Missing cat found in England feral colony nearly a year later and 100 miles from home

A missing cat is gaining national attention in the U.K. after it was found in a feral colony roughly 100 miles away from its original home. 

Nearly a year after he disappeared, Ginge, the cat, made it back to his owner after a microchip scan — a step prompted by a volunteer who felt his unusually sociable behavior did not match the other colony cats.

Here's what to know

According to BBC News, while tending a feral colony near Manchester, Lucy Roche — a branch leader for the local cat rescue organization the Cat Action Trust 1977 — noticed that Ginge stood out from the rest.

"I was stroking him and I thought he's so friendly he could be somebody's cat," Roche said to the outlet.

After catching him with a humane trap, Roche brought Ginge to a vet, where his microchip was checked, and the details led staff to his owner, Beth, in Sunderland.

When Roche got in touch, Beth reacted with a "flood of tears," BBC News reported, and struggled to believe Ginge had been discovered after so much time.

Rather than being taken in by another household, the missing pet had apparently been surviving alongside a feral colony far from home.

More background

Across Leeds, volunteers from Cat Action Trust 1977 look after feral cat colonies by bringing essentials such as food, water, and warm shelters, while also arranging vet treatment and neutering when necessary.

When a colony is in a dangerous spot, the charity can relocate cats to homes or to rural places including farms.

Roche told BBC News that a 2024 rule making cat microchipping mandatory has become an important tool for charities trying to return lost animals to their families.

What's being done?

Because Ginge seemed different from the other colony cats, Roche had him scanned and then kept him comfortable in a safe place while his owners made arrangements to pick him up.

"He was snuggled up next to me and was flat out snoozing because he was so tired," she said. "I don't think he's had a good night's sleep in ages."

Roche said the Leeds branch relies entirely on volunteers and now faces "non-stop calls for help" each day, underscoring the strain animal charities are experiencing.

Roche said to BBC News the need for that work is only growing: "So many cats are getting abandoned, lost or injured. We just want to make life better for all cats."

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