Leading London Vet Stresses Importance of Microchipping After Missing Brent cat Found in Neighbour's Shed After 13 Days

A domestic male, short-hair black-and-white cat from Brent called Jet had a lucky escape when he was heard meowing from underneath a pile of pallets in a nearby resident’s garden shed less than two minutes’ away from his home – 13 days after having first gone missing.

Jet, a much-loved one-and a-half year old pet cat to a local Brent family first went missing on 31 March and his desperately worried owners immediately alerted neighbours and friends, as well as reaching out to local animal rescue centres to see whether he might have been spotted and handed in by a caring individual.

It was only when a concerned local neighbour who recognised Jet as a local cat and who was worried by his limp and so contacted Mayhew on 12^th April, that two Animal Welfare Officers quickly came to their home to respond.

Concealed underneath pallets inside a nearby garden shed

When Georgina Costi, Cat Welfare Coordinator at Mayhew arrived with her colleague, Animal Welfare Officer, Tania Mazzoni, the duo spotted, and heard, Jet meowing underneath pallets piled-high inside a nearby resident’s garden shed.

Whilst visible, Jet was reluctant to come out, despite being offered titbits of tuna, and so retreated further back, so moving further inside a shed filled to the brim with garden equipment and homewares. To reach him, Georgina and Tania had to remove almost half the shed’s contents and block off the sides of the pallets Jet was located behind, so he could only move towards the front of the shed.

Georgina and Tania positioned a humane, non-invasive trap at the start of the pallets and ensured there were no other exits Jet might otherwise be able to use. Following over one hour of coaxing and gentle prodding, Jet eventually calmly walked right into the trap.

As Georgina explains, “We were delighted to have him out from behind the pallets, but we could tell right away that there was something wrong with one of his legs as he wasn’t moving well and the area around his hip just didn’t look “right”.

Jet was immediately taken to Mayhew veterinary clinic for an examination, where he was given pain relief and was scanned for a microchip, which he was fortunate to have had inserted by Mayhew on a previous occasion as an outpatient.

Mayhew contacted Jet’s owner to give to them the good news that their missing cat had been found, and following an overnight stay at the clinic, Jet was collected the following day by his owner and was taken to their local vet where x-rays showed a dislocated hip – the trauma which Georgina had first spotted during the rescue effort.

Why microchipping helps to reunite owners with lost pets

As Justin Ainsworth BVSc MRCVS, Head Veterinary Surgeon at Mayhew, explains,

He continues, “Jet is a terrific and much-loved cat who is living life to the full and is now back with his loving family. The lesson all cat and dog owners can learn from this story with a happy ending, is the importance of microchipping. It is the most effective way of reuniting you with your pet if they become lost or stolen. Microchipping is a simple procedure that provides peace of mind and will last for your pet’s lifetime.”

Now back home, Jet’s relieved owners are now also urging people to check sheds and other enclosed areas in and around their own home and local neighbourhood which they perhaps might take for granted and think unlikely for their pet to go, yet which could very well be where to find them.

Click here to read more about Mayhew’s work to improve the lives of dogs, cats and the people in our communities, both at its Home in London and internationally.

Mayhew

Established in 1886, Mayhew is one of the most effective animal welfare charities in London. We help thousands of animals in need gain a better quality of life by delivering a broad range of community-based veterinary, social and education services in the UK and overseas. Our team of Animal Welfare Officers work extensively with vulnerable pet owners across society, including the elderly, disabled, homeless and those facing a personal crisis, whether housing or health related. They offer a range of services including temporary foster care, a free pick up and return neutering service, free or low-cost preventative veterinary care and extensive animal behaviour and welfare advice.

We also work closely with local authorities to address pet ownership issues and collaborate with government and non-government agencies to address the challenges of misuse and mistreatment of companion animals.

Our animal therapy programme, TheraPaws, has 60 teams of humans and dogs who visit care homes, hospitals and hospices in 14 London boroughs promoting the human and animal bond and bringing well-being and joy to residents and patients. In 2021 alone, the team at Mayhew: –