Cats are some of the most precious family anyone can have. They are there for us through thick and thin, not to mention the bonus healing purr powers. When a member of our family goes missing, it can devastate our entire world. We sit, thinking of all the things that may have happened to our beloved pet. Well, this story of a cat named Ziggy who went missing has a happy ending, only the happy ending comes eleven years later!
Ziggy Goes Missing
Ruth Orme of Hertfordshire, England, adopted one-year-old Ziggy when he was a kitten. Ziggy is very adventurous and loves exploring the outdoors. He would go outside to explore, but he always came back. But in 2011, Ziggy went for his usual stroll and didn’t return. Ruth and her boyfriend went out each night looking for Ziggy. They shook treat bags, food bags, posted flyers, and tried following up on tips where he’d been spotted.
“He went out one day as usual back in 2011, and never came back. We’d had him just under a year, he was fully grown. We posted flyers throughout the town, went out night after night shaking food and following sightings but had no luck.”
Ruth continued the search for Ziggy, but her search continued to come up empty. As the years went on, Ruth’s hopes of finding him kept disappearing piece by piece. Surely, after all this time, either someone else had taken him in, or the unthinkable may have happened.
One Day, Ruth Got An Interesting Phone Call
Living in Royston, Herts now, Ruth and her boyfriend had long since broken up. But she ended up getting a phone call from him eleven years later, and it was about Ziggy.
“On Sunday, my ex had a phone call from a microchip database saying someone had found our cat.”
Ziggy had been through a lot in a decade! He was outside, and his picture was posted to a Royston animal reporting page by a Facebook user. A woman from the local rescue group came to check out if Ziggy was still there, and sure enough, he was. She scanned him for a microchip, which led to Ruth’s phone call.
What was Ziggy doing for eleven years? He actually didn’t stray far from home. A couple of boys found him out on the Royston industrial estate; the theory goes they kept him for all those years. Ruth believes that he was probably a stray for most of the years and was fed by neighboring homes. But would Ziggy be ok in his “new” home with his old owner after all these years?
“He hasn’t changed much at all and we’re obviously in shock – super grateful he’s back home. He looks the same, and his temperament hasn’t changed. He still loves a cuddle.” Ruth says. “We can’t tell if he recognises us because he was always such a friendly cat, but he’s been sitting on our laps and purring happily. I really hope he settles back in.”
He has a new brother, too! Years after Ziggy went missing; she adopted Freddie. The pair have met, but in typical bro-fashion, they don’t seem to mind each other at all. Ziggy’s story is an inspiration to all who have had a pet gone missing to never give up hope. You never know when they’ll return home again!
