Monty the cat with owner Derrick. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
After going missing before Christmas last year, Monty the cat made it home just in time for this year’s celebration.
Monty went missing on December 10, 2019, just after owners Julie and Derrick Foley moved to Masterton from New Plymouth.
“He only came to this house for a few nights before he went missing,” Julie said.
The couple had listed him missing on a variety of lost pet databases.
“One time someone had posted saying that they’d seen a ginger cat, but when we looked, it obviously wasn’t Monty.”
Monty, who was now seven years old, had been with his owners since he was a kitten.
Originally from the SPCA, he had never been a great fan of being petted or picked up, Julie said.
Over the past few months, he had occasionally been seen near Masterton District Council’s animal shelter. Derrick thought he had seen Monty in nearby streets a couple of times.
“He’s basically, by all accounts, been living under the dog pound.”
Council staff were eventually able to scan Monty’s microchip and identify his owners.
“I’m very pleased we had him microchipped because that meant someone was able to find him,” Julie said.
She recommended micro-chipping to all cat owners.
“If they do get lost, it increases the chance of finding them, even after a year,” she said.
The Foleys picked Monty up and took him home on Christmas Eve.
He was having a look around the house and getting used to it.
“It couldn’t be a better Christmas present, to get him home safe and in good condition.”
