How the magic of microchipping found a Plymouth boy's lost cat
Cats Protection has released a heart-warming animation featuring their story
The tale of a cat, reunited with his family in Plymouth after being missing for three years, is being featured in a heart-warming Christmas advert for an animal charity.
Cats Protection, whose National Cat Adoption Centre is at Chelwood Gate near Haywards Heath, launched the animated feature on Wednesday (November 25th).
Creatured by Aardman Animations and featuring the voice of Holly Willoughby, it's based on the real-life story of Casper the white cat.
Casper was five when he went missing from his home in Plymouth in 2017 - much to the distress of owner Anna Day and her (then eight-year-old) son Daniel.
Three Christmases later he was still missing - until the day he turned up at Cats Protection’s Cornwall Adoption Centre near Truro and, thanks to his microchip, was able to be reunited with his overjoyed family.
Anna told us it was a real surprise to have Casper back:
"He was quite a wanderer, Casper would frequently spend the night sleeping in the neighbours' gardens and we wouldn't worry, if he went missing for a few days it was a bit more concerning but he'd always return.
"He was quite well-known in Plymouth through Facebook, so when he went missing for the last time everybody was looking for him, but there was no sign of him.
"We think he may have been taken in by another household - probably because they thought he was a stray.
"When I heard he'd been found it took a long time to sink in, and even as I was about to see him I was still in disbelief that it was him.
"It was pretty amazing to get him back - receiving that phone call was the best thing ever."
The bond between human and cat is not one that can be broken by distance or time. The family, and especially Daniel, never stopped caring for Casper and wondering what happened to him.
So, when they got the call to say Casper had been found, the distance and time apart meant nothing.
Once safely back home, Casper was reunited with his family in a joyous, magical moment that made Christmas complete – something Cats Protection has said made them the 'perfect inspiration' for the new animation.
According to Cats Protection’s CATS report 2020, over a quarter (26%) of owned cats in the UK are not chipped. The charity is actively campaigning to change this by making it a legal requirement for cats to be microchipped, as it is for dogs.
One in four cats have sustained significant injuries due to fights with cats or other animals or being involved in road traffic accidents.
And over 175,000 households (2.8%) report that their cat had been shot by an air gun or poisoned – reinforcing the need for all cats to be microchipped so their owners are traceable as quickly as possible.
In 2019 Cats Protection reunited 2,500 cats with their owners and hopes this new ad helps highlight the issues around microchipping and encourages the public to donate so they can continue their vital work to ensure that no cat is left out in the cold.
The beautiful three-minute animation launches today on social media, with shorter versions airing on TV during December.