SAN DIEGO — Everybody loves a comeback story with a happy ending. In this Zevely Zone, I went to Rolando to meet a homeless cat named Benny.
"A caregiver in El Cajon brought him in," said Audrey Stratton who is the clinic supervisor at the Feral Cat Coalition. A few months ago, a concerned East County resident trapped the cat living in the wild. "She saw him in her neighborhood, she had been feeding him for a few years, he never let anyone touch him," said Audrey.
The Feral Cat Coalition helps four thousand community cats a year free of charge with medical problems and spay and neutering. But most of the cats don't look like they've been in a boxing match.
"Life of a Tom Cat on the street," said Audrey. The clinic's veterinarian determined Benny's eye needed to be removed along with several teeth. "He's been through a lot," said Audrey.
The surgery went well, until there were complications. "We couldn't really figure out what was going on," said Audrey.
Following surgery, Benny wouldn't stop bleeding. A local rescue group called "Smittens" shared Benny's story on social media. "They ended up raising almost $6,000," said Audrey.
That money paid for a specialty hospital, blood transfusions and tests. "The blood work determined that he was a hemophiliac which is extremely rare in cats," said Audrey. It's also rare to spend so much money on a homeless street cat that some suggested should be put down.
"There were questions whether we were doing the most humane thing for Benny because we weren't sure if he would ever clot. The vet did not believe he was ever suffering but she didn't think he would ever come out it," said Audrey.
Audrey says when you see a cat willing to fight for himself, you step into the ring and go the distance. "It was a lot to go through with him. He really pulled through, took about a week but he really pulled through," she said.
Benny has made a full recovery and now needs a home. "He loves to be pet, he just rubs and rubs and makes biscuits and purrs," said Feral Cat Coalition volunteer Kim Guyer.
She thinks Benny must have had human contact at some point because Benny's more of a lover than a fighter. "He loves affection," said Kim.
Although the community rallied for Benny not one family has stepped forward to take him home. "Right, we were totally surprised. He has a really large social media following but it's hard to get adopted when there are so many cute fluffy kittens running around," said Audrey.
Benny may only have one eye, but anyone can see he'll make a family very happy. "He deserves it, he's been through a lot that's for sure," said Audrey. "He's just the sweetest boy."
She believes Benny is three years old. Most feral cats that are trapped are released back into the wild, but Benny needs to live indoors due to all he's gone through. Although Benny gets along with dogs, he will not make a good house mate with other cats.
If you are interested in adopting Benny or would like to make a donation to help the non-profit organization, Feral Cat Coalition, click here.
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