Glasgow cat reunited with owner after nearly 500 days

Frank, a ginger tomcat from Glasgow, was adopted as a kitten eight years ago after being found as a stray in Fort William.

Adventurous by nature, Frank often disappeared for short journeys, but when he failed to return in June 2025, his owner Joan contacted Cats Protection’s Glasgow branch for help.

Joan, a vet and Frank’s owner, said: "When I adopted him, I had him microchipped so that he could always be traced back to us.

"I knew in my heart that he was out there somewhere, but none of the ginger cats that were being found turned out to be Frank."

The breakthrough came when a woman reported to Cats Protection about a cat matching Frank’s description.

Joan said: "A lady contacted Cats Protection to say her friend had been feeding a cat that matched Frank’s description.

"It had been coming to her garden for around six months but was quite skittish so she couldn’t get close.

"She noticed it was quite skinny so began to feed it and provided an outdoor house."

Cats Protection Glasgow provided a trap in the hope the cat would go inside, and they could find out if he was microchipped.

Kirsty Ayres, welfare team leader at Cats Protection Glasgow, said: "When we managed to get Frank inside the trap and scanned his microchip, we were delighted when we realised we had found him and could reunite him with Joan.

"As a supporting vet, Joan has gone above and beyond for the charity over the years so it felt like karma that we’d got him back for her.

"We wanted to make it a surprise and when I turned up at the surgery with a covered cage, she had no idea it was Frank inside."

Reflecting on the moment she got Frank back, Joan said: "I lifted the cover, saw him and said his name in disbelief.

"As soon as he realised it was me, he cried and meowed.

"I hugged the Cats Protection volunteer who had managed to trap him and scan the microchip that led him back to me.

"We’d missed him so much, and so had our other cat, Frank’s brother.

"Now Frank’s enjoying all the cuddles and scratches he’s missed whilst away on his adventure."

Frank was reunited with his owner thanks to his microchip (Image: Cats Protection)

Cats Protection is now using Frank's story to renew calls for compulsory microchipping of owned cats in Scotland.

The charity has emphasised that microchipping offers the best chance of reuniting lost or injured cats with their owners.

Without a registered microchip, it is extremely difficult to trace an owner, a problem the charity’s staff and volunteers see on an almost daily basis.

Microchipping is a safe and permanent identification method.

Unlike collars, microchips do not come off or bring the risk of collar-related injuries.

Microchipping is already a legal requirement for owned cats in England as of 2024, following a successful campaign by Cats Protection.

The charity is now urging the Scottish Government to introduce similar legislation.

Alice Palombo, advocacy and government relations manager at Cats Protection, said: "Cats are independent and curious creatures, prone to wandering, and they can become lost.

"Microchipping is the best way of ensuring these lost cats can be returned home.

"A microchip is also a valuable tool when cats are sadly run over and injured or killed on the roads as their families can be quickly informed.

"We are hopeful that, with public support, the Scottish Government will see the long-term benefits of compulsory microchipping for cats, people and animal welfare organisations and push forward with passing it into law."

Cats Protection has launched a petition calling for compulsory microchipping in Scotland.

The petition can be signed at action.cats.org.uk/MicrochippingScotland.