The disappearance of Fergus the wandering cat who was found 80 miles from home has been solved after an Aberdeen couple recognised their missing tabby in the news.
In August last year, Marlene and William Bishop’s pet cat called Bertie went missing from their home in Hazlehead.
They had found him as a stray in 2013 when they were staying at a caravan site in Brodie, near Forres.
The tabby would visit them and other caravans regularly, and at first, they thought he was owned by someone at the park.
When they realised he did not belong to anyone on site they eventually took him in.
They decided to name him Bertie and he lived with the couple at the park until they moved back to their home in Aberdeen in June last year.
However, Mrs Bishop explained that their beloved cat Bertie didn’t quite settle in his new home at Hazlehead and took off in August.
She was worried about him and would frequently call Cat’s Protection and the cat and dog homes. Her 79-year-old husband would go out looking for Bertie but could never find him.
Meanwhile, Fergus the cat went missing from his home in Forres when he was four-years-old.
He was found near the Hazlehead Recycling Centre by a volunteer at Cats Protection’s Aberdeen branch.
After the volunteer tracked the tabby down, he was scanned for a microchip which revealed just how far he was from home.
The 75-year-old believes her missing cat is actually Fergus after seeing the Press & Journal‘s article about him being returned to his owner after 11 years.
“Low and behold, the story appeared in the paper,” she said. “It had to be him, and then I saw the photo and I thought ‘oh my God’.
“It’s totally amazing.”
‘It’s a good ending’
Mrs Bishop was relieved to discover that her pet Bertie was safe and well, and back home with his first owner.
They had taken the tabby to the vet for checks whenever he was unwell, but they had never thought about getting him chipped.
She said: “I just never thought about it or we could have had him back to his owner when we were there – not that we didn’t enjoy having him because we have.
“It’s a big miss, but such is life.”
Although they miss Bertie, the couple have no plans to get another cat. Mrs Bishop said they are visited by a neighbour’s black cat called Otto, which has been a “big help”.
She added: “It’s nice to know you’re not worrying he’s still wondering about, it’s a load off my mind.
“But it’s a good ending, the owner will be happy she’s got her cat back.”
