Cats are known for their wandering ways, but one adventurous feline took it to the next level – roaming from his Calais home into Italy and into the back of a haulage lorry, which took him across the channel to the UK and on a road trip to Shropshire!
His epic journey took him through three countries and seven counties – taking a total of 12 months – and his journey ended at Southwater Vets in Telford.
Affectionately dubbed “Pierre” by the team at Southwater Vets, he has returned home safely this week following his unexpected 1,200-mile round trip, after his owners were traced through his microchip.
Found in the back of a lorry that had travelled from Italy, through France and into the UK, the cat – whose real name was Ushuaia – spent an extended holiday with the Telford veterinary firm until it was safe for him to be reunited with his owner.
Rachel Harvey, Practice Manager at Southwater Veterinary Group, said: “It was quite a surprise to have Pierre brought into reception, with no idea where he’d come from or how he’d snuck his way into the HGV.
“Fortunately, he was microchipped and we learned he was registered to a French database. After some digging, Pierre’s owner was traced and we managed to speak with her using Google Translate. It turns out he’d been missing for over 12 months from his home near Calais!”
Nicole Souillard, Pierre’s rightful owner, was thrilled to hear her cat was alive and made plans to travel to the UK to be reunited with him.
After just under a fortnight in isolation at the veterinary practice, Pierre then spent two more weeks quarantined in Dover before Nicole was able to collect him and take him home.
Rachel said: “This is the happiest ending we could have hoped for, for such an extraordinary story. Pierre is safely back home in France with his family, none the worse for his travels and certainly with a tale to tell his friends!
“This is fantastic proof of the importance of microchipping your pets and updating those details if your address changes. If Pierre, or should I say Ushuaia, hadn’t been microchipped, the outcome likely would not have been the same.”
During his time at Southwater Vets, Pierre remained in quarantine and received treatment for an abscess under his chin and an ulcer.
Rachel added: “He didn’t seem to mind his new surroundings and he settled nicely into his routine of wound cleaning, medication – and of course cuddles. There was a hint of sadness among the team when he began his return route as we’d grown to love his company.”
Southwater Veterinary Group is an independent veterinary practice based in Telford. For more information about their work, please visit southwatervets.co.uk or facebook.com/southwatervets
