Sonny’s rescuer and caregiver Edie Enders told his story at Life with Cats on July 20 in Sonny Finds Friends and Gets the Help He Needs. Edie began the story saying:
This is Sonny, who I recently rescued in Palm Beach County, FL. He has been severely traumatized and I am fostering and working towards socializing him in order to find his perfect Forever Home. Sonny was dumped by his owner with his jaw wired shut from being hit by a car. He also has nerve damage and is blind in one eye from the accident.
In his search for food, he was attacked and bitten by a dog, leaving a scar on his back. He had to have surgery on his mouth to remove the wire and pull some teeth. His mouth was infected. July 14th, I took him to Calusa Animal Hospital as he was still having pain in his mouth. His mouth was extremely inflamed and had some infection again. He has to have the rest of his teeth extracted or this will continue due to a condition he has.
Sonny came and found me one day, I believe begging for help. He was meowing really loudly and since I rescued him I haven’t heard a peep out of him.
He had a wire in his jaw and it had to be removed, along with some teeth. He had a bad infection in his mouth and he was just healing from the dog bite on his back. I actually thought he had mange. The vet couldn’t believe the dog bite hadn’t infected his entire body and killed him. Sonny is a fighter and really wants to live.
Edie met Sonny when he came around her home looking for food a few months ago. After she rescued him and began to piece his story together with the help of his veterinarian Edie learned from a woman in her community that Sonny, who is only about 2 years old at most, had been living on the street for at least a year. Employees at a business the woman’s husband worked at had fed the little stray. When the business closed, no one thought to make arrangements for Sonny so he was completely on his own. It was after the people feeding him suddenly disappeared that Sonny found Edie and, as she believes, asked her for help. Sonny was once someone’s pet, who was either lost or abandoned with his jaw wired shut. He wandered the streets with that wire in his jaw for a year.
The further dental surgery Edie mentions in her introduction above was performed successfully on July 27. After having the problem teeth extracted, Sonny was left with some teeth remaining, which was a better outcome than expected. Continued antibiotics cleared up traces of infection, and he has been off of medication for about two weeks now. Edie notices that Sonny is eating better, is putting on a little bit of weight, and is noticeably more comfortable and feeling better.
At this point, Sonny’s medical needs have been addressed and he is returning to health. Edie saved him from the streets, made sure he got the veterinary care he needed, and has kept him safe. Many people donated for his care, so Edie’s work with Sonny became a joint effort. Now it is time for Sonny’s emotional needs and his overall well being to be addressed. While he is safe and cared for, Sonny needs a better situation with a foster caregiver who can patiently work with him and provide him with pleasant surroundings.
Sonny is living in a room all by himself, spending most of his time alone. Edie works 10 hours a day, and has 4 rescue cats of her own who she does not feel will get along with Sonny. The window in Sonny’s room looks out on the sunporch where the other cats hang out, so there is cardboard covering the lower half of the window to keep the cats apart. That leaves Sonny without the stimulation he would receive from being able to look out the window during the day.
Complicating matters further, Edie was in a serious 4 car accident on August 13 when she was returning home from work. The experience was horrifying and left her injured and on pain medication, with a totaled car and difficulties dealing with the insurance company. The accident has meant Edie had to spend less time on Sonny’s Facebook page and on networking to find him a suitable foster or forever home.
This update is meant to follow up on Sonny’s progress and to help spread the appeal for someone to come forward to take Sonny now that he is ready for the next step in his recovery. There is still a fair amount of money in the fund set up for his care from a ChipIn and auction, and that money will go along with him to help his next caregiver pay for his everyday and any other needs. Sonny is in good health now, according to his doctors. He still has a bad eye, but the vet has not said it needs any medical attention.
Edie would prefer that Sonny’s next foster or forever caregiver live fairly close to South Florida, though she will consider other options for him. She prefers that he not make a journey that would be traumatic for him, and says even trips to the vet are very distressing for him. Foster candidates will be vetted by Edie. She says she will miss Sonny but wants to see him go on to someone who can give him the emotional support and attention he needs and deserves.
Edie would appreciate it if readers who cannot help directly would share Sonny’s plight with others who might be able to network his story of take him.
Anyone seriously interested in helping sonny can contact Edie Enders directly. Email: [email protected] . Phone: 561-843-3881 .
Oh my! I live in California but if I lived in Florida, I’d take him in and help him regain his trust. Such a tortured soul! Look in his eyes, even the blind one, and you can see all the suffering this fighter has gone through. The person who wired his jaw shut should have their jaw wired shut and tossed into the wilderness! I know that people can be cruel but I will be forever dismayed at the lengths people go to in order to torture a tiny creature like this!
Shame I live in South Central Texas–i have saved many kitties–two cats that are blind in one eye (one simply doesn’t have an eye at all), two newborns (they are now 4yrs old) and i am currently fostering 3 kittens (still nursing age). I am home all the time in order to take care of these wonderful creatures in the way they deserve. I would have loved to give him his forever home if only I lived in Florida.
There MUST be someone in the local area to home this precious cat with?I’m in California or I would gladly take him.I do not even know anyone in Florida 🙁
I live in maryland but have all my Facebook friends posting Sonny’s story. We all know people in other states so by word of mouth (and Facebook) people will surely hear of Sonny. Please keep everyone updated on his story and thank you for being a kind and loving person.
