Missing cat reunited with owner after 14 years

By Imogen Howse

An elderly cat was reunited with its owner - after 14 YEARS.

Pet Charlotte disappeared from her home in Maida Vale, west London back in 2010 - much to the despair of her devoted owner Vivien Tarlton.

Vivien searched everywhere for Charlotte, putting posters on trees, sticking leaflets through front doors - and even asking a psychic to help locate her.

As the years passed, Vivien had to stop actively looking - but admitted she "never lost hope" that they would one day be reunited.

And earlier this month, Vivien's dreams came true when she received a call from the RSPCA to say Charlotte had been found six miles away in Lambeth, south London.

RSPCA officers said Charlotte, now aged 20, had been living a "semi-feral" existence in the borough - although in recent years she had been fed by a local resident.

However, this resident noticed Charlotte's health decline as she aged - prompting her to contact the animal welfare charity.

RSPCA inspector Jade Guthrie collected Charlotte and managed to track down Vivien via a microchip implanted several years ago.

Soon, Charlotte became the center of attention at Vivien's home and was even able to spend time with her son Harley - one of a litter of six she gave birth to just a month before she vanished in 2010.

Sadly though, the feline’s health had deteriorated to such an extent that the happy reunion was a fleeting one.

Vivien was advised by her vet that the prognosis for Charlotte was poor - and that the kindest course of action was to put her to sleep.

But Vivien was able to shower long-missing Charlotte with plenty of love for the last two weeks of her life - and says she is extremely grateful to the caller and the RSPCA for making that possible.

Vivien said: "I’ve gone from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, but the 16 days Charlotte was with me was lovely.

"She was home and safe - although I suspected her time with me might be short.

"When she lived with me, she was quite feral. But it is still amazing that she managed to get to the other side of London and had someone feeding her there.

"She must have jumped on a bus as it is quite a distance.

"I never gave up hope of seeing her again as she was an amazing little cat.

"When she disappeared, I kept two of her kittens. Holly died in 2019, but Harley is still with me."

Vivien said it was only recently that she was wondering where Charlotte had ended up - after realizing she would be 20 or 21 years old now.

"I needed to know what happened to her and I’m so grateful to the lady who called the RSPCA," Vivien said.

"But I am devastated as Charlotte was on this planet for 20 years - yet she was with me only for five years."

RSPCA inspector Guthrie said that when Charlotte was rescued she was in very poor health - barely able to walk and suffering with a large clump of matted fur on her back.

Guthrie said: "It looks like the cat was living feral for a long time and was 'looked after' for years by our caller who thought she was a stray.

"It was only recently that her health took a dip and when we got the call, it was a surprise to find that she was microchipped.

“After an emotional phone call I returned Charlotte to her old owner [Vivien] who was delighted as she’d never given up hope that she would see her cat again."

Guthrie also stressed that Charlotte was only reunited with Vivien because she was microchipped - and reminded owners that from June 2024 it became a legal requirement for cats to be microchipped from 20 weeks of age.

The RSPCA says there are always difficulties determining whether a cat is a stray or not - as cats naturally roam.

But usually things like a feline's health, weight, general appearance, and whether it's "hanging around crying for food" are good indicators.

The RSPCA tries to rehome as many cats as possible but sadly there are more cats than adopters.

Therefore, at the start of October the charity launched its "Adoptober" campaign - after revealing there is a rehoming crisis across England and Wales, with most centers at full capacity.

The Adoptober rehoming campaign is urging animal lovers to adopt a pet from an RSPCA branch or local rescue center- rather than buying from a breeder.