Published Dec 9, 2024
Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region / Facebook.com
A touching news story about a happy homecoming for a missing cat in Colorado warms our hearts and makes us merry!
In Colorado Springs, a Good Samaritan brought an orange tabby cat that was presumed to be a stray to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region. When staff members examined the cat and scanned it for a microchip, they were surprised and delighted to discover that this cat wasn’t a stray. The cat’s name is Marley (a unisex name, so gender unknown), and the ginger had an owner who had been missing the cat for a shocking two and a half years.
Humane Society staff called Marley’s owner, who was overjoyed that her beloved pet, probably assumed dead and gone forever, was alive and well. The owner came to pick up Marley and bring the lost-and-found cat home. Surely this was a joyous reunion, and Marley and the tabby’s human family have received the greatest gift for the holidays.
“We’re just bursting with happiness knowing we could reunite this loving pair,” a shelter spokesperson told KKTV in Colorado Springs.
We get two lessons about cats from this sweet story. One, Marley is an example of the amazing resilience of felines. How did this cat survive for two and a half years, and where was Marley this whole time? Hopefully, Marley got by with the help of kind people who provided food, water, and an outdoor cat shelter in freezing Colorado. In July 2024, an even more remarkable survival story made the news: A black and white tuxedo named Mr. Mojo, because of his microchip, was reunited with his human in South Carolina after an entire decade apart.
The second lesson is an important takeaway about how valuable microchip technology is in giving our cats a scannable ID, and reuniting them with us in case they get out of the house and get lost. We can lose our driver’s licenses, but a microchip is a tiny device the size of a grain of rice inserted into the cat’s skin around the neck. It does not fall out, and a scanner can read the encoded information years after insertion.
Officials with the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region told KKTV that Marley’s story gives us an example on why it is so important to microchip pets.
“Make sure you’re keeping the contact information associated with microchip up to date as well,” the shelter spokesperson said. “It’s a simple step that can make a world of difference!”
If your cat does not have a microchip, please call your veterinarian or a local shelter to make an appointment and get one.
Microchipping
LightField Studios/Shutterstock.com
In England, microchipping is serious business – so much so that the British government in 2024 made it mandatory. British cat owners, as of June, had to get their cats microchipped; those that didn’t had three weeks to get it done or pay a fine. Surely this will help create happy reunion stories like Marley’s in the UK, where there are an estimated 9 million pet cats keeping British laps warm.
Although there is no adequate substitute for microchipping your cats and supervising them, there are some products on the market that help pet parents keep track of their cats when they are outside, or inside and out of sight. Here are nine of the best cat-tracking products we tested.
Even with a microchip, people who work in animal welfare recommend keeping cats inside, for the sake of their safety and health, and the sake of wildlife. Yet even strictly indoor cats sometimes sneak past us and slip outside. What do you do if your stealth cat escapes? It is important to act quickly.
We offer these tips on what to do if your indoor cat gets outside.
- Look Around Nearby: Most cats don’t go far because once they get outside, they are shocked by the unfamiliar and scary environment.
- Spread the Word: Let your neighbors know your cat is missing, and call local animal shelters so they can be on the lookout.
- Place Familiar Scents Outside: Your clothes or a blanket will smell familiar to your cat and may lure the cat back home.
- Keep Looking at the Right Times: Cats are most likely to be out in the open around dusk and dawn. They are more likely to be hiding during the day.
- Consider a Humane Trap: If all else fails, this could be the next step. You can either buy one or borrow or rent a trap from a shelter or rescue. The cat will be lured into the trap by food.
