Sandwich

My story

Meet Sandwich – a handsome, misunderstood boy looking for a patient home to help him heal. 🥪💛 Sandwich came to us after living in a home for several years but was surrendered due to ongoing issues with spraying—something his former caretaker tried very hard to manage. Though he was neutered, it was later discovered that one testicle was retained, meaning he may continue to display intact male behaviors like spraying and restlessness despite being sterile. This medical condition may require surgical correction through a private vet. In the shelter, Sandwich was initially very shut down—confused, scared, and unsure of his new environment. He showed signs of fear-based behavior like hissing and swatting, but staff who’ve spent time with him have seen glimmers of the sweet cat underneath the stress. With a little patience (and some tasty treats), Sandwich has begun to come out of his shell, slowly accepting food from the front of his kennel and showing interest in his surroundings. This calm and cuddly guy was described by his previous family as loving and affectionate once he’s comfortable. They said he enjoys napping, hiding, playing with other cats, being petted, and even going outside for supervised exploration. He’s been indoor-only his whole life, but his drive to roam likely stems from his hormone levels due to the retained testicle. Sandwich would do best in a quiet, cat-savvy home that understands his medical needs and gives him time and space to decompress. We believe this boy has the potential to blossom in the right environment—he just needs someone willing to meet him where he is and help him get to where he could be. If you can open your heart and home to a cat who truly deserves a second chance, Sandwich is waiting. Staff behavior notes: On 6/8 staff noted: “Sandwich is slowly coming around. I tossed treats in his kennel and he came out from hiding and was eating them. I dropped them by the front of the kennel and he came over and was eating them and I dropped them one by one. No growling or hissing. Food is the key to his heart.” On 5/28 staff noted: “I put the fake hand in and he began to growl. Left the hand on the bottom of the kennel and he hissed twice. Left him alone, but when I was near the kennel he would hiss. Go slow” On 5/27 staff noted: “Savage was very upset in his kennel when I approached. He hissed and lunged without me attempting to open the kennel. He continued to hiss and swat and his ears were completely tucked the entire time I was by his kennel. I felt bad for how upset/stressed he appeared. His surrender notes do not show these concerns so it seems to be shelter stress and I'm hoping he finds a home to decompress in soon!” Medical: On 5/29 Doctor noted: “Assess altered status based on previous owner's notes and records. Bright, alert, responsive, was unable to handle without sedation. When sedated, shaved and found a large abdominal scar that extends slightly into the inguinal region with a tattoo present. It appears that left testicle was previously descended, with a small scar present on the left hemiscrotum and more skin development on the left side. Penile spines are present. Assessment: Previous records indicate a complex cryptorchid procedure in 2021, and per owner was told that the one testicle was stuck and they were unable to remove it. Physical exam and presence of penile spines is consistent with a retained testicle, but it sounds like patient was vasectomized at time of explore, so despite presence of a testicle and therefore production of testosterone which will result in typical male cat behaviors, the cat should be sterile and unable to reproduce. Plan: A brief explore of the right inguinal region was performed, with no obvious identification of a retained testicle. A full abdominal explore was not performed due to time constraints and challenges posed by patient having been previously vasectomized.” On 5/1 staff noted: “Bright, alert, responsive, friendly, and fearful. Mouth/Teeth/Gums - no ulcers found, teeth stained yellow, gums pink/moist. Coat & Skin - clean, patch of hair loss between shoulder blades & ventral right side of neck, no live fleas found. Overall Assessment: Weight-11.76 lbs Body Condition Score-5 - Ideal.” ACCT Philly is located at 111 West Hunting Park Ave in Philadelphia. We are open for adoptions 7 days a week. Please visit www.acctphilly.org/adopt for details. If you are a rescue interested in pulling this animal, please email our lifesaving team, or visit here if you are not currently a rescue partner: https://acctphilly.org/acct-philly-love-local-partnership-program/ Confirmed placement is considered a confirmation of an actual rescue pull. Possible placement, interested parties, and other "TBD" statuses are not considered confirmed and do not indicate an animal is no longer urgent. All animals at ACCT Philly are from Philadelphia, as the only open-intake animal shelter in Philadelphia, we are not able to accept animals from outside of Philadelphia. ACCT Philly's Pennsylvania kennel license number is 08313.

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Sandwich, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.