A cat lover was reunited with her missing pet five weeks after he disappeared.
Teacher Joanne Dawson, from Blunsdon, near Swindon, feared the worst when 10-year-old cat Pookey suddenly vanished without a trace for more than a month.
That was until she received a surprise call from Dorcan Way veterinary clinic Eastcott Vets, telling her Pookey had been identified via his microchip.
Joanne said: “It was a lovely moment and, incredibly, it came exactly five weeks to the day after he had first disappeared.
“I couldn’t believe it. Pookey had been away for so long that I honestly didn’t think I would ever see him again.
“In fact, when I saw it was Eastcott Vets calling I thought they were ringing to tell me Pookey had been found dead.
“Instead, they were calling to say he’d been found wandering around five miles away and identified him as ours through his microchip.”
Joanne was overjoyed, even though Pookey was hardly in pristine condition when they were finally reunited.
She said: “I was so happy to see him and I think he was pretty happy to see me, too, but he was really stinky and his normally brilliant white coat was pretty grey and dirty, while his pink ears were all sunburnt.”
Pookey's disappearance is a mystery but there is no mystery about how he was found and returned to his rightful owner.
Anna Church, from Liden, had spotted the forlorn feline wandering aimlessly around the area and quickly realised something was wrong.
She said: “I spotted this cat in our garden one day and from then on he was coming around all the time.
“After a few days, he was meowing loudly, screaming and crying, and seemed to be desperately hungry.
“So I gave him some of my husband’s Cornish pasty and some tinned red salmon and took him in. He was such a cuddly cat and wouldn’t leave me alone, he was clearly missing some love and affection.
“I thought he must be a lost cat and posted a message on the Swindon community website and someone suggested I take him to the vets to see if he was microchipped.
“Eastcott Vets is just around the corner, so I took him in and luckily he had been chipped so they quickly contacted Joanne and had soon reunited them.
“Joanne rang to thank me and I was so happy I cried because it was such a lovely ending to the story and because I’d become quite attached to him. He’s a lovely cat and I do miss him but I’m also delighted he’s back where he belongs.”
Eastcott vet nurse Lisa Christmas-Webb said Pookey’s adventure was an uplifting story which highlighted the importance of having pets microchipped and keeping their details up to date.
Lisa said: “Some owners underestimate the power of microchipping and think they would never be in the awful situation where their beloved pet goes missing.
“Unfortunately, we see many strays brought into our practice that aren’t chipped and finding their owners can become near impossible, even though we reach out on many different platforms.
“Luckily, in Pookey’s situation, the owners had got him microchipped which made it possible for the joyous reunion we witnessed.
“Making that phone call to mend an owner’s broken heart is indescribable and seeing the reunion is definitely one of the best perks of the job, especially when you see the pets recognise their owners and show so much affection for their companion.
“That is why I can’t stress enough how important it is for all owners to microchip their pets and update any changes on their microchip databases as soon as possible to make more of these reunions possible.”
To find out more about microchipping your pet, and for details about Eastcott Vets, which is owned by Linnaeus, visit www.eastcottvets.co.uk
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