The importance of keeping pet microchip details up to date has been highlighted after a family from Milton Keynes was reunited with their beloved cat - more than five years after he went missing.
The lucky feline, Felix, was brought to the RSPCA Milton Keynes & North Bucks Branch, after being spotted visiting a local property.
When staff scanned him for a microchip, they discovered that he was registered as a missing pet, having disappeared in 2019 following a house move.
A call was made to the registered owner, Tara Moore, who was stunned by the news. After years of searching, the family had lost hope of ever seeing Felix again.
“We searched for Felix for months, at all different times of the day and night," Tara said, "We made posters and flyers and shared missing cat posts on social media.
“It was such a horrible feeling knowing he did not know where he was, especially as we had only lived in the area a short time. We all missed him so much.”
Tara collected Felix straight away, and staff described the reunion as deeply emotional.
“We were delighted to be able to reunite Felix with his family after so many years apart." Emily Lewry Dawson from RSPCA Milton Keynes and North Bucks said, "It was, understandably, a very emotional moment.”
Felix was back at home just in time for a very special Christmas with his family.
“It was so overwhelming, emotional and surreal. He recognised his name and we all gave him a big hug," Tara added, "Once home we gave him lots of fuss and he wouldn’t leave us alone.”
The reunion serves as a timely reminder of the importance of microchipping cats and keeping contact details up to date. Since June last year, it has been a legal requirement in England for owned cats over 20 weeks old to be microchipped
“Make sure your pets are microchipped, and don’t give up hope!" Tara added, "I never thought we would have him back in our lives.”
