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Brixton the cat was missing and as each day passed, her family began to lose hope. It had been two months since Brixton disappeared and – to make things worse – it had happened away from home.

The brown moggy was visiting relatives for the weekend and, when her cat sitters rang the dinner bell, to their dismay poor Brixton was nowhere to be seen. The Spouges were shocked and saddened by the news. Brixton had stayed at the household on numerous occasions and had always returned.

As a timid cat, they assumed Brixton may have just been hiding, so the following morning they conducted a thorough search of the surrounding neighbourhood. Sadly, they came home empty-handed.

Brixton was missing for two whole months.

Grieving for the loss of their beloved cat

Brixton’s owner Sam was fearing the worst. She kept relaying all the terrible scenarios in her head of what could have happened.

Brixton could be out in the elements, shivering in the rain – or even worse, she could have been hit by a car.

“We were very worried about her and were concerned she had been hit by a car,” said Sam.

“She is a homebody and loves laying around on our beds and rarely leaves the house, much less the property, so it was out of character for her to stay away.

“We also were aware of the horribly cold and wet weather she would have been out in. The kids were very upset and missed her.”

Sam adopted the cat from the RSPCA three years prior. As part of the adoption process, Brixton had been microchipped. This fact gave Sam and her family some hope.

A cat’s way home

A timid Brixton sought shelter in a backyard property in Seaford Rise. She was less than a kilometre away from home and was in desperate need of help.

It didn’t take the property owner long to notice something was wrong. Brixton had an open sore on her back and had lost a considerable amount of weight.

After spending a number of days building Brixton’s trust, the Seaford resident was able to lure the stray cat into his laundry. RSPCA Rescue Team member Mel was promptly dispatched to collect the cat and check for a microchip.

A much-awaited family reunion

It was through pure luck that Sam answered a call from an unknown number. Assuming it was a scam call, she reluctantly answered on the final ring.

“I was in shock (but obviously very happy). We truly thought she had to be dead, she’s not the most friendly cat to strangers so we didn’t think anyone had taken her in permanently, I can’t imagine how she survived so long,” laughed Sam.

“She is remarkably unscathed considering she had been away so long. She has a scratch on her back and lost some weight but otherwise, she’s healthy.”

Since arriving home Brixton has affectionately been making up for lost time.

“She is VERY affectionate now, before she was very aloof, and is even hanging around my two-year-old for cuddles; she normally avoids the toddler as much as possible.”

The importance of microchipping your cat

With only 3% of cats microchipped, the chances of finding a missing feline are slim. If it weren’t for Brixton’s microchip, he may have never found his way home. Sam was grateful at how quickly she was contacted after he was rescued.

“It’s so important. There is no chance we would have got her back without being chipped. As far as I am aware, within a few minutes of the RSPCA scanning her when she was found, I had the phone call, and within 15 minutes of that, she was back home,” said Sam.

Having your cat microchipped is not only mandatory under SA’s Dog and Cat Management laws, but it can also deliver hope in your hour of need. Our rescue team and inspectors routinely catch cats who have strayed away from home and thankfully they are able to reunite them with their families – IF they have microchips. Implanting a microchip is an easy, harmless process that can be done at any veterinary clinic.