Family reunited with cat after three years

Her owners described it as a miracle that Bibby, the black cat, had survived on her own for so long.

“She’s a timid little soul, so wouldn’t approach you if she was scared,” owner Grace Kelly said.

“It was heartbreaking to think that she was cold, hungry and terrified, but we were steadfast in our efforts to reunite with her.”

A concerned islander in Perelle reported seeing a mysterious black cat on a wildlife camera eating hedgehog food and leftover birdseed. She contacted Sue Vidamour, who previously ran Guernsey Animal Aid, who was able to trap Bibby and then track down her surprised owners via the cat’s microchip.

The Kelly family moved from a house in Perelle to the Vale in January 2022 when Bibby disappeared after being shocked as they were packing up the house.

“We vividly remember there was a terrible storm the night we moved, but we thought she was taking shelter nearby and would be back in a few days,” said Grace Kelly, who has three cats with her mother Sarah .

In addition to Bibby, there are Button and Toulouse, Bibby’s mother and uncle.

‘Bibby was the only baby to survive her nest. We’ve always jokingly said she’s a bit headstrong, and the vet said her injuries from an attack by another cat indicated she didn’t have the usual survival instincts.”

In the days, weeks and months after Bibby went missing, the Kellys spent hours in Perelle, searching alleys, fields and outbuildings.

“We walked for miles in the middle of winter, shaking dreamy people and calling for our girl. There were a few tears shed in the process,” Miss Kelly said.

‘We sat outside the old house with her litter box, we knocked on doors in the parish and beyond, we handed out leaflets, we advertised online, on the radio and in the press, and we investigated every sighting of a potential Bibby.

‘We got to know every black cat on the west coast of Guernsey.

“There was a level of acceptance over the past two years that we might never see her again or find out what had happened, but we always hoped that by some miracle she would find her way back.”

Ultimately, Bibby was found just a half mile from her old home.

Miss Kelly said being reunited with her beloved cat had been a lesson in perseverance.

‘If you have a missing cat, don’t give up hope, keep looking and spread the word. Make sure your cats are microchipped and keep your information up to date,” she said.

“And to anyone reading, if you see a cat hanging around your property, don’t chase it away and please report it. It could be a lost cat waiting for help.”

Guernsey’s Lost & Found Pets page (formerly Guernsey Animal Aid) can be found on Facebook.

In the 1990s, cats were chipped.

A small microchip is placed under the pet’s skin, giving the animal its own unique code.

The microchip can be scanned and linked to the owner’s contact information, which is maintained in a national database, such as PetLog.

Microchipping is only effective if the data is kept up to date, for example when owners move or change their telephone number.

In Britain, cat owners now have to ensure their pets are microchipped before they are 20 weeks old.

But in Guernsey, chipping is highly recommended.

The GSPCA offers microchips for £4.99 at the shelter. The charity has previously said that four out of five cat deaths require a microchip so they can contact the owner.