A family in Nuneaton has described the return of their cat after 11 years as a 'Christmas miracle'. Toby, a 14-year-old mixed-breed white cat, went missing in 2012 when the Allan family moved five miles from Galley Common to their current home in The Long Shoot, Nuneaton.
Eleven years later, Toby was found around nine miles away in Bedworth by a woman who contacted Cats Protection. Lorraine Conroy, a Cats Protection volunteer, scanned and collected Toby on Saturday night. The cat was microchipped as a kitten, and although the address had changed, the phone number remained the same, allowing the charity to reunite him with his owners.
Justine Allan, a 52-year-old retired learning support assistant, said she was 'in shock' and couldn't believe how 'unbelievable' it was. She added that Toby 'hadn't changed that much at all'. The cat was particularly special to her youngest son, Charlie, now 23, who had wanted a cat since he was eight and received Toby from the Cats Protection League when he turned 12.
Mrs Allan said Charlie hasn't slept all night and is 'really in shock'. She expressed gratitude for the microchip, noting that Toby must have faced many dangers over the years. The family now has an eight-month-old dog named Bernie, but they immediately agreed to take Toby back. 'Hopefully, Bernie will have settled down and it'll be lovely in time for Christmas,' Mrs Allan said.
Madison Rogers, Cats Protection’s head of advocacy, campaigns and government relations, said: 'It is always wonderful to hear stories like Toby’s where a cat and owner have been reunited thanks to their microchip after so many years apart.'
