Family Takes Sick Stray Cat to Vet. Microchip Returns Him to Man Who Hasn't Seen Him in 14 Years
Perry Martin of Fort Pierce, Florida, brought home an orange tabby cat way back in 2002. He named him Thomas Jr., or T2 for short.
They spent two years together until Hurricane Jeanne struck in 2004. After the air conditioning went out, Martin was forced to open the windows — but T2 took the opportunity to venture outside.
“I looked for him, the neighbors looked for him, but no one could find him,” he said. He was sure someone would locate the feline, and he let the local human society know of the predicament.
Martin worried about what could have become of his furry friend as time passed and T2 never returned. He eventually believed that the cat must have met his end on the busy street nearby.
“I just went on about my life,” he said. “I guess T2 did, too, because who would have thought that after 14 years, you’d find your lost cat?”
But on March 9, Martin got the call he’d been hoping for 14 years ago. On March 5, a family had found the cat, skinny and sick but friendly as ever when he wandered up to their home.
Lisa Wadsworth and her family cleaned him up, gave him some food, and dubbed him “Ginger,” but they knew they’d have to eventually take him to the vet because he looked like he might need medical attention.
At the vet, they were happy to discover that the cat did indeed have a microchip, so they took the information and were able to track down his former owner.
“It’s a crazy amount of time for a cat to be gone,” said Deidre Huffman, an adoption manager. “No one took him to a vet to be scanned and no one reported that they had found him.”
“Thankfully, he finally was found and brought to us,” Huffman continued. “He was chipped and his owner’s information was up to date.”
If you’ve ever lost a dog or cat, you know how important proper identification can be. Microchips are one of the easiest and most permanent ways to identify your pet.
Collars can fall off or be taken off, but a microchip is for life. Many rescues require microchipping as part of the adoption process, but it’s all for the well-being of the animals.
It’s also important to keep your contact information up to date because otherwise, the chip is just misinformation.
“If you care about your pet, chip ’em,” Martin counseled. “Update your phone number and address, because if you don’t, it’s all a waste.”
Where T2 has been and what he has experienced is a total mystery. Fourteen years is a long time to be on the street, and no one really knows what the cat has had to endure.
But he’s back home with the man who loves him and has promised to make T2’s remaining time on Earth his best. And hopefully, T2’s hunger for adventure has been sated.
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