Found my lost cat after nearly three years - advice

[JessePinkmanYo]

Our cat went for a wander nearly three years ago and never returned home. We searched, posted online/lostpets/local fb pages. Put up posters and contacted local vets/cat charities. Nothing. Stupidly hadnt got round to chipping him. Was always on my endless list of things to sort. Three years later we had obviously stopped looking, grieved and moved on.

Scrolling through fb and a gentleman that lives up the road from me posted a photo of a cat that had been living in his garden for three weeks. My fur baby! I knew it was him straightaway.
So happy. My DS is ecstatic. My DP can't quite believe it.

Anyway, my joy has been a bit shortlived as the reality of the situation is now setting in. One year ago we got a dog. Friendly, good with cats and kids. How do I go about introducing them? Will I be able to settle my cat into what is now a dogs home?
Also my cat has clearly been looked after by somebody for the past few years. Furnished in lovely condition and he looks in good health. Is there somebody out there missing him? Is it selfish not to make the effort to find them? I need to get him to vets for a health check and I'd like to get him chipped. This leads me to worry what if he has since been chipped by a 'new' owner? What happens then?

[thecatneuterer]

Oh Lord. I really don't know. I think the first thing you need to do is get him scanned for a chip and take it from there. If he isn't chipped, then get it done.

If he's been living in someone's garden for three weeks then, even if he did have a home, it would seem that he no longer does.

Do you have a spare room you could start him off in? You would need to keep him inside for at least three weeks anyway, but then you've got the dog problem ...

[JessePinkmanYo]

We've set him up the kitchen for now. Quiet end of the house and can keep him away from ddog. Currently curled in a cat bed snoozing.
If they scan him and find a chip it obviously won't be my details. How do I prove he belonged to me? They won't let me walk back out with will they? I'll look like a catnapper!

[thecatneuterer]

They can't stop you walking out with him. They also can't tell the people he's chipped to who you are. Data protection has made microchips useless if anyone wilfully takes your cat or dog. However you will want to speak to those people if he does have a chip so that between you you can decide what to do for the best.

[Singleandproud]

Do you have any photos of him from before, like the ones you used when searching for him showing his markings?

[Emmapeeler]

My cat disappeared for 3.5 years, in our local area. He did not have a permanent home during that time. He seems to have survived (based on anecdotal evidence) by breaking into cat flaps, catching birds/mice, sleeping in car ports and getting ‘cat people’ to feed him on and off.

3.5 years after he disappeared we had a call from the vets; he had been fed by a neighbour over the past winter and she wanted to keep him. Even though my name was on the chip, the vet said he was going to decide what to do in his interest! At that point, he was practically living at this neighbour’s and we had two other cats. So I just agreed to do what was best for him. Based on my experience I would suggest initially just taking him to the vet and showing them that you care about him, seeing if he has a chip and taking it from there.

[TinyTickler]

This happened to us, but he had been missing about 8 months and we had cremated him in that time and got 2 new cats. It's not going well to be honest, he has no interest in living with us and is basically feral.

Hope you have more luck.

[JessePinkmanYo]

Do you have any photos of him from before, like the ones you used when searching for him showing his markings?

I do have photos. Many. But he is completely black so no distinctive markings. I've always used the same vets so they will have details for him under my name on record (like when he was neutered by them, flea treatment etc.)

[JessePinkmanYo]

It's not going well to be honest, he has no interest in living with us and is basically feral.

Hope you have more luck.

Sorry to hear this. And thank you.

[JasonColbyStankers]

TinyTickler

I am very curious as to how you can cremate a cat that has gone missing and remains alive afterwards?

[polkadotpixie]

Also wondering this! Did you cremate someone else's cat? 😳

[MyFlabberIsAghast]

Yes please explain how you cremated him?

[eurochick]

A cremated cat is unlikely to wander back through the door...

[JessePinkmanYo]

Ha! I assumed that was a typo! Now also intrigued as can't think what 'cremated' may be a typo for!