Lost cat reunited with owner after 10 years (Details)

A cat which went missing a decade ago has been reunited with its owner.

Harry disappeared from Mark Salisbury’s former home in Ipswich, Suffolk, in 2008 but last month he turned up at the Ipswich branch of the Blue Cross.

The charity was told his elderly owner had died but after scanning the cat’s microchip Harry was traced back to Mr Salisbury, who now lives in Gloucestershire.

Mr Salisbury said he “could never quite bring myself to cancel the microchip”.

The ginger and white kitten was one of two Mr Salisbury got from a farm near Great Yarmouth when he was in his early 30s.

“He didn’t turn up one day when I was calling the pair of them in,” he said.

“His brother, who was always a hooligan, his behaviour changed markedly – he was very shy, wasn’t keen on going out and became very clingy.”

After searching for the lost kitten for more than a year, Mr Salisbury almost gave up hope when he moved out of the area but could never bring himself to cancel the microchip.

“Every time I moved home I would email the firm and update them,” he said.

“But after 10 years, you think that’s it and you make peace with that.”

Mr Salisbury said he was “surprised” and “so happy” to find out his cat had been found in May.

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Harry is now living in Gloucester with Mr Salisbury’s mother Carolyn Clark, as he thinks reintroducing the cat to his brother after 10 years would be unfair.

“Harry the cat adores living with us now,” said Ms Clark.

“Eventually we will let him go out and – hopefully – come back to us.”

Susie Winship, from Blue Cross Suffolk, said an owner being reunited with their pet after a 10 year break was “one of the longest” they had seen.