Sunny

About Sunny

Live with children - Older children 14+

Live with other cats - Possibly, but would need slow and careful introductions

Live with dogs - No

I’m a friendly young boy looking for a loving forever home

More About Me

Temperament - Can be wary and timid at first in new surroundings/ with new people, but very friendly and affectionate once knows you. Can sometimes become overstimulated and nip/ jump up.

Indoor-only or outdoor access? Sunny would enjoy access to outdoors, he will need to be kept strictly indoors for at least 8 weeks while he settles into his new home.

My story so far…

I actually found help for myself when I turned up in my carer’s garden! I kept appearing for around a week and sadly looked dirtier each day, so she decided to take me in and look after me. I wasn’t microchipped and no owner was found. I was quickly booked in to be neutered as I was very smelly- I have to admit that myself! This went well but then sadly soon after, I became quite poorly with urinary crystals. The vets said that my urine was absolutely FULL of crystals that must have been building up for a while, and they were very surprised that my bladder hadn’t become blocked, which can be fatal, especially in male cats. Thankfully, I was actually quite well in myself throughout and my carer only knew I was poorly as she knows the signs to look out for and noticed me going in and out of my litter tray but not actually doing any wees. She took me straight to the vets as soon as she saw this as she knew how serious it could be. Thankfully for me though, she caught it just in time as I definitely would have become blocked if I was left much longer. The vets said they hadn’t seen as many crystals as I had in my urine ever before! So, although I wasn’t really showing it, I must have been in a lot of pain and discomfort. My carer does suspect that perhaps I was showing signs of urinary issues in my home and maybe had started urinating out of my litter trays and therefore was locked out of my home. She says I was definitely owned because I was so friendly and used to being in a home environment, and it was strange that I suddenly started appearing in the garden even though she’d never seen me before and then my symptoms were spotted soon after I was taken in.

Luckily, with some pain relief and anti-inflammatory medication, I was kept comfortable while I passed the crystals and with a change of food to a urinary diet, this helped to break down any remaining crystals inside my bladder. Thankfully, this did mean that I didn’t need surgery, which the vets and my carer thought I would need. I was a very brave boy and managed to get over it all by myself, with the help of medications, my special food and lots of love, but considering the severity of it, I was very lucky! Please see my medical history below to read about the food I am eating and the supplements I have added into my food daily to help keep me healthy.

I am a very friendly, playful boy! When I turned up, my carer described me as a giant kitten because I acted just like a needy playful baby but was the size of a lanky adult cat! I absolutely LOVE lap cuddles and will happily sit on your lap for ages. I am also content with being picked up and cuddled and really enjoy a good play- whether with a toy that has a human on the end of it or playing with my toys by myself. My favourite toys are the super smelly catnip and valerian ones, especially when they are fresh out of the packet!

However, I do also have a slightly cheeky side! My carer says she doesn’t want to use the word naughty, as I am a good boy really, it’s just that sometimes I get a bit overstimulated and struggle to know what to do with my emotions. So, I sometimes decide that the humans need a bite or punch. I began showing these behaviours once I had settled into my foster home, but then when I came here to the sanctuary, noone believed my carer as I am such a loving boy 99% of the time. Now I am becoming more comfortable around my other carers, a couple of them have also seen my second personality hehe.

My carer does want to add that I really am the best boy pretty much all of the time, and it is only when something gets a bit too much, whether it’s something that’s too exciting, something that’s annoyed me or I want something that you are not giving me, then I decide to have a little tantrum. She says it is usually only a few seconds or I will nip/ jump up at her and then snap right back out of it, but occasionally I do have my demon eyes locked onto her and she has to use some treats or a toy to bring me back down to earth. Of course then I act like butter wouldn’t melt and would never do such a thing!

My carer told me to tell you that this is something that I may not show initially while I settle in, but once I am comfortable, then gremlin Sunny will likely make an appearance. Hopefully though, in a home that I have full access to and everything I could ever ask for, along with lots of stimulation and enrichment, fingers crossed these behaviours will happen less. I just need a home where I feel safe and humans who will be there for me, and also work with me to understand my behaviour and needs/ wants.

Please don’t let my temper tantrums or overstimulation episodes put you off giving me a home, after all I’m sure a lot of you are the same! Sometimes, I just don’t know what to do with my big feelings and a nip of a leg or arm really helps to calm me down hehe.

