Lost Cat Reunited with Owners after Nine Months – On Owners’ Birthday!

A lost cat who went missing for nine months has been reunited with her owners thanks to having the correct microchipping details.

Two-year-old calico cat, Jingle, was found hiding behind a block of flats in a poor condition. Sadly, Jingle was skinny and had suffered from some injuries whilst she was missing and had several dry scabs over her back and shoulders.

Fearing that she was in a lot of pain, the kind gentleman immediately took Jingle to The Mayhew Animal Home. On arrival, The Mayhew’s Vet Team got to work with checking Jingle over and making sure she was comfortable.

Mayhew Vet, Dr. Emma Robinson, said, “Jingle had large, dry scabs over much of her back and shoulders. The injuries appeared to be burns of some description, possibly from a chemical, and she smelt like solvent.”

“We examined the scabs, which luckily appeared to be fairly superficial, and clipped and cleaned her wounds and gave her pain relief to help her feel more comfortable while she was with us.”

Whilst Jingle was recovering, The Mayhew’s Animal Welfare Officers scanned her and found that luckily she was microchipped.

Animal Welfare Officer at The Mayhew, Tania Mazzoni, explained, “One of the first things we do when an animal is brought in to us, is check for a microchip so we can contact the owner as quickly as possible. Fortunately Jingle was microchipped, so we were able to contact her owner straight away and give her the good news that she was safe at our Home.”

Jingle before and after

Jingle was last seen by her owner, Monika, at her home in Willesden Green in April 2016 – a whopping nine months before she was found.

A relieved Monika, said, “Jingle has always liked wandering, but she usually only disappears for two or three days maximum at a time, so when she was missing for longer than that, I began to really worry. I desperately tried to find Jingle and called up the microchipping company to see if she had been found, but sadly had no luck.”

“I was thrilled when we got the call from The Mayhew to say they had Jingle. It was actually my birthday when they called and it was truly the best present to find out she was safe.”

“It’s amazing to have Jingle back with us and she has settled back into her home really quickly. We were heartbroken to find out that she had gotten injured when she was lost, and we have since taken her to our vets frequently. Thankfully now she is back to her happy, healthy self, and the scabs have healed, she’s gained back a healthy weight and her fur has grown back.”

Tania, added: “Jingle’s story highlights how important it is to get your pet microchipped, as it means we can quickly reunite beloved pets with their owners. Sadly we get hundreds of stray cats and dogs come in to us every year who haven’t been microchipped, and it’s heartbreaking to think that they could be someone’s missing pet.”

“Microchipping your pet is a hallmark of responsible pet ownership, and is a reliable way of making sure that you and your pet can be reunited should they ever go missing. We encourage anyone who hasn’t got their pet microchipped to make an appointment at our Community Vet Clinic or visit one of the many microchipping events in local parks in April, where our team of Animal Welfare Officers are on-hand to microchip dogs for free.”

“Thanks to being microchipped, we were able to get in contact with Jingle’s owner within just 24 hours of her being brought into our Home. We don’t know what happened to Jingle during the nine months and can imagine she must have been so scared. We’re so glad that she is safe now and is back with her owner where she can be loved again and fully recover from her ordeal.”

Since the law was passed on April 6^th 2016, it is now a legal requirement for all dogs to be microchipped and their contact details kept up-to-date. Owners who do not microchip their dog could be faced with a penalty fine, so now really is the time to get your pet microchipped. Though this law doesn’t include cats for now, Jingle’s story, highlights how effective this tiny little chip can be in making sure you and your pet stay together pawever.