Image: Coquet Vets. All rights reserved.
On 16th of January 2024, our vet Emily met Reg the cat. His owner had brought him in for a heath check as he had been missing for four months! His owners, Mr and Mrs Scarlott, then told us the tale of Reg.
“We moved from Leeds to Felton on 4th September 2023. The removal men headed north with all our stuff in their van, and we followed in our car with our dog, Lenny, in the boot and our two cats, Reg and Tyrone, in cat baskets on the back seat. Before we set off, we checked both cats were ok and secure in their cat baskets - it was one of the hottest days of the year, so we had all windows down to make sure the animals had enough air.
When we got to our new home two and a half hours later, we discovered to our horror that one of the cat baskets was empty - although still fastened, it was clear that Reg had somehow squeezed his way under the metal door and was gone. At that point, we thought Reg must have got out and jumped out of the car's open window.
We searched for days and called for him near our new home, but to no avail - over time we came to the sad conclusion that at some point in the journey he had escaped and jumped out of the window - probably whilst we were travelling quickly up the A1. We also concluded that if this is what had happened, he had most likely, and sadly, died.
Over four months had passed, but on 10th January, we had a call from a cat charity in Leeds saying that they thought they had found Reg. A very kind lady was putting food out for foxes and noticed that the same cat kept coming back evening after evening for food. Over a few weeks they built up a connection and she contacted the charity who were able to confirm the cat was Reg because he was microchipped and so they knew his name, our name, and our mobile number.
We were amazed that he was still alive and the pictures we received from the charity confirmed that it was definitely him. The very next day we drove the five hour round trip to Leeds and were able to get Reg and drive him back to our new home. He was quite confused at first, but fairly quickly adjusted to his new surrounding and it was clear he remembered us, and Tyrone and Lenny. Within a few hours he was happily curled up purring on the sofa.
Image: Reg the cat with his owners (Coquet Vets)
We are so delighted that Reg is back with us (and he seems very happy about it too). We would not have been reunited with Reg without the kindness of the lady in Leeds feeding him for several weeks and her having the presence of mind to contact a cat charity. But above all, we would not have him back with us had we not had him microchipped, so he could be traced, and we could be contacted.”
Reg had a full health check, and he is in great health just in need of a few teeth extractions. This story just goes to show how important it is to microchip your pets.
All pet cats in England must be microchipped by 10 June 2024 due to the new law. You will be given 21 days to get your cat chipped or face a fine of up to £500 if you don’t comply.
Microchipping is quick and easy, and we only charge £15. If your cat needs to be microchipped, please call us today to get booked in on 01665 252 250.
