Missing cat reunited with owner after 35 mile journey to Burnley, thanks to microchip

Jean, who didn't give her surname, was ‘heartbroken’ when her cat, Lady Grey, went missing last October, and eventually gave up hope of ever seeing her again.

Thankfully, the curious cat was found by two builders in an unoccupied house in Burnley and after a few calls Lynne Norris, of East Lancashire Cats, was called to the rescue.

Jean reunited with Lady Grey after a year (Image: Lynne Norris)

Lynne said: “I received a phone call from a friend asking if I could check for a microchip on a young cat that had been handed over to her from a colleague.

“Because we rescue, I have a microchip reader but we had no expectations the cat would have a chip because we just thought it was a stray, but it did.”

Lynne took the cat to the vets who were successful in finding the rightful owner on the database.

Due to data protection, the vet couldn’t tell Lynne who the owner was but received a phone call from Jean who was ‘overwhelmed with emotion’.

Jean told Lynne that one evening, twelve months ago, she had let both her cats out but, sadly, only one returned home.

After tirelessly searching for, Jean eventually had to give up and try to accept the loss.

Somehow, Lady Grey had managed to wander around 37 miles from her home in Wigan all the way to an unoccupied house in Burnley.

Lynne says that, without the microchip, “who knows what would have happened to Lady Grey.”

She added: “Even though she was miles from home she is now back where she belongs. And that is the importance of microchipping your pet.

“For a nominal fee you have peace of mind knowing that there is a strong likelihood that in the event of your pet straying, you can be re-united once again.”

Lynne and her colleague Andrea Lee have been working for East Lancashire Cats – a volunteer cat rescue and welfare group – for years but took over as managers in May 2022.

They cover East Lancashire, Preston, Garstang, Chorley and have eight fosterers who help rescue stray and abandoned cats.

Lynne’s main priority is homing cats and providing fosterers with food, litter, and anything else they might need.

She added: “We also take cats to get vaccinated or microchipped which is really rewarding.

"Then we get lovely families who give these cats an individual loving home and then we’re on to the next one.

“So it’s never ending but so rewarding, especially stories like Lady Grey’s.”

East Lancashire Cats regularly do tombolas, raffles, and fairs to raise as much money as possible and always welcome donations to support the cats in need.