A Campbell River cat has been reunited with its owners after being missing for nearly four years.
Spaz went out his kitty door one day in July 2017 when his family was having a wedding party in the backyard. He didn’t return that night like he always did and after a few days, his owners began to worry.
“I probably made about 50 flyers saying he was missing and I posted them all over town,” said Cindy Buckler, Spaz’s owner.
Even as the years went by, Buckler remained hopeful knowing one thing about Spaz: he loved camping with them and was a good hunter.
“Whether it was at home or camping he was always bringing in birds, mice and shrews so we figured he might be getting enough to eat,” she said.
Buckler and her fiance were concerned about predators but then in January, Spaz showed up at a mobile home park about seven kilometres away.
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A resident of the park had fed the skittish cat for a few days before calling the SPCA.
“Once he came into the branch we were able to trace his owners using his tattoo,” said Campbell River SPCA branch manager Stephanie Arkwright.
Then the call to Cindy was made Saturday afternoon.
“She’s like we have your cat Spaz and I was in such shock, I’m like he’s been missing for almost four years. I almost thought it was a joke,” said Buckler.
Soon, they were reunited thanks mostly to the tattoo.
“Permanent identification on animals like tattoos or microchips is the key to being able to reunite them with their owners especially in cases like Spaz where he had been missing for so long,” added Arkwright.
“Where he has been for almost four years, we really have no clue,” noted Buckler.
He’s now home, however, and they’re not letting him outside again anytime soon.
Dean Stoltz
