Tears of happiness as the Clanfield family reunites with their beloved cat six years after its mysterious disappearance
Clanfield’s mother Kelli Young picked up 11-year-old Millie, who was found safe and sound near her former home in Denmead.
The family had all but given up hope of ever seeing Millie again before being elated when they were incredibly reunited with her once more.
The animal was found thanks to Cats Protection’s Haslemere Adoption Center and their efforts to track the cat’s microchip.
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Carers at the charity scanned Millie for a microchip after she was reported as abandoned and arrived at Haslemere Adoption Center in Surrey.
Their initial relief at finding a chip with the contact details waned when they realized the address in Gosport was outdated and Millie’s owners no longer lived there – in fact, they had moved twice since then.
All that could be done now was to send a letter to the address and hope the new occupant passed on the details.
Anna Green, assistant manager of Cats Protection’s Haslemere Adoption Centre, said: “Amazingly the letter was passed on to Millie’s owners and we were contacted a month later. We had to keep her in custody the whole time. , just in case, but it meant we were finally able to have a successful reunion.
Kelli drove to pick up Millie from the adoption center. Her children Maisy, Lee and Jamie were thrilled to have their family cat back after so long.
Kelli said: “We are so happy as a family to have Millie home after six years. Millie and my son were very close and, even though he is 20 now, he cried when he first saw Millie. She immediately knew who he was.
“I want to thank you all for what you have done for Millie. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
Anna added: ‘As a charity that reunites thousands of cats with their owners across the UK each year, we were delighted to have been able to help reunite Millie with her owner. Their story shows the benefits of microchipping.
“It wouldn’t have been such a happy ending if the letter hadn’t been delivered by the new owners. It really underscores the importance of keeping your contact details up to date no matter how long your cat has been missing.
The microchips contain a unique identification number and are inserted under the cat’s skin between its shoulder blades. The number is linked to a database containing details of the animal, as well as contact details of the owner. When a scanner detects the microchip, a simple phone call provides the contact details of the owner and the animal can then be quickly brought home.
A microchip ensures that cats can be reunited with their owner if they go missing and that lost cats are not mistaken for strays and cared for by charities. It also means that owners can be informed if their cat has been injured or killed in a traffic accident.
Cats Protection encourages local councils to collect, scan and notify owners in such cases.
Madison Rogers, Acting Head of Advocacy and Government Relations at Cats Protection, said: ‘It is essential that microchip details are kept up to date, so that owners can be contacted if their cat goes missing.
“The move is a busy time, but it’s very important that owners update their contact details, ensuring phone numbers and emails are still valid.”