Home I am looking for…

I am looking for a forever home to spend the rest of my life in, with humans who will love me and look after me even if I get poorly. Although, hopefully now I won’t get poorly again for a long time!

I would like an active home but also a calm, relaxed home. I need humans who will be willing to play with me when I want to, and who will make sure I have lots of toys and enrichment to keep me entertained and occupied. I would like lots of my favourite toys and I also enjoy cat trees to climb on and puzzle feeders to make meal/ treat times a bit more fun.

I did live with children in my foster home, but due to my occasional unpredictable behaviour and the fact that I can be wary and spooked around loud noises, my carer says that a home with older children 14+ or adults only would be best.

I did meet the cats in my foster home and was okay with them, although I did go a bit crazy when I met a foster kitten and acted like I was going to eat her, not sure if I was just excited or genuinely thought she was a snack, she was only mini! I have since met other cats here at the sanctuary and can be a bit hit or miss with them. I do want to be friends and play, but I get a bit too much very quickly and want to play very roughly which then in turn makes me a bit angry if they won’t play with me. For this reason, my carer thinks that it may be best for me to go to a home as an only cat, unless you have lots of experience with introducing cats and think you have a good kitty match for me. My carer thinks a kitty friend would do me good, but it would be a case of finding the right one. Perhaps I could settle into my home and you could adopt a friend for me in the future?

I am absolutely petrified of dogs! No dogs in my house please! Even the sound of them barking scares me! When I go to the vets, I sense that they are there even if they are quiet and I become very stressed in the waiting room. My carer has asked in the past if she can sit in a separate room or wait in the car with me until we are called in for our appointment, so this is something for my new adopters to note. Once in the room with the vets, I am fine and am happy with being checked over etc, but I just hate waiting around with those smelly dogs!

I would like access to outside in my new home. This could be in the form of a secure catio or cat-proofed garden or just going outside without limits and exploring further if I want to, as long as I have some outdoor space to use if I choose. I will need to be kept strictly indoors for at least 8 weeks while I settle into my new home and get to know you.

Medical history…

As mentioned above, I have had some urinary tract issues in the past. I had a build up of nasty crystals in my bladder that were passing in my urine, this was very uncomfortable and painful so it is important that the necessary steps are taken to try our best to avoid this happening again in the future. There are two main types of urinary crystals that cats can suffer from- Struvite, which is the most common and easier to treat, and Oxalate. Unfortunately, I had both. This does mean that I am more limited to the foods that I can eat, as it is not just a case of finding foods labelled ‘urinary’. Instead, I need foods that specifically state that they are suitable for cats with both types of crystals. Luckily, I am not fussy and will eat pretty much anything you put in front of me, which makes it slightly easier. The best foods for me are Royal Canin S/O foods and Purina ProPlan Urinary foods- I have a mixture of wet and dry food each day, with added water to help my urinary tract.

I am also on a couple of daily supplements- a urinary supplement which helps to keep my urinary tract healthy and working as it should, and also Zylkene, which is a calming supplement to help to keep my stress levels to a minimum. Due to the severity of my urinary issues, my carer would advise that I stay on my special urinary diet and urinary supplement for the rest of my life, to protect me from any bladder blockages in the future, as they can be very serious and even fatal. Since the crystals were discovered, I have had repeat urine samples sent off to be tested, the most recent being a couple of months ago after I moved from my foster home to the sanctuary. These have come back clear, meaning that the food and supplements that I am on are doing their job. Hopefully this means that I won’t have any further issues in the future, but we can never say never so my adopters will need to be aware of the signs to look out for and monitor me. It would be advised for me to remain on my Zylkene supplement at least for a few months while I settle into my new home, however I could be weaned off this in the future if I settle well. It would be a good idea to keep some at home though to use during periods of stress (such as house moves, meeting new people, owners on holiday, etc), especially as stress is usually the main cause of urinary issues in cats so keeping it to a minimum is always a good idea.

Other than my previous urinary issues, I am a happy and healthy young boy, so please please don’t let this put you off giving me a home as I am very healthy at the moment and as long as I am kept on the right food and supplements, I will hopefully have no further issues. If you have any questions, please do get in touch with the sanctuary, my carer will be happy to have a chat about me!

As written by Wythall Animal Sanctuary.