Hampshire cat disappeared for 9 months and travelled 20 miles before reuniting with owners thanks to microchip

Black cat Liquorice strayed more than 20 miles from his East Meon home last June, leaving owners Emma and Owen Chewter and their 17-year-old twins Dana and Samuel devastated.

The roving feline is now back in the arms of his loving family, all thanks to his microchip.

After scouring the local area for seven-year-old Liquorice, the Chewter’s came to the conclusion that he had hopped into a vehicle unseen and been driven away.

Emma said: ‘We let Liquorice out in the evening, but he didn’t come back for breakfast. He’s a cat that loves being outdoors, but he always comes home in the morning for cuddles and we knew that something was wrong.

‘In the following days and weeks we walked miles looking for him and put up lots of posters, but there were no sightings of him.’

The family didn’t give up hope of finding Liquorice because he was microchipped when he was a kitten, and Emma was over the moon when Cats Protection phoned to say her pet had been found more than 20 miles away near Godalming.

Emma, who collected a 2kg-heavier Liquorice after his chip was scanned in Haslemere, said: ‘We were so excited to have Liquorice back, and he seemed very excited to be home, too.

‘I was worried that after nine months he wouldn’t remember us, but he jumped into my arms for cuddles, and followed me everywhere around the house.’

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Vet Ruth Brownlee from St Peter’s Vets in Petersfield said that although it isn’t a legal requirement to have cats microchipped like it is for dogs, owners are encouraged to do so.

Ruth said: ‘Microchipping is a no brainer because it makes everyone’s life easier if a pet goes missing and it is your best chance of finding them again. It is such a quick and easy procedure for your vet to do, too.’

Ruth also urged owners to make sure details are up to date on the microchipping database, adding: ‘It is even more frustrating if an animal is chipped but we can’t get hold of their owner because they have moved house or changed their email or mobile number and haven’t told the database company.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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