Your Microchip Stories....

Our work on the microchipping call for evidence is well underway. Throughout November we had been working with numerous other charities, campaign groups, vets, local councils and the microchip companies themselves. We've all been brainstorming together and the final shape of the proposals which will be put to DEFRA are beginning to take shape. Excitingly, all involved are on the same page and working together to submit proposals both supporting each other and providing evidence based on their focus areas. However, all the facts, figures and costings are great, but there is 1 very important thing missing.....genuine real life accounts! We wanted to send some of your real life accounts along with our evidence and encouraged you to get involved. Many of you shared your experiences of times you had been notified someone had collected your cat. Rather than just produce this to DEFRA, we wanted to share the accounts people had sent as they send a powerful message. These stories are all the proof you need to know microchips really do work!

Quincy Quincy went missing prior to his owner’s death in 2008. In August 2019, Cats protection picked Quincy up after he had been living as a stray on the streets for 13 years. Although his owner had passed away 12 years earlier, through his microchip his owners’ daughter was able to be traced. He is now back home with family safe and warm in his older years.

Storm Storm was stolen in 2015. 16 months later she was found, and her microchip reunited her to her owner.

Jet

The Barnes family were on holiday and got a phone call from a vet to say someone had taken Jet into their surgery. The family cat sitter hadn't told them he was missing but had been searching for him for a couple of days. Luckily, Jet was found by a kind lady who saw he couldn't walk properly so she took him to her vets. The vet believed he had been in a cat fight and had been bitten on his paw. The cat sitter was so relieved he had been found. Without the microchip they wouldn't have known who he belonged to. It took a few months for his foot to heal, and X rays at the vets showed how badly it was infected. He is fine now.

Max Max was just 8 months old when the family got the terrible call that he had died in an RTA. Thankfully, someone took him to the vet, and they scanned his microchip and informed the family. Without the chip, the Nicol family would never had known or had closure.

Carl Carl had been missing for a few days. A passer-by spotted him in the road and took him to a local vet to see if he had a microchip. Luckily, he was microchipped and his owner notified. Although understandably upset, the owner thanked the lady who found him for allowing them closure.

Poppy

Twice Poppy travelled half a mile. The lady she travelled to took her to a vets where her chip revealed who the owner was. The owner and finder swapped phone numbers…in case she decides to pay the lady a visit again in future. Had it not been for her microchip, Poppy may have been deemed a stray.

Nemo Nemo was the little ginger kitten the Thompson family had always wanted, and he was a character when he came. One day he was fatally involved in a RTA. The family were only made aware as a result of his microchipped being scanned.

Smokey Smokey was hit by a car not far from his home. He was taken to a local vet who contacted his owners so they could have his body returned home.

TomTom TomTom was taken in to care along with his mother and sibling. Sadly, the mother and sibling did not make it, leaving TomTom needing to be hand reared. When he found his forever home at four months old, he had a range of health issues. Later, he began venturing outside and became known as the sat nav brand TomTom due to his venturing. He went missing one time for 3 nights, but the RSPCA were able to return him to his owner because of his microchip. They had found him stuck up a tree 2 miles away! Sometime later, TomTom went missing for a second time. The weeks turned in to months, and his owner eventually adopted another kitten thinking TomTom was lost forever. Four months later, his owner got a phone call…. he had been found 20 miles away. An elderly lady had thought he was a stray and adopted him out to a family. When the family took him to the vets, it revealed he was no stray at all.

Ronnie and Reggie Both Ronnie and Reggie have been able to have their owner notified due to their microchips. One had been visiting a neighbour, making himself at home, causing the neighbour to take him to the vets to check if he was a stray. The other had sadly been involved in a road accident. Due to his microchip, vets were able to inform the family when his body was taken to a vet.

Salem Salem went missing for two weeks. A lady found him and scanned for a microchip. Because he was microchipped, he was able to go home. Sadly he is currently missing again, believed to have been deliberately taken.

Mr Thompson found a cat wandering. After having the cat checked for a microchip, it was determined that he had been missing but lived 50 miles away from where he was found. He was swiftly returned to his family.

