RSPCA: Missing cat 'Tinsel' reunited with owner in time for Christmas - as charity urges UK to microchip pets

A lost cat was able to be reunited with her worried owner in time for Christmas thanks to RSPCA Cymru - in what the animal charity says is a poignant reminder of why people should get their pets microchipped.

The cat, nicknamed 'Tinsel', was found in the Penarth area with an injured leg and was thought to be a stray. A member of the public called the RSPCA after finding her, and she was taken to the vets where she was checked for a microchip - which she didn’t have. The cat recovered well after some pain relief for her leg, but had to remain at the vets for seven days while posters were put up in the area she was found, to see if anyone would come forward to claim her. 

No owner was found, and the RSPCA Wyth Sir branch took her in after her seven days were up and put her up for adoption. Animal welfare officer Jamie Rodrigues said she was a lovely, friendly cat "so we knew it wouldn't be long before she found a home". 

But three weeks later, the branch had a call from the RSPCA inspectorate explaining that a member of the public had been in touch and thought Tinsel was his missing cat. The owner - Nicholas White - was able to confirm he was her owner by sending pictures of Tinsel, and she was able to go home. She had been missing since around September.

“It seemed she had only strayed a few streets away from where she lived. We were happy to reunite the two, just in time for Christmas," Officer Rodrigues said. "Tinsel - who is actually called Safi - was very happy to see her beloved owner and jumped straight up on his lap making biscuits.”

Safi has now been microchipped, and the RSPCA wanted to stress the importance of microchipping. “If she had been chipped, she wouldn't have come into us and would have been immediately returned to her worried owner,” she said. "Microchipping can certainly offer pet owners peace of mind. The microchip can be scanned and matched to the owner’s contact details which are kept on a database. 

“If an owner moves house or changes their telephone number they must also make sure that they tell the database they are registered with so that they have up-to-date contact details. If the information on that database is old and out-of-date then the chip is useless. Telling your vet does not automatically update the details on the database but this is something you can do yourself online.”

RSPCA Cymru is currently calling on the Welsh Government to commit to the compulsory microchipping of cats - with compulsory microchipping of cats England to be introduced this upcoming March. Under the plans it will become a legal requirement for cat owners to microchip their cats after 20 weeks of age and to ensure their contact details are stored and kept up to date in a pet microchipping database. 

Under the new legislation, cat owners in England will have until 10 June, 2024 to microchip their cats. Owners found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to get one implanted or may face a fine of up to £500. 

While the Welsh Government’s Animal Welfare Plan for Wales promised to "consider extending compulsory microchipping to include kittens and cats", there has not been any firm commitments or timelines published, RSPCA Cymru said.