When her phone rang, Élisabeth-Sophie Stevens, who now lives near Dijon, had absolutely no idea what she was about to hear. On the other end of the line, volunteers explained that a cat microchipped in her name had been rescued by emergency teams during the wildfires in Gironde, south-west France.
Naturally surprised, as reported by French newspaper La Dépêche, Élisabeth-Sophie immediately thought of her current pet. "I only saw him last night!" she insisted, convinced there was a mix-up with Gandhi, the cat she currently shares her life with. But the volunteers were adamant and read out the name registered on the microchip. It was not Gandhi, but an entirely different companion she had not seen for a lifetime.
The incredible mystery of Mozart
The rescued feline was none other than Mozart, her very first cat. She had adopted him when she was still a student in Bordeaux. An adventurous boy, he was used to exploring the local area and had wandered off twice before, only to wander back home safely.
But one day in 2009, Mozart went out and never came back. Despite her search and the hope that faded over the years, she eventually accepted she would never see her beloved companion again. He had vanished without a trace, and nearly 17 years had passed since she last saw him.
The life-saving miracle of the microchip
It was in Lège-Cap-Ferret that fate took an unexpected turn for the old cat. While rescuing pets threatened by evacuations during the wildfires, a local rescue charity called Mérignac Chats Errants took the brave cat in. When they scanned his microchip, they found the link to his owner instantly.
When she saw the photo sent by the volunteers, Élisabeth-Sophie recognised her sweet Mozart immediately. He is now 18 years old and in remarkably good health. After so many years apart, a very emotional reunion is now being planned to bring these two together once again.
Translated from the FR Wamiz website using artificial intelligence
