Percival Snugglebutt

Percival Snugglebutt  (LBF)

When the first group of cats from the Kootenays came to us in 2022, it was clear that we had a pretty bonded clowder with strong genetic ties. It’s impossible to say how any specific cat in the family is related to another, but the majority of them are Himalayan in appearance, with blue-point or (more commonly) seal-point colouring.  I still have problem telling most of the girls apart!

Betsy, Zoey, Cleo  (BC)

Three cats stood out as different; two little lynx-points, and a blond boy with no tail. The two girls – Sweetpea and Curious – were both pregnant when they came to us, and in all likelihood, the sire was blond Percival Snugglebutt, (sometimes known as Big Daddy) because there were a few kittens who had his tailless gene.

Percival  (JS)

Like all the group, Percival was shy, and in fact only two of the group – little Sweetpea, and sweet Owen – have proved to be sociable. SweetPea got a lot of handling while in fosterage with her kittens, and has been adopted;  Owen has just decided that he likes this place and enjoys making friends, both feline and human – when the visitors return in the spring, it is possible that he will find a new home.

Percival with Owen    (LBF)

Percival actually seems to be closer to Basil than most of the others, but Basil’s a very timid boy around humans, and in his company, there’s a lot of hiding.  

Percival with Basil  (KN)

Luckily, Percival is food-motivated (if not to the same extent as Owen!), and when there are handouts, he can often be found hovering nearby. He’s still pretty tentative, and is one of those cats who takes awhile looking at the tidbit in question before deciding to eat it – which means that pushy cats like Pumpkin and Parry will often dart in to secure the prize.

Percival  (BC)

So far, I've not been able to get more than the occasional touch – he doesn’t much like petting, and he really doesn’t want to be touched with grooming tools, which is a pity, because he’s one of those cats whose fur mats. Like a number of other cats this winter, he will probably have to have a shave-job when the weather gets warmer. But the fact that he’s so often part of the handout crowd makes me hopeful that initial progress has been made, and 2024 may be the Percival Snugglebutt year to let go of some more of his feral fears.

Admire me!   (LBF)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, 

Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint