A missing cat has been reunited with his tearful owner nearly a year after disappearing, after turning up 86 miles from home living alongside a feral cat colony.
Ginge, a friendly ginger tom from Sunderland, was spotted in Garforth, Leeds, by animal volunteer Lucy Roche, who immediately suspected he was no ordinary stray. The Cat Action Trust 1977 branch leader safely caught the cat and took him to a vet, where a routine microchip check revealed the incredible truth: Ginge belonged to a family in Tyne and Wear.
Emotional reunion after a year apart
Ms Roche said the owner was in a “flood of tears when she called to tell her he had been found and could not believe her missing pet was coming home.”
Volunteers at the colony regularly provided food and drink for Ginge when he first appeared at the facility a few weeks earlier.
“I was stroking him and I thought he’s so friendly he could be somebody’s cat”, Lucy said. Eventually, she was able to catch Ginge in a humane trap before taking him to the vets, where his microchip led them to his owner. The long-lost pet then spent the night at Lucy's home as his family travelled to collect him.
Worldwide attention for the story
“He was snuggled up next to me and was flat out snoozing because he was so tired. I don’t think he’s had a good night’s sleep in ages”, Lucy added.
An emotional video uploaded to social media shows the moment Ginge's owner, Beth, is reunited with the feline the next day, going on to attract attention from around the world. Lucy continued: “We’ve had people from America, New Zealand saying what a wonderful story it is. The support has been overwhelming.”
Microchipping and the work of the charity
She said Ginge’s story also showed the importance of having cats microchipped, as it was the only reason the charity had been able to trace his family. Microchipping became a legal requirement for pet cats in England in 2024.
Cat Action Trust 1977 volunteers visit feral colonies across Leeds to provide food, water and warm shelters, while also arranging veterinary care and neutering where needed. Cats can also be rehomed if the area they are living in is considered unsafe, either with new owners or in rural settings such as farms.
Lucy said the Leeds branch, which is run entirely by volunteers, was receiving “non-stop calls for help” every day. She added: “So many cats are getting abandoned, lost or injured. We just want to make life better for all cats.”
