Lost cat Lily is back after three-year paws
After three years, Kelly Higgins had given up all hope of ever finding her missing pet cat Lily. She had searched high and low when Lily first went missing, but had finally resigned herself to life without her best pal when all her efforts came to no avail.
After three years, Kelly Higgins had given up all hope of ever finding her missing pet cat Lily. She had searched high and low when Lily first went missing, but had finally resigned herself to life without her best pal when all her efforts came to no avail.
But an unexpected knock on the door has amazingly seen the pair reunited – and all thanks to the microchip embedded under her skin.
Kelly, 28, a student from Donnington in Telford, said: "I was gutted to lose Lily because she was my baby."
Kelly, who had Lily as a six-week-old kitten, said she tried desperately to find her.
Then came the knock on the door from a member of staff from a local veterinary practice, who told Kelly that they had Lily.
Kelly said a pensioner from nearby Muxton had taken Lily in, feeding her and turning his shed into a home for her.
After the pensioner was admitted to a care home, his daughter took the cat to Haygate Veterinary Centre in Muxton.
The vet scanned Lily's microchip and transferred her to Wellington, where she was registered.
Kelly had moved since Lily went missing, and had also changed her phone number and surname. But the Wellington vet used the electoral register to find her.
When Kelly confirmed she was Lily's owner, the pair were quickly reunited. Kelly said she was 'absolutely overjoyed' to see seven-year-old Lily again.
"I cried a lot. I jumped up and down, screaming and shouting, I was so happy," she said.
She added: "I would like to thank Haygate vets in Wellington so much for reuniting me with my cat.
"I'm also very grateful to the man for taking such good care of her – she is in great condition and doesn't look like a stray.
"But it would have been better if she had been taken to the vets sooner so they could scan the microchip."
Kelly, who now has four other cats, revealed that when Lily went missing she phoned all of the local vets, knocked on doors, put up posters and put something on Facebook to try and find her.
She said: "I would see cats like her on the street and wonder if it was Lily.
"But she is now enjoying being back at home with all the family and having lots and lots and lots of cuddles."
