Lost cat returned home after nine years

Ban Hammer · September 11, 2008

LONDON (Reuters) - A couple have been reunited with their missing cat after nine years, the RSPCA said on Wednesday.

Dixie, a 15-year-old ginger cat, disappeared in 1999 and her owners thought she had been killed by a car.

She was found less than half a mile from her home in Birmingham after a concerned resident rang the animal charity to report a thin and dishevelled cat who had been in the area for a couple of months.

RSPCA Animal Collection Officer Alan Pittaway checked her microchip and confirmed it was Dixie. She was returned to her owners, Alan and Gilly Delaney, within half an hour.

"In 29 years of working for the RSPCA I have never seen anyone so excited and happy as Mrs Delaney," Pittaway said. "It made my day to return Dixie to her owners."

The couple were "overjoyed" to be reunited with their missing cat after so many years.

"Dixie's personality, behaviour and little mannerisms have not changed at all," said Gilly Delaney. "We don't think she has stopped purring since she came back through the door."

The RSPCA hope the story will encourage owners to have their pets microchipped.

link

MrsCat · September 11, 2008

that makes my (L) smile.

I lost BouBou 7 years ago - and still check for his ear tattoo when I see a cat that looks like him. I hope he's with a family that makes him happy - even though I know he probably isn't.

akdiver · September 11, 2008

Just imagine if they had kept it indoors, or on a leash when it was outside.....

Kathryn41 · September 11, 2008

Wow, what a story! I have had two obvious 'house cats' turn up here skinny and obviously 'lost'. I took both of them to the vets to see if they were microchipped - neither of them were, but they were both neutered. I ended up finding new homes for them but if they had been microchipped they could have been reunited with their original homes. All of my cats are microchipped.

Edited September 11, 2008 by Kathryn41

MrsCat · September 11, 2008

Just imagine if they had kept it indoors, or on a leash when it was outside.....

Something like this?

akdiver · September 11, 2008

Just imagine if they had kept it indoors, or on a leash when it was outside.....
Something like this?

I guess - if its owners were slobs. But even so, I don't see how keeping it on a leash when outside would lead to having a messy house.

MrsCat · September 11, 2008

Just imagine if they had kept it indoors, or on a leash when it was outside.....
Something like this?
I guess - if its owners were slobs. But even so, I don't see how keeping it on a leash when outside would lead to having a messy house.

Clearly, cats don't like leashes and as punishment they'll poop and pee in the house. They're vindictive creatures. I thought the link was obvious.

akdiver · September 11, 2008

Clearly, cats don't like leashes and as punishment they'll poop and pee in the house. They're vindictive creatures.

All the more reason why they should be banned in civilized society.

MrsCat · September 11, 2008

Clearly, cats don't like leashes and as punishment they'll poop and pee in the house. They're vindictive creatures.
All the more reason why they should be banned in civilized society.

That leaves AK and AL where cats will be ok then I guess. :hehe:

akdiver · September 11, 2008

That leaves AK and AL where cats will be ok then I guess.

No, we let the bears eat them in Alaska.

MrsCat · September 11, 2008

That leaves AK and AL where cats will be ok then I guess.
No, we let the bears eat them in Alaska.

My kitty Thom is from Southeast AK, and I was told they are popular fodder for the eagles. I suppose bears up north feast on the same. :blink:

Lili · September 11, 2008

Aww, that reminds me of my parents' cat.

In october 2007, their cat never got back home. They looked for him everywhere for weeks and finally, heartbroken they thought he must have been dead.

One day in May 2008, a lady rang at their door with a pet carrier. She said "i have something for you". And lo and behold, there was my parents' cat.

The lady later explained, that because the cat was tattooed, it took a couple of days for their name and address to be found on the registry.

The cat was found by the lady 20 miles from my parents' home. Nobody knows what happened but they doubt the cat just walked that far...(another story for another day)

Morale of the story: Get your pets microchipped!!!! It is cheap and you will be thankful you did it!

akdiver · September 11, 2008

My kitty Thom is from Southeast AK, and I was told they are popular fodder for the eagles. I suppose bears up north feast on the same.

The ones that wander into my yard feast on my air rifle with high-power scope. I've put down 5 or 6 of them this summer.

People need to keep their pets in their own yard.

Ban Hammer · September 11, 2008

That leaves AK and AL where cats will be ok then I guess.
No, we let the bears eat them in Alaska.

first the bears would have to fit that into their busy schedule, right after gnawing on natives.

akdiver · September 11, 2008

first the bears would have to fit that into their busy schedule, right after gnawing on natives.

Actually - if you've been keeping up with the Anchorage news, you'd find that the bears seem to have a real taste for white meat this summer. Here's just a small sample of what has been going on this summer. My favourite headline? "Attack risk high in city's bear-dense park".

http://www.adn.com/bearattacks/story/499250.html

http://www.adn.com/wildlife/story/452938.html

http://www.adn.com/bearattacks/story/456830.html

http://www.adn.com/bearattacks/story/492117.html

http://www.adn.com/front/story/521346.html

http://www.adn.com/bearattacks/story/510759.html

http://www.adn.com/bearattacks/story/509629.html