This is a gift Lucy Robertson will remember for a very long time. Living in Abercarn, Wales, Lucy received the news she had stopped hoping for long ago: Charlie, her cat who went missing a decade ago, had been found safe and sound.
The story goes back to April 2016. Hannah Robertson and her partner Lucy had moved from Newbridge to Abercarn in Caerphilly. Charlie, their feisty three-year-old tabby who loved exploring outdoors, struggled to find her bearings in her new surroundings. Just three days after they moved in, she failed to return home.
For months, the family put up missing posters, searched the local area, and shared repeated appeals on Facebook, but sadly to no avail.
The microchip miracle
The search for the beloved pet finally came to an end last month when an Abercarn resident spotted her in some bushes. After feeding her for a few weeks, they decided to take her to a local vet to check for a microchip.
Thanks to the scan, the vet was able to get Hannah’s contact details straight away. "I was absolutely stunned when the surgery called me," she told the BBC.
The vet herself was shocked to discover on the database that the cat had been registered as missing since 2016.
Reunited at last
Against all odds, despite spending ten years living in the wild or wandering between different homes, Charlie was found in excellent health.
Now back with her family, the 13-year-old cat didn't take long to settle back in. Much to the surprise of her owners, Charlie recognised them "instantly".
