Microchip Helps 18-Year-Old Cat Missing for 14 Years Reunite with Her Family

Someone needs to get Chelsea the cat a ghost writer, because this senior kitty has a story to tell.

For the past 14 years, the black cat has been on the streets of Sydney, Australia, after disappearing from her home when she was 4 years old, reports TODAY Australia.

Her family, who assumed the cat had died after failing to find her during their initial search 14 years ago, is ecstatic to have the feline back in their lives.

Chelsea’s journey home started last week when she was picked up by the animal rescue group The Mini Kitty Commune. The rescue found the cat wandering the streets  “frail, starving, emaciated and terribly matted,” according to a Facebook post.

In an effort to get the kitty, who the rescue named Dante, cleaned up and on the road to good health they sent her to Abbotsbury Veterinary Clinic. There, the veterinarian soon discovered that the “stray” had a microchip.

A quick scan of the chip revealed the cat had a family, a name and was listed as deceased. Obviously still alive, Chelsea was reunited with her shocked family soon after the vet made the discovery.

“I was quite surprised, it was the last phone call I expected,” the cat’s owner, Lee McKenzie, told TODAY Australia.

After being treated at the vet for dehydration and getting a much needed haircut, Chelsea is in surprisingly good health for a senior cat.

Can’t get enough of cats, dogs and other furry friends? Click here to get the cutest pet news and photos delivered directly to your inbox. 

“For an 18-year-old cat, she’s really healthy,” Dr. Patricia Carnovale, the vet who treated Chelsea, told the Australian morning show. “I didn’t expect her to be that old, especially out to fend for herself.”

McKenzie is currently waiting to get approval from her landlord to bring Chelsea home. If she is unable to open her home to the feline, her daughter will adopt Chelsea.

As with many other pet reunions, this one was made possible by a microchip, an important reminder to pet parents to make sure all their animals are microchipped in case they ever go missing.