A cat found in Erskine has been reunited with its owners - 9,000 miles away from its registered address in Australia.
Melvin the cat was found on May 22 after a member of the public reported their concerns for a stray cat that had been visiting their house since Christmas.
They had been feeding the cat twice a day but became concerned that the cat was beginning to look unwell and was not getting along with their own cat.
Melvin was picked up by Scottish SPCA chief inspector Laura McIntyre, who took him to be checked by a vet and then transported him to the charity’s Glasgow Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre.
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Laura said: “One of the first things we do with animals when they come into our care is scan them for a microchip. As you can imagine, the team were slightly confused when Melvin’s details came back registered to an address in Australia!
“With assistance from Cats Protection, we were able to solve the mystery of Melvin’s journey to Scotland and reunite him with his owners."
The charity discovered that Melvin was adopted as a kitten in Australia by Scottish couple Jacqueline and Matt Dick. After spending 14 years in Australia, they decided to return to Scotland, spending $8,000 to bring Melvin, and their border collie Max, with them.
After just eight weeks in their Erskine home, Melvin disappeared in August 2022.
Melvin is now safely back at home with his owners, who are delighted to have him back.
Jacqueline said: “We were devastated when Melvin went missing. We did everything we could think of to try and find him, but by winter we feared the worst.
“We were over the moon when we received the call that he’d been found by the Scottish SPCA.
“The first night we got him home he didn’t leave my side and was purring really loudly. I was in floods of tears as I never thought I’d see him again.
“We just want to say a big thank you to everyone who looked out for him while he was missing and helped get him back home where he belongs.”
Cats Protecton’s Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland, Alice Palombo, said: “Melvin’s story goes to show why microchipping is so important and we’re thrilled that he has been reunited with his owners thanks to his chip.
“Microchipping for pet cats will become compulsory for pet cats in England from next year and Cats Protection is calling for the Scottish Government to also introduce this, so Scottish cats are not left behind.”
Laura continued: “We were delighted to be able to reunite Melvin with Jacqueline and Matt after all this time. It is so important to have your pets microchipped so that, as in this case, owners can be traced quickly.”
This isn’t the first time that Melvin has cashed in one of his nine lives. While living in Australia, he was attacked by a hungry dingo. Luckily, he was saved when the family’s German shepherd rushed out to scare the animal away.
If you have concerns about an animal, call the Scottish SPCA on 03000 999 999.
