Lost cat reunited with family after three years sparks call for microchipping as Yorkshire braces for cold weather

Three years ago then 12-year-old Oscar, a cat from Sheffield, went missing when it snowed heavily unexpectedly and he got caught out in it, in January 2020.

Oscar’s owner, Katie Salt, 39, from Sheffield, said she knew something was wrong within a few hours after he didn’t return home, and after getting neighbours to check their CCTV, outhouses, and gardens, and putting posters up in the area and on social media, it became clear Oscar was lost.

“I walked the streets at night for miles and hours shouting his name, rattling his food, for weeks on end. All to no avail,” Katie said.

“We eventually concluded he must have died during the snowstorm, but we still scanned our eyes everywhere, whenever we were out driving, and to be honest this never stopped. Even after two years.”

Three years after Oscar disappeared, Katie received a call from a vet informing her that Oscar had been found – it turns out he had been living in a garden approximately six miles away from their home.

The owners of the garden had been feeding Oscar, however, when it became clear he needed medical help they surrendered him to a vet where he did require surgery.

The now 15-year-old cat was scanned for a microchip and matched up with Katie. She said: “They immediately phoned me and I collected him within the hour. He remembered us, his name and his home. He's not stopped purring since he came home and wants cuddles all the time.”

Katie has stressed that if it wasn’t for Oscar’s microchip he would never have been found.

Once again Arctic weather is due to hit Yorkshire once again, with temperatures predicted to drop to -3 degrees centigrade on Monday (Jan 15) and Bill Lambert, a spokesperson for Petlog, is reminding pet owners of the importance of microchipping pets.

It is currently a legal requirement for all dogs to be microchipped in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, however, the UK Government has announced microchipping will become compulsory for cats in England from 10 June 2024.

He said: “We’re so pleased that Oscar and Katie have been reunited. Their story shows just how important it is for owners to chip their pets, keep their contact details up-to-date with their microchip database, and to hold out hope no matter how much time has passed.”