Cat found 9,000 miles from Australian home reunited with owners in Erskine

A cat registered to an address in Australia has been reunited with his owners after he was found 9,000 miles away in Renfrewshire.

The cat, named Melvin, was found on May 23 after a member of the public reported their concerns for a stray that had been visiting their home since Christmas.

They had been feeding him twice a day but had become concerned that the cat was now looking unwell and was not getting along with their own cat.

Melvin was picked up by Scottish SPCA chief inspector, Laura McIntyre, who took him to be checked by a vet and then transported him to the charity’s Glasgow Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre.

Melvin was found on May 23 after a member of the public reported their concerns for a stray cat that had been visiting their house since Christmas. SSPCA

She said: “One of the first things we do with animals when they come into our care is scan them for a microchip. As you can imagine, the team were slightly confused when Melvin’s details came back registered to an address in Australia.

“With assistance from Cats Protection, we were able to solve the mystery of Melvin’s journey to Scotland and reunite him with his owners.”

Melvin had been born in Australia and adopted as a kitten by Scottish couple Jacqueline and Matt Dick.

After 14 years living down under, the pair decided to move back home, spending 8,000 Australian Dollars to bring Melvin, and their border collie Max, back to Scotland with them.

While living in Australia, Melvin was attacked by a hungry dingo. Luckily, he was saved when the family’s German shepherd rushed out to scare the animal away. SSPCA

Laura added: “Sadly, Melvin disappeared in August 2022, just eight weeks after moving into their new Erskine home.

“We were delighted to be able to reunite Melvin with Jacqueline and Matt after all this time. It is so important to have your pets microchipped so that, as in this case, owners can be traced quickly.”

Cats Protection’s advocacy and government relations officer for Scotland, Alice Palombo, said: “Melvin’s story goes to show why microchipping is so important and we’re thrilled that he has been reunited with his owners thanks to his chip.

“Microchipping for pet cats will become compulsory for pet cats in England from next year and Cats Protection is calling for the Scottish Government to also introduce this, so Scottish cats are not left behind.”

Melvin is now safely back at home with his owners, who are delighted to have him back.

Jacqueline said: “We were devastated when Melvin went missing. We did everything we could think of to try and find him, but by winter we feared the worst.

“We were over the moon when we received the call that he’d been found by the Scottish SPCA.

“The first night we got him home he didn’t leave my side and was purring really loudly. I was in floods of tears as I never thought I’d see him again.

“We just want to say a big thank you to everyone who looked out for him while he was missing and helped get him back home where he belongs.”

This isn’t the first time that Melvin has cashed in one of his nine lives.

While living in Australia, he was attacked by a hungry dingo. Luckily, he was saved when the family’s German shepherd rushed out to scare the animal away.

If you have concerns about an animal, call the Scottish SPCA on 03000 999 999.