Mystery of 200-mile wanderer

Posted on January 27, 2006

A Devon cat which vanished from its Exmouth home two months ago has been reunited with his loving family thanks to microchipping.

Barney was living as a stray in Eaton Bray and was taken to the Ark House Veterinary Surgery in Hockliffe Street, Leighton Buzzard, where he was routinely scanned by vet Caroline Goulton.

Caroline said the man who took Barney in had planned to adopt him, but decided to have the moggy checked over just in case someone, somewhere, was looking for him.

It was a suprise to everyone to learn that Barney was more than 200 miles away from home. How he got here remains a mystery and Barney's not telling, but speculation is that he accidentally stowed away on a delivery van or similar vehicle.

"People had been feeding him and he was in good health," said Caroline.

"We have so many cats brought in who are not microchipped and it's so nice that he is going home. It really does show that it is well worth considering."

Caroline contacted Barney's owners, Debbie Percy and Mike Horn, who were amazed to learn that he was alive and well and living in South Beds.

"It was just the most fantastic news," said Mike. "Debbie is a teacher at a local school and when I telephoned to tell her Barney had been found you could hear her squeals of delight echoing up and down the corridors.

"We thought we had lost him forever when suddenly the phone rings and he is coming home."

They made arrangements for Mike to collect the missing pet. Mike said one-year-old Barney loves to go walkabout and it wasn't until he had been missing for three days that they began to worry.

"We did all the usual things, walked the streets putting up posters, asked everyone we knew if they had seen him, but he;d gone.

"We really missed him, Benji our son missed him, Bramble and Blackberry, and Badger the dog missed him too.

"Now we're all delighted and looking forward to a big reunion."

Source: Dunstable Gazette, 25 January 2006