Missing cat found 100 miles away in feral colony

A cat rescue charity in Leeds has been praised after finding a cat who had been missing for almost a year, 100 miles (160km) from home.

Lucy Roche, volunteer branch leader for Cat Action Trust 1977, came across the ginger cat, called Ginge, while caring for a feral colony in Garforth, and noticed he was very tame.

She took him to the vets and managed to use his microchip to track his owner in Sunderland and reunite them.

Roche said the owner was in "flood of tears" when she called and could not believe he had been found.

Volunteers from the charity visit feral colonies across Leeds, providing food, water and shelters to keep them warm.

They also take cats in for veterinary care and neutering if needed.

If the area is unsafe, they will rehome them, either with new owners or in rural areas like farms.

Ginge first appeared at the colony in Garforth a few weeks ago.

"I was stroking him and I thought he's so friendly he could be somebody's cat," said Roche.

She was able to safely catch him in a humane trap and take him to the vets.

There, they managed to find Ginge's microchip and locate his owner in Sunderland.

Ginge came home with Roche while she waited for his owners to come and collect him.

"He was snuggled up next to me and was flat out snoozing because he was so tired.

"I don't think he's had a good night's sleep in ages."

The next day, Ginge was reunited with his owner, Beth.

A video of the two reuniting was shared on social media, and Ginge is now famous around the world.

"We've had people from America, New Zealand saying what a wonderful story it is," Roche said.

"The support has been overwhelming."

She also highlighted that reuniting Ginge with his owner was only because he had been microchipped.

Microchipping for cats became a mandatory requirement in 2024, and Roche said it is crucial for helping rescue charities to return lost cats to their owners.

The rescue branch in Leeds is run entirely by volunteers, and Roche said their work is more important than ever before, with "non-stop calls for help" every day.

"So many cats are getting abandoned, lost or injured.

"We just want to make life better for all cats."

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