A pet cat which had been missing for more than 10 years has finally been traced – thanks to a moggy microchip.

A pet cat which had been missing for more than 10 years has finally been traced – thanks to a moggy microchip.

Percy, a domestic shorthaired cat who is now 15, was registered with Petlog – the UK’s largest lost and found database for microchipped pets – but after he disappeared in June 2003 owner David Allinson began to lose hope of ever finding him again.

After distributing thousands of leaflets within a 20-mile radius of his Henlow home, as well as taking out a newspaper advert, David feared the worst.

But more than a decade later, in a strange turn of events, David’s work colleague Ruth Hart told him about an elderly neighbour who had passed away in February this year, and mentioned that she had started looking after the neighbour’s cat.

Ruth, who lives 15 miles away from David in Cockayne Hatley, grew fond of the cat and took it to a vet where his microchip was scanned and, as a result, Petlog contacted David to tell him that Percy had been found after all those years.

He had been living with Ruth’s neighbour for all that time, and nobody knew.

David said: “I was devastated when Percy went missing and did all I could to try to find him, but as the years went by I truly believed I would never see him again.

“I wondered when the weather was particularly bad if he was safe and warm and often feared the worst. I am eternally grateful that I had him microchipped and that I kept my contact details up to date with Petlog.

“It just goes to show that microchipping works and I don’t like to think what would have happened if I never had found him.”

As Percy had lived in Cockayne Hatley for the 10 years he was missing, and was used to the surrounding fields and felt at home there, David felt that he didn’t want to unsettle him any further after the death of his long-time owner.

David said: “After I called Ruth, we arranged a meeting so I could reunite with Percy. He was afraid and was hiding behind the sofa and when I called his name he came running into my arms.

“I burst into tears – I couldn’t believe it, it was my Percy. He was very settled with Ruth and I decided it would be selfish of me to take him to a home he no longer remembered.

“I see him at least once a month and Ruth shows me pictures of Percy from time to time. To know he is safe and happy is enough for me after all the years of worry.”

Ruth said: “It is lovely having kept Percy in the village and we always look forward to David visiting. He recently came to see Percy for his 15th birthday and brought around gifts for Percy. It’s such a perfect end to his story that he was found by David after all those years.”

Celia Walsom from Petlog said: “We couldn’t be more delighted that Petlog was able to help, so that David could be reunited with his beloved pet after more than a decade.

“This is just one of the many stories we hear daily about pets being reunited with the owners thanks to their microchip.”

If you would like to find out more about microchipping your pet, visit the Petlog website at www.petlog.org.uk.