PREVIEW

A Worcestershire woman whose cat went missing eleven years ago was shocked and delighted when he returned.

Sharne Emms spent years looking for Densel - calling his name whenever she spotted a black and white cat - but eventually gave up hope after he wandered off shortly before Christmas 2013.

Sharne had adopted Densel after he was handed into the vet practice where she worked eleven years ago, but after he went missing at the age of four, Sharne reported his disappearance to the microchip company, put posters up, posted pleas on social media and knocked on countless doors in case someone had taken him in.

When Sharne, who works as a vet nurse, received a call from charity Cats Protection earlier this year to tell her that Densel had been handed in and identified through his microchip and was just a 20-minute drive away, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

She said: ‘I just couldn’t take it in. It had been 11 years, and I couldn’t believe he’d been found. I went along immediately and when I walked in and saw him, I burst into tears. I recognised him straight away and he obviously knew my voice as soon as I called his name. He was purring happily as I stroked him and started eating which they hadn’t managed to get him to do. It was such a lovely, emotional moment.’

A delighted Sharne took Densel home and he was quickly welcomed back into the family, but she was worried about his constant diarrhoea, so she took him to the vet who gave him steroids.

Further checks a few days later revealed the shattering news that Densel had terminal lymphoma and had to be put to sleep.

The mum-of-two said: ‘It has been heartbreaking, but at least I know that in his final days he was safe, getting love and attention, and he was happy to be with me. I couldn’t believe we’d been reunited, and in such a short time, I had to say goodbye. It was absolutely devastating.

Densel was microchipped via a service provided by healthcare plan Pet Health Club, which proved invaluable in bringing Densel home.

Sharne says she’s eternally grateful that microchipping, which is set to become a legal requirement in England, allowed her to be with her pet at the end.

She added: ‘From my experience as a vet nurse, I know how microchipping has helped reunite owners with their lost cats. But there have also been such sad cases where there wasn’t a microchip and that didn’t happen. A microchip meant Densel managed to make his way back home at the end and that shows how important they are.’

Senior vet surgeon Amelia Battersby, of the Pet Health Club network of UK vets, said that while Densel’s case may have ended tragically, it sums up why microchips are so vital.

‘Microchipping is over in seconds but the benefits last a lifetime. This case shows why it’s so important and why Pet Health Club members get microchipping as part of their benefits, alongside vaccinations and vet-prescribed flea and worm treatments.

‘There are around nine million cats in England, and up to a quarter remain unchipped. Microchipping will become compulsory from June 10, and owners who fail to microchip their cats will have 21 days to get one implanted or face a fine of up to £500.’