Lost cat reunited with owner 12 years after going missing

By Adam Dutton and Matthew O'Hara

A beloved pet cat has been reunited with his owner 12 years after going missing—after being found just 800 yards from his home where he had been "living off scraps outdoors" for more than a decade.

Owner Angela Furnival was left devastated when Sam, a black cat, vanished in May 2014 and eventually gave up hope of ever seeing him again as the years passed.

But she was left stunned when he was found just a couple of streets away from where he initially disappeared by concerned members of the public last week.

Incredibly, it is believed Sam had survived living outdoors and through many cold winters for more than a decade, surviving only on scraps provided by neighbors.

A "gobsmacked" Furnival said she "couldn’t believe it" after veterinarians got in touch on March 20 to say her beloved lost "mog" had been found.

The 63-year-old had previously spent months searching when Sam disappeared from her then-home in Stourbridge, Worcestershire.

A couple discovered the 15-year-old cat outside their new apartment and reported it to rescue charity Paws Together Enville, who then rushed him to the vet.

Heartwarming footage captured the emotional moment Furnival was reunited with her missing cat at Kinver Edge Vets in Stourbridge after more than a decade.

Furnival, a grandmother of four who now lives in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, said: "When I got the call, I honestly couldn’t believe it; it was just wonderful. I assumed that Sam wouldn’t return.

“I got Sam with his brother Toby from a local rescue charity in 2011.

"I kept them in at first, as you do, and let them out after a month or so.

"But Sam didn’t come back after I let him out to explore.

“It was heartbreaking. I went out putting notes and letters out, I checked the nearby school and fields. But he never came back and I never found him.

“I then moved back to Kidderminster in 2016; by that time Sam had been gone for two years. You come to terms with the fact that you hope someone has taken him in and been looking after him.

"Fast forward to last week—I was working with clients on Friday and I got a missed call and a voicemail from the vet.

"They said they had my cat Sam there—I was so confused. She said there was a local charity who brought him in, but I said he’s been gone for 12 years. I couldn’t believe it.

More from this section

'Iran will be at World Cup' and play in US, FIFA's Infantino tells AFP

Lost cat reunited with owner 12 years after going missing

Indian tile makers feel heat of Mideast war energy crunch

“The most unbelievable part—he was found five minutes from where I used to live in Stourbridge.

"He was by a block of apartments and I think they were giving him scraps. A couple moved in and wanted to adopt some kittens from a charity and they mentioned they’d seen Sam looking unwell in passing.

"The charity, Paws Together Enville, took him to the vet and realized he’d been microchipped.

“I’d been there many times and put leaflets out myself—I’d walked by that block many times but obviously just missed him.”

Veterinarians checked him over, but amazingly he only needed treatment for an ear infection and a thyroid problem.

Furnival rushed to the surgery last Saturday, March 21, and said it was like "nothing had happened" after Sam rushed over purring to give her attention.

Furnival added: “Immediately, he came to the front and he was purring straight away, it was like he’d never been anyway.

"The vets said he hadn’t been like this at all. He was quiet and reserved.

“The vet said she would’ve remembered me; I can only assume he did. It’s a bit bizarre. All those winters and that cold, it’s pretty amazing that he survived.

“He had an ear infection and a thyroid problem.

"I’ve got a dog but amazingly they’re fine together. I think Sam has been used to living a hardcore life, and my dog is little, so they get on well.

“The vets said it’s just best to keep him in, and we need to sort his medication and get him stabilized. After moving, I don't want to risk letting him out again.

“Toby died about six years ago from a thyroid problem. It’s crazy when you think Sam lasted longer outdoors. I always think of all the animals out in the cold, but he was one of them.

"It just goes to show how important it is to get your animals microchipped.

"Not only that, but to also keep your information up to date, too. It could make a massive difference.

“My grandchildren are delighted to have Sam in the family; he isn’t going to be short of attention."

Fiona Oldfield, 44, founding trustee of Paws Together Enville, said: "We were absolutely gobsmacked when we heard there was a lady claiming to be Sammy's original [owner] from 12 years ago and she had been looking for him all this time."