Microchip miracle: Lost Dubai cat found after 7 years in Cape Town

A cat born in Dubai which was missing for seven years has been reunited with its family, thanks to TEARS Animal Rescue Community Cat Project and the power of a microchip.

The breakthrough was made last week when TEARS rescued the cat, named Padfoot who had been living just 50m away from his original home. According to TEARS, Padfoot was found as a tiny, malnourished kitten on the streets of Dubai in 2009 by Kira Bird, who took him in.

When the family relocated to South Africa, they brought their beloved cat along. Three years later, they adopted a puppy, but as the dog grew, Padfoot became unhappy and ran away. The Bird family searched for their cat but could not find him. “They never stopped talking about their Padfoot and his beautiful unique cat eyeliner markings. “They often wondered how he was doing, and, at times stopped their cars when they saw cats that resembled Padfoot, but it wasn’t him.”

For the next seven years, Padfoot lived at a nearby caravan park and survived thanks to residents, Sandra Brice van Eyk and another woman, who fed him. “He was feral and spent most of his time outside but would come into Sandra’s home when it was cold. He’d even sleep on her bed,” TEARS said. Though affectionate with his carers, Padfoot remained wary of people. Eventually someone in the area contacted the TEARS Community Cat Project to capture him, concerned about his hair loss around his nose. TEARS cattery coordinator Claire Shadbolt set a trap and caught him.

“We assumed he would be an aggressive, unneutered male but when we got him, we saw that he had been neutered and he had a microchip,” she explained.“ At first, we struggled to trace it because it had been done in Dubai.” Shadbolt posted photos of the cat in the animal rescue and community pages. The next morning she received a message from Sandra, who had been feeding Padfoot for seven years and wanted to know where he was.

Then, Kira’s sister, Tara Bird, contacted her and brought the microchip number to confirm his identity. Kira, now in Japan also called to say it was definitely Padfoot.

“He had been living just 50m away all this time, being fed by Sandra and another neighbour. The family couldn’t believe it. Cathy Bird, Kira’s mother, still lived in the same house. In the interim, the  dog has died and Padfoot could return as an only-pet to the home.“ Cathy’s husband recently passed away and in her grief she feels she has regained a long-lost family member,” Shadbolt said. “This shows the importance of microchipping all your pets. It is the best way to be reunited with them should they get lost. As animal rescue workers, nothing is more satisfying than reuniting pets with their loving owners.

Looking out over the caravan park where Padfoot lived for years Bird said: “I wonder if he ever sat in those trees looking back at me.”

Cape Argus