Lost cat reunited with family after 7 years

IN a heartwarming tale, a lost cat has been reunited with his human family after seven years, thanks to the power of the microchip.

Padfoot was a tiny, malnourished kitten when Cathy Bird’s young daughter, Kira, found him next to a dirt truck on the streets of Dubai and rescued him in 2009. 

The family relocated to South Africa, bringing their beloved Padfoot with them. 

Three years later, the family got a new puppy but as the puppy grew, Padfoot disliked it and eventually ran away. 

The Bird family searched for Padfoot but didn’t find him. They often wondered how he was doing, and, at times stopped their cars when they saw cats that resembled Padfoot, but it wasn’t him.

For the next seven years, Padfoot lived at a nearby caravan park and survived thanks to Sandra Brice van Eyk and another resident, who fed him. 

He was feral and spent most of his time outside but would come into Brice van Eyk’s home when it was cold. He’d even sleep on her bed. 

Although his carers knew him as an affectionate and loving cat, he was a big male, and eventually, someone in the area asked the TEARS Community Cat Project to catch him. 

Brice van Eyk was also worried about him as he had lost a lot of hair around his nose. 

Claire Shadbolt, TEARS Animal Rescue’s Cattery Coordinator, put out a trap for the cat. 

“We assumed he would be an aggressive, unneutered male but when we got him, we saw that he had been neutered and he had a microchip,” she said.

“Initially, we couldn’t track the chip as it had been done in Dubai.” 

Shadbolt took photos of him and posted them on all the animal groups and community pages.

“I woke up to a voice note from Sandra saying she’d been feeding him for about seven years. She wanted to know where he was, and I had to reassure her that the cat was safe. 

“Then I got a message from Tara Bird, Kira’s sister, who came to the vet with the microchip number so we could make 100% sure that it was Padfoot. Kira, who is currently in Japan, also called me to say it was definitely Padfoot. 

“She was delighted,” Shadbolt said. “He'd been living about 50m away all this time, being fed by Sandra and another neighbour. The family couldn’t believe it!”

Bird still lived in the same house. In the interim, the dog had died and Padfoot could return as an only-pet to the home. 

“Cathy’s husband has recently passed away and she feels that in her grief she has regained a long-lost family member,” said Shadbolt. 

“The family is delighted. Thanks to the Community Cat Project another cat is off the streets and back in a comfortable home. This shows the importance of microchipping all your pets. It is the best way to be reunited with them should they get lost. 

“We are so happy for Padfoot. We have given him a full vet check and the cat is in perfect health, with a bit of sun damage on his nose,” she said. “We have also updated his microchip.”

Bird explained that the irony of the years that have passed since she and Padfoot last saw each other was that she has a view of the trees in the caravan park from her home. 

“I look onto the caravan park and I wonder if Padfoot ever sat in those trees looking back at me,” she said.

Cape Times