivirus
panleukopenia

7. They gave him a rabies vaccine.

8. They gave him a feline leukemia vaccine.

9. They neutered him.

10. They installed a microchip.
– I have the paperwork.

11. One year later (December 2020), I took Snugs back for his 1-year followup.
They did the following:

Fecal floatation
Rabies (1 year) vaccination
FRCPCh (I guess it’s a 2nd followup booster)
Leukemia vaccination
Annual wellness exam (they said he was 100% healthy!)

So Snugs is all up-to-date on his vet visits.

12. It’s now 2023 and just an FYI that I’ve kept Snugs up to date and brought him the vet every year for his annual check up. He’s doing great. 100% healthy and no issues at all 🙂

As the months went on

As the months went on, he became more and more comfortable.

However, some of his “other” habits started to show themselves. Hence, he got his other nickname: the trouble maker.

I want to disclose everything so Snugs’ new owner is fully aware and there’s no surprises. I have a ‘soft spot’ and I care a lot about animals. I really want to make sure Snugs goes to the best home with the best people.

That’s also a reason why I procrastinated so long on posting this ad for him. I doubted that someone would want to love him and take care of him because he’s kind of a trouble maker. But I decided that being honest and upfront about everything will give Snugs his best chance!

Light biting

Snugs will bite if he is afraid. Sometimes that means he’ll bite/attack a hand that he see coming over top of his head (it’s best to reach from the side when petting him). Other times, he’ll bite to get my attention (a light bite, but still, it’s a surprise) because he wants to play or be pet. Snugs likes attention!

Even though I say “no” or “ouch”, he still continues to exhibit this behavior. He pretty much treats me like another cat. If he’s scared, he may light bite. If he wants to play, he may light bite (or swat a paw) to get my attention.

My guess is that from living outdoors, he developed a lot of fear.

His bites have never once drawn blood (haven’t even come close). They barely leave scratches, let alone marks, but still, they are a part of his behavior. And it’s more so the “shock”… like saying “oh! that hurts” due to the surprise, but it doesn’t really hurt.

Light scratching

Snugs isn’t a vicious scratcher (or anything close to that), but he does scratch sometimes. It’s due to the exact same reasons as the light biting (he’s scared or he wants to play so he’s trying to get my attention).

I don’t have any scars or deep gashes (nothing like that). His scratches are usually very light. Maybe 5% of the time, they are more intense. However, that usually only occurs if I’m provoking him (not sure why I do that!).

Snugs won’t come up to you when you’re sitting down and just swat at you. It’s more so when he’s doing his own thing and I try to pet him from an angle that makes him scared/uncomfortable… and then I keep doing it (example of me provoking him).

Scratching the couch

Snugs does scratch the couch sometimes (it’s made of ideal cat-scratching material). He hasn’t ripped it to shreds, but it’s noticeable. I don’t care too much, so I haven’t made a major effort to stop him. Yelling only stops him in the moment, but then he’s often doing it again a day or two later.

I did stick his scratching post close by, however, he uses the scratching post 90% of the time and the couch 10% of the time. I know there are solutions to this, but again, I’ve just been lazy about it and haven’t put too much energy into it. Here are some photos of the couch:

Every couple of weeks I trim his nails and that helps.

No declawing

I don’t want Snugs to be declawed (if you’re thinking that). That is very dangerous as it removes his only ability to protect himself (if he accidentally got outside and got lost) and his ability to survive (hunt and find food). If you like to declaw cats, then Snugs will not be the best match.

Jumping on counters

Snugs jumps on kitchen counters and bathroom counters. He does understand “no” and will jump down, but he’ll usually jump back up a few minutes later. I used to yell at him often for this, but he kind of wore me down lol, so I just let him wonder around on countertops. Some people don’t mind this, while others do. My aim with all this is to be as transparent regarding all of his behavior.

On a related note, he sometimes knocks things off of counters, particularly, when an item is close to the edge (I think this is common among cats). This is an easy fix though. I just don’t leave things by themselves at the edge of a counter. For example, on my kitchen island, I have things in clusters/groups. Snugs doesn’t seem interested in clusters/groups of things… just isolated objects ready to meet their fate as they plunge to the floor lol!

Eating paper products

Snugs has gotten better, however, I’d say he’s destroyed 3 rolls of paper towels and 4 rolls of toilet paper. I’ve learned to not leave either just out in the open (like on the center of the bathroom sink). Instead, I tuck paper towels in a corner to make it less appealing. Funny enough, it works.

Here’s a photo of what I walked into one day after running errands:

Walking in front of feet

As much as Snugs is a scaredy-cat, he also has no fear lol! He walks very close by or directly in front of where I’m walking. Most cats get stepped on once or twice and they learn. But not Snugs. I think he thinks feet are like hands and that they can pet him.

He strangely enough only does this in the morning and at night time (not during the day). In the morning, I think he’s happy to see me. And at night time, I think he knows I’m going to sleep.

I started sleeping with the door closed (and him outside the room in his upstairs cat bed), so maybe he gets sad that he can’t sleep near me. He’s usually pretty good (he’s slept on my bed for many months), however, he’s also woken me up at 3 or 4am being in a “hyper mode” and looking out the window (and ruffling the shades and waking me up).

Snugs is a scaredy cat

When the doorbell rings, he immediately hides. When people come over, he hides upstairs (for hours) under the covers on the bed. So when you first meet him, he’ll be super scared (like terrified!). However, once he becomes comfortable with you and his new environment, he’ll become more and more his natural self. He will not relax on first visit, but he will relax in his new home in the coming days and weeks.

Indoor cat

Snugs has been an indoor cat since I rescued him. I don’t let him outside. The only exception to that is I sometimes let him on the back patio with me, but only for 10-15 minutes and then we go back inside. He likes the warmth of the sunshine on the pavers.

Attention

Snugs likes attention. He likes to be pet a lot and he likes to rub up on you. He’ll also want to be close by and near you.

I work from home and I place his cat bed on my desk. He’s there for many hours each day. He sometimes also naps on the couch and on the bathroom window perch. Here’s a photo of him right now as I’m writing this (you see, he’s not always a trouble maker… most of the day, he’s just being super cute like this!):

A play buddy

After doing a lot of research, I believe his “bad behavior” is really just him wanting to play. He treats me like a big cat. So his light bites are just him trying to get my attention. He’s basically saying, “C’mon, come play with me man!!”

I think he will do well with another cat (after taking time to adjust of course), so he can have a play buddy! I’m guessing a cat around his age will likely be the best match. I think he might also do well (after adjusting to a new place) with have a place to roam and play outside.

If you’re an awesome person (experienced with cats) and you have a cat who also wants a play buddy, please consider giving Snugs a chance and a place in your home and heart!

Thank you for reading all this and taking the time 🙂

If you’re interested in moving forward

Please fill out the form below and then I’ll reach out.

Miscellaneous

Snugs doesn’t like to be held very much, especially in the “baby cradle” position.
He has a fascination with running water and he tries to drink it sometimes.

I will be gifting all of his supplies: