A Christmas miracle – Cat owners reunited with pet after going missing for a year

Staff at Battersea have been celebrating a Christmas miracle after reuniting a cat named Boo with her owners after she went missing for over a year. The festive reunion came at the end of a very busy thirteen months for the nine-year-old tabby cat whose 2019 included living on the streets of Brixton as a stray, and giving birth to a litter of kittens.

Boo arrived at Battersea on September 5, almost a year after she had gone missing from her home in Herne Hill,  and although she was microchipped, the contact details were outdated, and no owner could be traced.

A kind member of the public had brought Boo to the rescue charity, explaining to staff that he and his colleagues at a tyre garage in Brixton had begun feeding Boo several weeks earlier. However Boo had been getting noticeably bigger and suspecting she might be pregnant he brought her to Battersea, where the veterinary team confirmed she was indeed expecting.

Boo was placed in a foster home in Peckham where she could be closely monitored and once she had reacquainted herself with home comforts, it wasn’t long until she was joined by three kittens; Boomer, Bootsy and Bolt.

Meanwhile back at Battersea, a member of staff spotted a photo and description on a missing pets website that appeared to match Boo. After making a call they were able to confirm that it was Boo.

Speaking moments after being reunited with her long lost cat, Boo’s owner Jelena said; “Boo was our first ever cat and she is very special, she is like a child to us. She had never run away before and even though it had been a whole year, we never gave up on finding her.

“We’re so grateful to the member of the public that brought her to Battersea, and we’re over the moon to be reunited with her in time for Christmas.”

Jelena and her partner Deniss went on to explain to staff that Boo had gone missing after climbing through an open window and failing to return, something that was out of character for the middle-aged cat. She had never run away before, but the family had moved house from Streatham only a few months earlier so they suspect when Boo lost her bearings, she tried to find her way back to her old home and got lost along the way.

JoAnna Puzzo, Battersea’s feline welfare manager, said: “When Boo first came to Battersea, we had no idea how many twists and turns her story would take. it truly is a miracle that it has such a happy ending. Everyone here is thrilled that lovely Boo will be spending Christmas with her family and we hope she’ll enjoy a well-earned break from any madcap adventures. All her kittens will also be spending Christmas in new homes.

“As well as a lovely story, Boo is the perfect cautionary tale for owners to not only get your pet microchipped, but to also make sure their details are always kept up to date, so that we can reunite them with their worried owners as soon as possible.”

While Boo has found her happy ending, there are many more cats at Battersea’s three centres waiting for theirs. To find out more, visit www.battersea.org.uk/cats.