Sunny Wobbles: the Cat Who Couldn't Jump

Dedication: to anyone trying to reach new heights.

When Sunny was born, he didn’t know he was any different.

He was a little wobbly when he walked – but no one is born a marathon runner!

Unsteady on his feet, Sunny would sway from side to side

Like a sailor who hasn’t gotten his sea legs yet!

When he would try to go down the stairs

His bottom would outweigh him and he’d tumble down the steps - flip, flop, ouch!

Despite this little nuisance, Sunny became quite the explorer!

Up, down, left, and right – every corner had to be investigated.

Once he was finished checking out the floors,

He would ask to be lifted up so that he could “walk” on walls, like a rock climber!

His curiosity met no bounds there,

And he would look up at the sky, like a stargazer.

As he yearned to get higher and higher,

He quickly realized that anything up high was beyond his abilities.

How can it be that I’m a cat who cannot jump or balance well, he thought?

Feeling powerless, he looked up at the wall where hung a picture of his hero, Night Terror.

Night Terror was a nimble feline, able to traverse staircases in a single leap and jump effortlessly through trees.

She got her name because she preferred to do all of her secret deeds at night, in the cover of darkness.

Was there a "cat fight" in need of breaking up? Night Terror was there in an instant!

Did somebody’s favorite treat get snatched? Night Terror will capture the perp!

Wishing he had her powers of flight, Sunny waited for Halloween night to dress up as a winged dragon.

After all, it is the one time of the year when you can be anything!

Because he wished so hard and because Halloween is a mystical, magical night Sunny’s dragon costume transformed!

He started jumping – first onto the chair, then the windowsill, and then onto the fridge!

Feeling brave and infinite, Sunny decided to venture outside.

He easily blended in with the kids dressed up in costumes and hopped unseen from tree to tree - swish, swash, whew!

He marveled at the festivities happening around the neighborhood, the spooky decorations, and the kids joyously grabbing candies.

Sunny then spotted Night Terror herself, inspecting the territory as if it was her “Queendom”.

Knowing that Sunny posed no threat and was a sweet creature, Night Terror invited him to join her.

Together they chased dogs, caught mice, and even saved a kitten from a tree - meow wow!

This kitten happened to be chasing some bats and lost track of where he was going...

Or maybe he fell off a witches broom before he was swiftly rescued by our heroes!

Rrrrrrippp! But what’s this? Sunny’s cape accidentally gets caught on a branch and rips!

He begins to lose his powers of flight, unable to get down from the tall tree.

Night Terror was immediately by Sunny’s side, gently helping him come down the tree.

As they headed home, she tried to reassure Sunny that his superpower is inside of him, not in the cape.

Feeling defeated still, Sunny moped around for a few days, missing his effortless jumping abilities.

He would sit atop his cat tower, looking out of the window at the trees and reminiscing about his adventure.

Meow! But who is this approaching Sunny’s window?

It’s the kitten that Night Terror and Sunny rescued from a tree without a firefighter’s help!

The kitten told Sunny that it wasn’t his first time climbing up that tree.

And that he would climb it often to peek inside his family’s home.

It brought the kitten so much joy to see how happy Sunny made his family just by being himself.

How affectionate his cat dad looked as he carried his “baby” around, while Sunny gazed up at the ceiling. 

As time went on, Sunny realized that he didn't need to rely on his magic cape to do some good in the world.

His superpower is to bring the family together and to bond around caring for one another.

There are plenty of heroes in the world, like firefighters who rescue kittens!

Every living being is uniquely able to make their impact, no matter what physical challenges they may face.

This thought helped Sunny fight through his tremors and go down the stairs slowly, but independently.

Building his strength up one day at a time, he was able to go outside and to spread his message of love.

The sight of Sunny’s unassuming “crocodile walk” would stop any argument in its tracks.

And soon news of this smile-spreader reached the farthest corners of the land.

What a determined little kitty – making his parents and Night Terror proud!

“Sunny Wobbles” is based on a real life kitty born with cerebellar hypoplasia, or wobbly cat syndrome, who lives in New England with the author’s family. It is a nondegenerative, neurological disorder that affects a cat’s balance and fine motor skills. Sunny is able to compensate for his lack of coordination by walking with his feet spread out wide and using his upper body strength to climb onto his cat scratchers. His loving family has equipped him with pet stairs, so that he can enjoy some nighttime snuggles with his humans. Luckily, Sunny’s condition is mild, so he is able to eat his food without shaking too much, although drinking water can sometimes be a challenge without a water fountain. Despite all this, Sunny doesn’t know that he is any different and is a happy kitty who loves playing with all of the same toys as other cats and watching birds outside his window!

Night Terror’s character is based on the author’s fluffy, black and white cat, Lizzy, who would get the “zoomies” and run up and down three flights of stairs. She would laugh at the pet gates as she easily hopped over them and jumped on top of the fridge. Her favorite things were to spend time in the yard chasing birds and stare adoringly at her cat dad.