A VETERINARY practice in Liskeard has reunited a cat with its owner nearly 19 months after he went missing, providing a heartwarming reminder of the vital role microchipping plays in bringing lost pets home.

Gutzey, a 14-year-old tabby, vanished from his Camelford home in June 2024. Despite months of searching, owner Sam Hobbs and her family feared they would never see their beloved cat again. That fear was finally lifted when a member of the public discovered Gutzey living in a shed in the Widegates area and brought him to Luxstowe Vets in Liskeard.

“When he arrived, we scanned his microchip and quickly discovered he was registered as missing, 30 miles from home,” said Rachel Higgins, veterinary nurse at Luxstowe Vets. “Thanks to his microchip, we were able to share the good news with Sam, and within hours, Gutzey was back home. It was an incredibly emotional reunion, and it really shows the value of microchipping.

Rachel said: “Thanks to his microchip, we were delighted to be able to share the good news with Gutzey’s owner that her pet had been found and within hours of arriving at our practice he was on his way home. The reunion was incredibly emotional, and it was lovely to see Gutzey reunited with Sam.”

Luxstowe Vets is using Gutzey’s story to raise awareness about the benefits of microchipping. Microchips are tiny, about the size of a grain of rice, and carry a unique identification number that is logged in a database. Unlike collars or ID tags, they cannot fall off and don’t pose a risk to pets.

Microchipping is compulsory for cats and dogs in England, while many other pets – including rabbits, guinea pigs, tortoises, and ferrets – can also be chipped. The procedure is straightforward and can be performed by a vet, veterinary nurse, local authority, or an animal welfare organisation such as Cats Protection. Veterinary teams often recommend microchipping at the same time as neutering, though older pets who haven’t yet been chipped can also be safely implanted.

Rachel emphasised keeping microchip records up to date is just as important as getting the chip itself. “If you move house or change your phone number or email, make sure the database is updated,” she said. “Otherwise, your pet may never be reunited with you.”

For Sam, meanwhile, the return of Gutzey was certainly an emotional moment.

“I burst into tears when I heard he had been found,” she said. “We thought the worst had happened. He may have travelled in a delivery van, we will never know, but he is such an important part of our family. Losing him was devastating, and I had put off getting another cat because he couldn’t be replaced.”

Sam, who had Gutzey microchipped when she adopted him at two years-old, stressed the importance of microchipping for all pet owners.

“It gives you the best chance of a happy ending like ours. We are so grateful to the person who found him and to Luxstowe Vets for confirming it. Without them, he might still be missing.”