Zeke the cat vanished from his North London home five years ago, but owing to his microchip, he has returned.
Zeke’s movements throughout those five years are unknown, as is how he managed to travel thirty miles from his London home to the streets of Stevenage.
“Zeke spent most of his time in the house, but he is a very trusting cat and would venture out to see other people and play with their cats if they would allow him,” said relieved owner David Blane. Zeke was well-known in the neighborhood.
“But then we bought two more cats, both of them were very territorial,” says the owner. We didn’t realize how much of an impact they had on Zeke at the time, but it’s evident now that he was bullied.
“He was spending more time outside before he went missing, and after a few weeks of picking him up from people’s houses and even a neighboring hospital where he was being fed, Zeke vanished.” Despite the fact that he was quite unique and well-known in the neighborhood, there had been no recorded sightings, so we assumed Zeke had been kidnapped.”
David did everything he could to locate Zeke, who was two and a half years old at the time of his disappearance, including leafleting the neighborhood and requesting that personnel at the nearby hospital keep a watch out for him. He also shared the news on social media and reported Zeke missing to the pet tracking website PetLog.
David had given up hope of ever seeing his beloved cat again, but Zeke’s fate was to change five years later when he was found as a stray in Stevenage.
Zeke was screened for a microchip but was sent into the care of Cats Protection’s North Hertfordshire Branch after vets were unable to contact the registered owner.
“He was dishevelled and his coat was pretty dusty when he came,” Branch Coordinator Bianca Kubler said, “but he was a healthy 9kg youngster with an insatiable desire and, despite requiring five teeth pulled and a good bath, he was in good health.”
While Zeke was being cared for by volunteer fosterer Shelagh, the necessary dental work was scheduled and his vaccines were updated, but he remained somber and unable to participate.
“I felt very awful for Zeke because he seemed depressed,” Bianca remarked. He was eating and toileting normally, but he refused to play or socialize much. If we were going to rekindle Zeke’s enthusiasm, we needed to track out his owner.”
Bianca was so determined to find Zeke’s owner that she expanded her search to include websites for breeders and lost Maine Coon cats, as well as his microchip information. “By the end of a long weekend of persistent searching, we were starting to lose faith,” she added, “but my partner decided to contact the number on the microchip one last time.” A man answered, much to our astonishment.
“When we enquired if he had lost a cat, he replied that his cat had gone missing five years ago, understandably perplexed.” When we told him we’d discovered his cat, Zeke, he was completely taken aback.”
“I had given up hope of ever hearing from him, so to get that call out of the blue was completely incredible,” David said. You don’t expect to hear that your cat has been recovered safe and sound five years after he went missing, especially given the possibility that he was kidnapped. It was such a relief to learn that Zeke was doing well.”
David rushed to pick up Zeke from his foster caregivers as soon as he could and drive him back to North London. “It was absolutely amazing to see him again,” he remarked. That feeling is indescribable. I was dreading carrying him home on the train because he used to be rather noisy and unhappy in his cat carrier, but it appears that time has softened him.”
“It was incredible to see Zeke when David came to pick him up,” Bianca added. He came to a halt and stared at him for a few moments, and suddenly it was as if a light had turned on. Zeke’s body language shifted when he recognized Dave. It was uplifting to witness.
“Dave was incredibly grateful that we persisted in our search for him. He insisted on covering Zeke’s medical expenses and made a generous payment on the spot. It was a lovely gesture and a warm recognition of our efforts.
“We’ll never know how Zeke got from North London to Stevenage or where he spent those five years, but the important thing is that he’s back home, due to a microchip and a little tenacity.”
Zeke, understandably, needed some time to adjust to his new circumstances, where he is the only cat. “He was a little unsettled at first, so I kept him in the bedroom where I work so he had company,” David explained. Now I encourage him to take short walks around the house, and he is gradually broadening his horizons.
“He follows me around and it appears that he recognizes me.” It feels incredible to have my sweet guy back. He’s a lot more affectionate than I remember him being, which is a nice thing. He used to be a little distant, but now he comes over for cuddles and plays a lot more. He’s discovered a few cozy locations to call his own, and he appears to be relieved to be back home after such a long time.”
David is grateful to the people that helped him reconcile with Zeke. “I’d want to express my gratitude to John and all the volunteers at Cats Protection’s North Herts Branch,” he said. They do a wonderful job, and reuniting me with my infant – now enormous – boy has made a huge difference in my life. It’s the most perfect Christmas present I’ve ever received.”
