A Piara Waters woman whose cat disappeared two years ago has microchipping to thank for reuniting her pet with the family.
One night in 2015 Amy Cleaver let her four-year-old British Long Hair cross cat Mittens out of her Riva Entrance house for the evening but her beloved moggy did not return.
“He just stopped coming back,” she said.
“We lived near a big bush open area, we thought maybe something had happened.”
Ms Cleaver stayed at the property hoping her cat would return but after six months and no sightings she accepted the fact she had to move on.
She moved to Midland, settled in and eventually the family adopted a new cat.
Eighteen months after moving from Piara Waters she received a surprising text message on her phone.
“We got a message on Gumtree saying a grey cat had been found,” she said.
“He was microchipped and fixed, they had found out my name and messaged every one with the name in WA.”
When Mittens was found he was allegedly hungry and thirsty but still healthy and playful.
Somehow he had even put on weight during his disappearance.
Ms Cleaver says losing Mittens should send a message to all pet owners about the importance of microchipping pets.
Cat Haven management facility coordinator Lauren Nesbitt said microchipping pets was important.
As of 2015 pet microchips were a legal requirement for all cats and dogs under state legislation.
“If a cat comes into a holding facility and it’s not microchipped it’ll be held for three working days before it’s put up for adoption,” she said.
“A microchipped cat compared to a cat without a microchip is far more likely to find its way home.”
For now Mittens has returned to live with his family and has quickly resumed his old lifestyle.
Many veterinarians can microchip an animal relatively cheaply with some organisations offering discount or free microchipping services.
