Vets were baffled when a cat found in London following a near-fatal hit and run turned out to be FRENCH.
Ginger moggy Meliodas has been miraculously reunited with his owner after he was found bleeding on a stranger’s doorstep with a broken pelvis and neck fracture.
Scans revealed he was marked with a French microchip and the RSCPA enlisted the help of its networking administrator, French national Agnes Harinquet-Rougeot.
Enquiries eventually reunited Meliodas with his owner Steve Carrier-Simon, who moved to Raynes Park, south west London, from Belgium earlier this year.
He said: “Meliodas is now back home and is doing well from his surgery.
“His surgeons said that because he is still very young – only a year and a half – his body is recovering well.
“He now has a metallic square in his pelvis as part of the surgery, but he seems to be doing well, I am just so grateful that the RSPCA were able to help him and that Agnes made such an effort to find me and didn’t give up.
“I would just like to thank everyone at the RSPCA for being so helpful and I would encourage other people to ensure that they get their pets microchipped as it definitely saved my boy.”
Meliodas was found on the doorstep bleeding from his hind quarter and unable to stand.
Vets at the RSPCA hospital in Putney who gave the cat painkillers found he was probably hit by a car which caused his near-fatal injuries.
Agnes initially contacted the French microchip company i-cad, then posted details on both English and French lost and found websites.
I-cad emailed Steve, who went straight to the RSPCA hospital and was able to take home Meliodas after his treatment was finished.
Agnes said: “I am so pleased that I have been able to reunite Steve with his beloved Meliodas, and it just shows once again the importance of getting your pet microchipped.
“Every animal which comes to Putney is always scanned for a chip, and we will do all we can to trace the owner, no matter what country they are from and I am delighted that in this case it was a happy ending for all.
“Sadly for those animals without a chip, it is so hard to reunite them, we always put their details on the Pets Located website, but if they are chipped and the details are up to date we can reunite them so much quicker.
“While it is heart-breaking to lose a pet, if they are microchipped there is a small part of reassurance that should they be found they will make their way back home to you.
“But it is also worth reminding people that if you do chip your animal, please always update the details should you move.
“In this instance Steve had been trying to do this, since moving to London in June.”
