Last week, an international cat was reunited with his family after seven years, thanks to TEARS Animal Rescue Community Cat Project and the power of the microchip. This cat was unique in that he was born in Dubai and was brought to South Africa with his family where, a few years later, he ran away.
Padfoot was a tiny, malnourished kitten when Cathy Bird’s young daughter, Kira, found him next to a dirt truck on the streets of Dubai and rescued him, in 2009. The family relocated to South Africa, bringing their beloved Padfoot with them. Three years later, the family got a new puppy. As the puppy grew, Padfoot disliked it more and more and eventually ran away. The Bird family searched for their cat but didn’t find him. They never stopped talking about their Padfoot and his beautiful unique “cat eyeliner” markings. They often wondered how he was doing, and, at times stopped their cars when they saw cats that resembled Padfoot, but it wasn’t him.
For the next seven years, Padfoot lived at a nearby caravan park and survived thanks to residents, Sandra Brice van Eyk and another lady, who fed him. He was feral and spent most of his time outside but would come into Sandra’s home when it was cold. He’d even sleep on her bed. Although his carers knew him as an affectionate and loving cat, he was a big male, and eventually, someone in the area asked the TEARS Community Cat Project to catch him. Sandra was also worried about him as he had lost a lot of hair around his nose. However, he was too feral to ever be put in a box to take to the vet, maybe he was still traumatised from being in a box on the long trip from Dubai.
Claire Shadbolt, TEARS Animal Rescue’s Cattery Coordinator, put out a trap for the cat. “We assumed he would be an aggressive, unneutered male but when we got him, we saw that he had been neutered and he had a microchip,” she says. “Initially, we couldn’t track the chip as it had been done in Dubai.” Claire took photos of him and posted them on all the animal groups and community pages.
“I woke up to a voice note from Sandra saying she’d been feeding him for about seven years. She wanted to know where he was, and I had to reassure her that the cat was safe. Then I got a message from Tara Bird, Kira’s sister, who came to the vet with the microchip number so we could make 100% sure that it was Padfoot. Kira, who currently resides in Japan, also called me to say it was definitely Padfoot. “She was delighted,” says Claire. “He’d been living about 50m away all this time, being fed by Sandra and another neighbour. The family couldn’t believe it!”
Cathy Bird, Kira’s mom, still lived in the same house. In the interim, the dog has died and Padfoot could return as an only-pet to the home. The whole family is elated about finding Padfoot. “Cathy’s husband has recently passed away and she feels that in her grief she has regained a long-lost family member,” says Claire.
“The family is delighted. Thanks to the Community Cat Project another cat is off the streets and back in a comfortable home. This shows the importance of microchipping all your pets. It is the best way to be reunited with them should they get lost. As animal rescue workers there is nothing more satisfying than reuniting pets with their loving owners. We are so happy for Padfoot. We have given him a full vet check and the cat is in perfect health, with a bit of sun damage on his nose,” she says. “We have also updated his microchip.”
As a side note to the above: the press statement from Soupbox overlooked the significance and importance of neutering cats in the above paragraph, which is just as crucial as microchipping. While Padfoot was sterilized upon his arrival at TEARS, many cat owners often overlook the importance of budgeting for this vital yet costly procedure. To be fair, the press release highlights the importance of sponsorship for sterilizations and microchips for strays towards the end. So yes, it seems repetitive, but this emphasis is crucial, as it reinforces the vital message about the need to SPAY/NEUTER cats and STERILIZE dogs. The same can be said for humans, in my very honest opinion, but that’s a topic for a more cannabis-tinged mental state, so moving on…
Cathy Bird explained that the irony of the years that have passed since she and Padfoot last saw each other was that she has a view of the trees in the caravan park from her home. “I look onto the caravan park and I wonder if Padfoot ever sat in those trees looking back at me,” she says.
Microchip your cat or donate TEARS Animal Rescue to sponsor a sterilization and microchip of a stray animal that will be adopted out through TEARS.
Better yet…
Other Cat Survivors Who Made It Home
Padfoot, born in Dubai but raised as a beloved feline citizen of South Africa—specifically as a member of the Mother City Cat Clang—is not the only cat who has been reunited with its family thanks to a microchip.
In October 2024, a lost cat from California was found after he survived a 900-Mile trek over two months from Wyoming back home (well, almost) to California.
In August 2024, Rayne Beau’s cat parents received incredible news when a microchip company informed them that their beloved cat had been found at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Roseville, California—almost 1,448 kilometer from Yellowstone in Wyoming. Remarkably, he was only about 200 miles (322 kilometers) away from his home in Salinas.
Like Padfoot’s story, Rayne Beau was lucky to find a compassionate human who selflessly helped the dehydrated and lost cat. This heroic “super-cat-woman” first spotted the poor cat wandering the streets of a Northern California city, offering him food and water before successfully trapping him on August 3 and bringing him to the local SPCA for much-needed care.
The following day, the Anguianos set off for Roseville to retrieve their cat, whose paws appeared as if they had just completed a marathon. Rayne Beau had lost 40% of his body weight, dropping 6 pounds.
A tribute to the Cat Angels of the world
I are profoundly grateful to the Cat Angels of this world, especially Sandra Brice van Eyk and another selfless lady who nourished, cared for, and showered love upon Padfoot. Their unwavering concern, particularly during moments of uncertainty when news from TEARS was lacking, truly exemplifies the power of compassion and dedication.
On behalf of the Cats of Cape Town, as well as cat parents across South Africa and the globe, we salute humans like Sandra, her friend and the lady from Roseville, who prioritize the well being of cats, even at their own expense. Your selfless dedication to alleviating their hunger and distress is truly commendable.
I am certain that Sandra misses Padfoot’s presence tremendously. However, I’m willing to bet that he will return to the place he called home for the past seven years, even if its purely to express his gratitude for the love and care he received from her—never once asking for it, yet receiving it wholeheartedly.