I’ve posted this link all over my personal facebook as well as my business page and twitter. I think, perhaps, that limiting the search to Southern Florida won’t do this poor kitty any help. I highly doubt that at this point that a long trip would be worse for him than living in a room where he is isolated from all contact with other living creatures for nearly 24 hours a day, and is not even able to look out a window. I understand his foster mum is doing everything she can and that’s lovely, but that much isolation is really unhealthy for anyone’s psyche and emotional well-being. Much worse, in my opinion, than one traumatic trip and then a wonderful home forever. I don’t think than any good home in the US should be ruled out.
Also, why the need for cardboard in the window? The cats can look at each other and possibly communicate without having actual contact. I really don’t understand why he is being isolated to that severe a degree… it’s unnecessary and it’s actually a little bit cruel. There would be zero bad results to the cats just being able to *see* one another. If at first it was tense, it would quickly calm down as they realize there’s no actual contact. I’m really almost as sad about his current situation as I am about his situation before being rescued, just in a different way.
I have to agree with Rebecca…..why isolate him completely? If there is an issue with him seeing other cats, give him half a window to look out of so that he will feel he can “tune other cats out” by staying on the half that is covered. He needs to see other cats and what is going on outside. He needs stimuli…he does not need to be isolated so completely.
If uncovering half the window is not possible, how about cutting a hole in the cardboard so he has a “window” to the window and can look outside. His curiosity will help him heal so much better with stimuli from seeing outside and seeing other cats. Plus, it would give your other cats a chance to see him and everyone can become acquainted with each other.
I sincerely hope you can find a home for him close by. I agree that a long trip would be far too traumatic for this tortured soul.
Everytime I look at him, my heart breaks. He needs someone who can give him a LOT of attention and love and understanding. He needs to regain his trust in people.
Cut a hole in the cardboard and give him a window to the window.
Rebecca,
At the end of the article, there is an e-mail for Edie. I’ve copied the last sentence for you:
Anyone seriously interested in helping sonny can contact Edie Enders directly. Email: [email protected] . Phone: 561-843-3881
The cardboard is the keep the cats from actually seeing each other. If cats don’t get along just keeping them apart sometimes isn’t good enough. If a cat sees another cat and don’t like that cat, the other cat gets very aggressive and tries to get at the other one. The aggressive cat will jump at the window, hiss, growl and will actually try to find a way in to attack the other cat. And from seeing Sonny, he’s not an aggressive cat and if he were to be attack by the other cats, he would become more afraid than ever and all that work that Edie did would go down the drain. It would be like starting from zero again but only harder.
Edie, do you know if Sonny gets along with other cats at all? I currently have 5. All adopted. They range in age from 2 to 10. I live in Pennsylvania, but would really love to give Sonny a loving forever home. But, like I said, I have 5 other cats. I have a huge 3 story house in the country. So, he would have lots of windows to look out. And, could even go outdoors (supervised of course) to see all the bugs, chippies & butterflies. I even have a horse who loves the cats. Please consider letting him take the long ride to come live with us. I would pay for the plane ride to come get him & bring him home. I would make sure they would let me take him on a carry on in the main part of the plane. NO CARGO HOLDS!! Please let me know if you would consider this. I just love his loving/beautiful soul & would just love to add him to my wonderful family.
Rebecca, I very much resent all of your criticisms. What are YOU doing to help Sonny, other than criticizing me for saving his life and rescuing him from the excruciating pain he was in for more than a year? I’m doing everything I can for him and it’s all in Sonny’s best interest. If all you wish to do is criticize a situation in which you are doing absolutely nothing to help, please keep your opinions to yourself. Thank you.
One more question for Miss Rebecca: Should I decide to take the chance to send him out of state, and the adopter at some point decides it’s not working out and doesn’t want Sonny, are you going to fund his trip back here (or wherever he goes) and are you physically going to go pick him up and take him wherever it is he’s going? I just want to know what my options are. Thanks
I was just wondering if you have had any luck finding him a home yet??? I have found out the hard way that many people are afraid of taking special needs kitties. I’m not sure why but that’s how I’ve gotten most of mine. People don’t want to be bothered… Please update us asap and let us know how he is doing. Thank you
Monica, I’m not monitoring the comments here so if you are truly interested in possibly adopting Sonny, please contact me directly. All of my information is in the article. You can follow Sonny’s progress on Facebook, or you can email me and I will update you. I would definitely consider Central FL. Thanks. Edie
Dear Edie,
God bless you for having the heart to save Sonny. I hope you will always be in good health and do hope Sonny will find an amazing home eventually. I live in Singapore and would have loved to have Sonny. I have rescued many cats, most with horrid past but were able to overcome the pains and trauma given care, love and shelter. I’m sure Sonny will be happy too one day. Take care and the best of luck for Sonny. I wish him the best of home.
I am Sonny’s foster mom & rescuer. It’s been a long time, but just wanted to update. Sonny has had the run of the house with everyone else since Dec, 2012. He is great with the others, but still has issues with humans. He lets me pet him when we’re in bed, but still runs from me otherwise. He adored my alpha male, Buster & was trying very hard to win him over, but unfortunately I had to help Buster to the Bridge Feb 17th of this yr. I’m devastated, but Sonny & the others seem to be doing better. Sonny LOVES being out on the screened patio snoozing. He is enjoying his life here.