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Battersea staff reunited with missing cat after six years!

One of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home's own staff has just been reunited with her missing cat after a staggering six years apart.

Maffelda Hay who works in the Home's Lost & Found department found herself on the phone to one of her colleagues last week letting her know a cat registered to her had just been handed in.

Punky was brought into Battersea Dogs & Cats Home by a couple who moved into a house where the previous owners had left their cat. Like all dogs and cats brought to the Home, Punky was scanned on arrival for a microchip which proved successful and enabled the Home to get in contact with Maff to let her know the news.

Ironically Punky had only been living three streets away during her six year secondment.

Ms Hay said:

"I could not believe it when Battersea called me to say they had my cat, Punky, I was lost for words. I've missed her so much over the years, and, as she's 20 years old and had been missing for such a long time, I'd lost any hope of being reunited with her. I've been working at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home for over seven years and seen so many delighted owners be reunited with their pets, I'm just so happy that Punky is finally home too."

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home cares for over 11,000 dogs and cats every year, with 45% of stray animals being reunited with their owners via Battersea's Lost Dogs & Cats Line.

Lucy Reade from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home said:

"It's important for cat and dog owners to make sure their pets are tagged and microchipped. Maffelda's cat was microchipped, which made it easy for them to be reunited."

"We work closely with local police regarding lost and found dogs and cats within the M25, but if the animal has no contact details via a tag or chip, it's very hard and sometimes impossible to reunite them."

If you have lost or found a dog or cat, please call Battersea's Lost Dogs & Cats Line 0901 477 8477, calls cost 60p per minute. The Line is open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm and operates within the M25 area. Further information on the Lost Dogs & Cats Line is also available on this site.