Cheeky Cheeky was sadly involved in a road traffic accident. Thanks to his microchip, the family were notified and were able to lay him to rest in their garden.

Genie Genie has been reunited with his family twice thanks to his microchip. He likes to roam and regularly goes into the town and local park. One day he was found by Debenhams staff as he roamed around the clothes section! Staff took him to the vets where his microchip revealed who he was and where he lived. The second time, a neighbour a few streets away called Cats Protection as she was not sure if he had an owner or not. His microchip revealed the truth…he was a wanderer and had a home.

Alfie Alfie enjoyed being out all night. One October Saturday morning, he was not at the window waiting to get in as he usually was. Days went by with no word, so his owner put posters around the neighbourhood. 20 days went by before the vet phoned. He was fine after being found living in a garage that sold motorbikes and scooters. He had got in through a hole in the wall and had been sleeping on the office seats and eating left over dog food the owner gave his dogs. One day he sat on one of the scooters in the showroom while staff moved in to trap him. Alfie was ecstatic to be back home, and his owner Joan went to thank the garage. Strangely, their showroom smelt like the owner’s garage that housed their scooter, which Alfie would enjoy sitting on. It’s believed he somehow got lost and the familiar smell of the bike garage drew him in. Alfie no longer stays out like he used to.

Steve Steve was just 7 months old when he vanished from his home. Bev, who volunteers for her local rescue, saw the post on a local lost & found social media page. Two weeks later, she spotted a young ginger kitten in her garden eating bird food. All of sudden, Bev realised she’d seen this cat somewhere before but wasn’t sure due to the lost cat she saw being from the other side of town. A quick trip to the vets revealed it was in fact Steve! Steve went home to his family, who were over the moon of course. Bev has also retrieved many a cat from the side of the road who were also reunited with their grieving families due to their microchips.

Maximus Kittimus Maximus Kittimus was picked up one day luckily as he was very unwell.

Flynn and Belle Belle was once taken to a vet by a neighbour who thought she was a stray. Her microchip revealed she wasn’t. Her brother Flynn was sadly involved in a RTA. Someone took Flynn’s body to the vets who were able to contact his family to notify them and allow them the closure they needed.

Zac & Tigger Both Zac and Tigger were hit by cars. Neither driver stopped. However, people did see them and take them to a vet where their microchips were scanned and their family notified. Tigger sadly did not survive, but Zac did.

Bella & Bella

Unfortunately, the Browne family lost both Bella and Bella to the road recently. Because both cats were microchipped, they were returned to their owner who was able to hold them and say goodbye. They would not of had closure had either not been chipped.

Socks

Socks was adopted from a local welfare society. She was a wanderer and would often return after her ventures with presents, such as leaves or food wrappers. One day, the Kindon took a call from Plymouth council saying they had picked her body up from the side of the road. She had only been with the family for 6 months but, without her being chipped, they would never have had the opportunity to say goodbye.

Roo

Roo was purchased along with her sister when they were advertised on Gumtree. After the family previously lost 2 cats to the road, they decided to keep future cats as indoor ones. However, Roo got out of a 3rd floor window one night when aw window was accidentally left open. The family note how Roo had obviously tried to get back in the house as they saw little muddy paw marks on the front door where she'd been pawing at it to get back in, but oblivious as they were asleep. The family were due to move to a new house in 11 days’ time, so they were extra frantic to find her. They looked everywhere, put posters up, recruited others to look for her too. 5 days before they moved, they received a phone call from a local vet. Roo had been hit by a car and killed. Due to being microchipped, the family were able to collect her and take her to their own vets where they organised for her to be cremated.

Zena

Zena was sadly killed in RTA. She was taken to a vets where she was scanned for a microchip and her family informed. Despite being understandably devastated, the Hudson family remain grateful to be given the opportunity to say goodbye and have closure.

The importance of registering chips and keeping details up to date

Having a cat microchipped is only half the battle. Microchips must be registered as well as details being kept up to date, otherwise they are deemed as useful as the cat not being microchipped at all....

Tigger Tigger adopted his forever family, but he was found to have a microchip. However, his chip had no details registered. Cats Protection volunteers spent a year trawling lost and found websites for any matches and did their best to spread his story around. No one came forward.