She was reunited with her cat after 10 years (stock) (Image: Getty)
While some cats are content lounging on the windowsill throughout the day, others favour exploring the neighbourhood and marking their territory. That’s precisely how Ned spent his time after Jess adopted him in 2014. But the feline was so attached to his patch that he would return to it even after Jess moved house, and she frequently had to collect him whenever he disappeared.
Jess, who goes by @ned_comes_home on TikTok, described how the buyer of her former home began recognising Ned and started caring for him as well, resulting in him having two homes for a period. However, one day Ned left on his usual neighbourhood rounds and failed to come back, prompting an extensive search, with both households attempting to locate the roaming cat.
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Unfortunately, they couldn’t find him, and Jess was forced to abandon her search, eventually adopting another cat several years later. Yet after a decade, she received a phone call from a veterinary surgery enquiring whether she owned a cat named Ned, who was now aged 12.
As it transpired, Ned had been living with an elderly lady for the previous three years, but as she was entering residential care, she wanted to ensure he had a home. She reported he simply appeared one day, and she had no knowledge of his whereabouts during the other seven years.
On TikTok, Jess revealed: “They scanned his microchip, and my details came up. The crazy thing is he wasn’t far from where my previous house was and the one I moved out of originally. I’m just glad I didn’t change my number on the microchip!”
Following this discovery, Jess immediately drove to collect her long-lost companion.
She said: “He was nervous when I collected him, but he is beginning to settle and feel comfortable. I have another cat, Bluey, so Ned is in the spare room adjusting to life back in a house before meeting Bluey.
“A week later, he is definitely settling and is so friendly, just like I remember! He enjoys a quieter life and fewer extravagant adventures.”
Throughout England, Wales, and Scotland, microchipping is legally mandatory for all dogs, while in England, cats must also be microchipped. Pet owners who fail to comply could face a significant fine of up to £500.
In Northern Ireland, microchipping is necessary when obtaining a dog licence, which is compulsory for most dog ownership. The process can be performed by a vet or veterinary nurse, typically costing between £15 and £25.
Animal welfare charity Blue Cross states that microchips are minuscule computer chips approximately the size of a grain of rice. Each contains a unique code connected to your pet’s details stored on an approved database. If a pet goes missing, the chip can be scanned to retrieve the owner’s contact information.
