A cat in England who went missing four years back has been reunited with his family, reports The Yorkshire Post. Bob, a 5-year-old cat, was found roaming around Kirk Sandall before he was taken to a local vet. Subsequently, staff at Arundell Vets discovered a microchip and managed to track down the cat’s owners.
Family delighted to reunite with cat ahead of Christmas holidays
The vet practice got in touch with Bob’s owners, Nadine and Russ Graham, who lived in Balby, South Yorkshire. The couple were delighted to be reunited with their feline friend, just in time for the holidays.
“When I picked him up at the practice he was exactly as he was and suckled my hand like he used to as a kitten,” Nadine said. She further expressed her gratitude to the vet practice and the person who took the cat there.
Although people around her said Bob must be dead, Nadine believed the cat was alive and “being fed somewhere.” She also noted that if she hadn’t microchipped her pet, she may never have found him.
Nadine searched for her beloved cat for months after he disappeared four years back. “When he went missing, we knocked on doors and put posters around the area and in shops.”
“We searched for a couple of months before accepting that he was gone,” she added.
Christina Groves, clinical director at Arundell Vets, also highlighted the importance of microchipping pets. “This is a lovely happy ending for Bob and his owners as well as for our team as half the cats brought to us as strays are not microchipped or the details are not up to date which means we can’t contact the owner,” she said.
Groves added that when stray cats are found with no details of their owners, they are taken to shelters. “But that obviously leaves an owner potentially still looking for their cat which is very sad,” she continued.
Microchipping pet cats to be made compulsory in England
Earlier in March of this year, new legislation was introduced under which it is compulsory to microchip all pet cats in England before they turn 20 weeks old by June 10, 2024, as per The Independent. Owners found breaking the law will have 21 days to implant a microchip or may face a £500 fine.
The goal is to make it easier for missing cats to be reunited with their families. Environmental Secretary Thérèse Coffey described cats as “treasured members of the family” and said “it can be devastating for owners” when their pets go missing.
“Legislating for compulsory microchipping of cats will give comfort to families by increasing the likelihood that lost or stray pets can be reunited with their owners,” she added.
