Sunny Jim is the pet cat of Jed Stone. He named the cat after a nickname his old landlady Minnie Caldwell gave him when he lodged with her in the 1960s. In August 2008, Jed's landlord Tony Gordon wanted him evicted so he can knock down the houses to build flats. Despite trying to fight against Tony, Jed had a stroke and was admitted to hospital. While clearing Jed's house out, Tony took his cat and dumped it in the street to fend for itself.

When Jed was released from hospital a few months later, he continued to look for the cat. After Jed was nearly murdered by Tony on Christmas and sent to Wigan, Sunny Jim was discovered by Jed's friends Emily Bishop and Norris Cole, who took him in. When Jed briefly returned to the area a month later, he was delighted to get Sunny Jim back. Tony later sent Jed away back to Wigan with Sunny Jim, and they never returned back to Coronation Street since.