Cat Shot By BB Gun In Mt. Greenwood, Owner Wants To Find Suspect

CHICAGO, IL - "Sox" the cat isn't just the family cat for the Waldroms in Mt. Greenwood. The playful six-year-old has been known to befriend just about everyone in the neighborhood. His owner, Jeff Waldrom, says he often walks right up to kids and loves being held.

So it came as a complete shock to neighbors and friends when they discovered that Sox, an indoor/outdoor cat who often follows people as they walk down the street, was found Saturday morning between 109th Place and 110th Street on Hamlin hobbling and bleeding from what veterinarians later determined to be a BB gun wound.

"The X-rays showed a broken bone and a BB wound," Waldrom said, noting that Sox' leg bone is "completely shattered."

"We don't know if it was a kid who doesn't know any better or a person who really dislikes cats and was purposely trying to hurt him."

While Mt. Greenwood is usually a safe neighborhood for people and their pets, Waldrom says he can't be too surprised, because "you have have 100 good people, but all it takes is 1 rotten person."

Waldrom's veterinarian said he's not capable of saving Sox' leg and recommends it be amputated. Waldrom will take it to another doctor in the hopes that a $4,000 surgery can save the leg. If that's not possible, it will be amputated.

"Money is secondary here," Waldrom said. "I'm not a crazy animal person, but the cat is part of our family."

It's more important that a similar incident be prevented in the future.

"It's more about the safety of him walking around," Waldrom said. "Just because you don't like cats... that doesn't mean you can shoot them."

Waldrom said he thinks there's a "slim" chance that whoever pulled the trigger and injured Sox is found. If that happens, though, he wants to prosecute and force them to pay the surgical bill.

To help find the person responsible, Waldrom said he went door-to-door in the neighborhood and shared a flyer with the moms and dads of the Mt. Greenwood Facebook group. He is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the shooter's identity.

"He's a unique cat," Waldrom said of Sox. "When we go out walking, he will follow us everywhere for blocks. Kids will pick him up, he would walk on other people's porches and is friendly with everyone, which may have been a detriment here."

If you have information on the shooter, call or text Jeff Waldrom at 773-780-1436.

Photo provided