Sol Gonzalez

 

A tribute to my beautiful feisty Sol

 

(August 14, 2003 San Juan, Puerto Rico – August 27, 2021 Bronx, New York)

 

My orange and white cat and mascot of my digital media business, Puerto Rico Sun Communications, died August 27, 2021 at our Bronx home. Sol (sun in Spanish) was 18. 

 

A rescue from San Juan, Puerto Rico, my girl was always a fighter. She was the daughter of a beautiful feral calico that a police neighbor had abandoned. The calico, which we named Pinta, was not spayed and ended up having kitties. My Sol was one of those kitties, and her two brothers were Abraham and Justice. The trio were born on August 14, 2003. They all made a beautiful family and became beloved community kitties. 

 

As an outdoor kitty, Sol was friendly, feisty and curious. She loved her kitty mom. She was an excellent hunter and enjoyed climbing trees. 

 

But one day Sol was in a freak car accident and almost died. She ended up losing her tail and part of an ear in the accident, but this only added to Sol’s strong character. Thankfully, my mom took her in and nursed her back to health. From that day, Sol became our kitty. She was especially close to my mom.

 

We named her Sol because she survived the accident to live another day and also because of her rich orange and white fur. My indoor rescue kitties, Kris, my orange boy, and Annie, my Maine Coon girl, welcomed her to the family. 

 

But Sol still spent time with her kitty mom and siblings that were always around the house and part of the community. 

 

Sol also became the official mascot of my PRSUN media project as a way of raising awareness of animal causes on the island and beyond.

 

When Browny the beautiful stray border collie joined the family on New Year’s Day 2004, she became one more of Sol’s best buddies. My father also became one of Sol’s favorite people.

 

In 2005, we relocated to NYC with Sol, Kris and Annie, the cats; and Browny the border collie. Sol became a NYC kitty right away. 

 

Sol was an independent kitty. She was never a lapcat though she liked being petted from time to time. She was a kitty with cattitude. She loved to play with balls and feathered toys and jump up to high places to observe her surroundings, relax and sleep. She also enjoyed looking out the window and playing with my mom’s cocker spaniel, Melody.

Through the years, Sol inspired my photography. She always had the best birthday parties. One year she won first place in a Halloween photo contest that Unleashed/Petco sponsored in Manhattan.

 

She loved Christmas. I remember how she used to sleep under the tree or get in the home of Baby Jesus and become part of the Nativity scene. 

 

By 2012, Sol had two new buddies: a new dog and cat joined the family: Shalom the cockapoo and Blessing the Maine Coon tuxedo kitty, both rescues from the Animal Care Centers of New York.

 

That year, Sol, PRSUN’s official mascot and a survivor, earned an ambassador award on the occasion of PRSUN’s 10th anniversary of informing, empowering and building community via media. Sol the mascot represented PRSUN’s work in animal rights. Our little influencer. 

 

Sadly, Sol also lost some of her best buddies along the way: Melody in 2006, Annie in 2015, Kris in 2016 and Browny in 2019.

 

But Sol gained a new kitty friend in 2017: Esperanza, a community calico rescue from the Bronx. Esperanza (hope in Spanish) came to bring new youth to the family. Esperanza looks and acts a lot like Sol.

 

Just this year, Sol made new friends: Peace and Lovely, the parakeets. She loved looking at them and hearing them sing. 

 

Sol always gave her family — humans and animals — so much love. 

 

In August 2021, we celebrated her 18th Birthday Party as the princess she was born to be. We are grateful we had 18 years with our girl from Puerto Rico. The end of an era indeed. We miss our Sol so much. Forever in our hearts. Forever the official mascot of Puerto Rico Sun Communications. Forever part of our Kitty & Doggie News family.

 

Sol is survived by her moms, Milagros and Clarisel Gonzalez; her dad; Shalom the cockapoo; Blessing and Esperanza, the cats; and Peace and Lovely, the birds. 

 

Our Sol de Puerto Rico, our Puerto Rico Sun. 

 

#prsun

#prsol

#kittydoggienews

#kittyheaven

#rainbow bridge