A missing cat was reunited in time for Christmas thanks to an RSPCA branch.
Affectionately known as Tinsel she was found in the Penarth area with an injured leg and was thought to be a stray.
A member of the public called the RSPCA after finding her and she was taken to the vets where she was checked for a microchip – which she didn’t have – and health checked.
After some pain relief for her lame leg, she recovered and she stayed in the vets for seven days while posters were put up in the area where she was found – to see if anyone would come forward for her.
RSPCA Wyth Sir Branch (eight counties) – which includes the merged Gwent Brecknock Branch and Glamorgan North & East Branch – took her and initially an owner didn’t come forward after the seven day period so she was put up for adoption.
RSPCA Wyth Sir Branch animal welfare officer, Jamie Rodrigues, said: “She is a lovely friendly cat so we knew it wouldn’t be long before she found a home.
“Three weeks later we had a call from the RSPCA inspectorate explaining a member of the public had been in touch and he thought Tinsel was his cat.”
The owner – Nicholas White – was able to confirm he was her owner by sending pictures of Tinsel and she was reunited with him just in time for Christmas! She had been missing since around September.
Jamie added: “It seemed she had only strayed a few streets away from where she lived. We were happy to reunite the two, just in time for Christmas!
“Tinsel – who is actually called Safi – was very happy to see her beloved owner and jumped straight up on his lap making biscuits.”
Safi has now been microchipped, and Jamie said he would like to stress the importance of microchipping.
“If she had been chipped, she wouldn’t have come into us and would have been immediately returned to her worried owner,” she said.
“Microchipping can certainly offer pet owners peace of mind. The microchip can be scanned and matched to the owner’s contact details which are kept on a database.
“If an owner moves house or changes their telephone number they must also make sure that they tell the database they are registered with so that they have up-to-date contact details. If the information on that database is old and out-of-date then the chip is useless. Telling your vet does not automatically update the details on the database but this is something you can do yourself online.”
RSPCA Cymru is currently calling on the Welsh Government to commit to the compulsory microchipping of cats – as England will see compulsory microchipping for cats being introduced this upcoming March.
Under the plans it is to become a legal requirement for cat owners to microchip their cats after 20 weeks of age and to ensure their contact details are stored and kept up to date in a pet microchipping database.
Under the new legislation, cat owners in England will have until 10 June 2024 to microchip their cats. Owners found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to get one implanted or may face a fine of up to £500.
While the Welsh Government’s Animal Welfare Plan for Wales promises to “consider extending compulsory microchipping to include kittens and cats”, there has not been any firm commitments or timelines published. However, microchipping dogs has been compulsory in Wales since 2016, and this is also the case in England too.
More information about cat microchipping can be found on the RSPCA website.
This year the RSPCA is asking supporters to Join the Winter Rescue by donating to help rescue teams reach the thousands of animals who desperately need them.
