Thierry met the tomcat, named Tigrou, who was living in a foster home at the time.
When Thierry signed the official adoption papers, the rescue organisation told him they had been unable to read the cat's identification microchip.
An unreadable microchip
A few months later, Thierry took Tigrou to the vet, who also confirmed that he couldn't read the microchip. The years went by without any issues until January 2026, when Thierry took Tigrou back to the vet because the cat had developed bladder stones.
The vet advised Thierry to go through the official channels with I-CAD, the French national pet database, to have Tigrou officially registered as his cat. He started the paperwork... but the worst was yet to come.
A €300,000 fine
When the local authorities in Hérault received Thierry's file, they managed to read the cat's microchip. They discovered that the cat was originally from Tunisia. He had entered France illegally and had not been vaccinated against rabies.
The authorities then sent an official letter to Thierry, informing him that he was the owner of an undeclared cat that had entered the country illegally. Thierry was given 48 hours to provide proof of vaccination. If he failed, he faced a €300,000 fine, two years in prison, and Tigrou being put to sleep.
Fortunately, the dreadful situation was resolved in time and everything was regularised. Thierry received confirmation that the authorities were dropping the case. Tigrou is now officially his cat and out of danger. What a relief!
