Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/cat-missing-8-years-found/

Losing an animal is incredibly hard. When a cat or dog goes missing, their owner is left wondering where they’re at, if they’re ok, and if they’ll ever see them again.

Typically, days following a pet going missing are full of frantic searching and hope. But as the days turn to weeks, months, and eventually years, most pet owners assume the worst and give up all hope of being reunited with their fur missing fur baby.

It’s a scenario that Georgina Louise found herself in 8 years ago. She was used to her orange tabby cat, Nigel, wandering the neighborhoods and getting into mischief, but one day, he went out and he never returned home. She didn’t search for him much and assumed he was dead.

But recently, Georgina received a phone call she never thought was coming: Nigel had been found alive and well – 8 years after going missing!

Georgina shared the news in a local Facebook group, explaining that a veterinarian in Surrey, South East England, had received the cat. They used the cat’s microchip to get her contact information.

Considering the cat seemed “very looked after,” it was assumed that someone else had taken over his care since he went missing and Georgina was hoping to connect with them.

Her friend, Kiri Bos, posted the entire story in a separate href=”https://www.facebook.com/Doll.Chops/posts/10158415200635703″ rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>Facebook post with all of the details.

Kiri recalled that Nigel was allowed to wander freely and he gradually began to act more and more “feral” and less loving. Each time that Nigel would go missing, Georgina would “either track him down or get a phonecall that someone had found Nigel.”

original owner, Georgina Louise

When he didn’t return home, Georgina assumed the worst, and the cat was “presumed deceased.” That turned out to not be the case, and Nigel was eventually turned into the vet’s office 8 years later.

Kris explained in her post that a lot has changed in the years since Nigel went missing. Georgina has relocated and has a family with children. They’re hoping to find anyone who might’ve given Nigel a helping hand while he was missing, anyone who might miss him or want him back.

It’s a good reminder to keep your pets’ microchips up-to-date! So many pets have found their way home because of a microchip with correct contact information. Additionally, it serves as a reminder to keep your cats indoors. As laid out by American Humane, it’s never safe to let a cat roam freely outside. It puts them at risk of getting diseases or being injured by other animals, cars, etc. It also puts a strain on local ecosystems since cats are unnatural predators that can kill a lot of birds and other small animals.

We’re just glad that Nigel is safe and sound after so many years on his own! Even if he had some help from a loving family, there are so many things that could’ve gone wrong since he was left to roam outside and he managed to not only survive but thrive!

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog