Missing Minky Back Home, Thanks to a Microchip

Minky went missing in November 2007 and was returned to her a year later, alive, but with a stray lead pellet in his head.

“After months of search, I had almost lost hope of him ever coming back to me. But when I got a call from Al Barsha Veterinary Clinic saying that they had my Minky with them, I just couldn’t believe it,” said Alison.

Alison, who has three other cats, said they often wandered away from home but always found their way back.

Minky was found by Marlize Snyman in Al Khawaneej in Rashidiya with wounds all over his neck, body and head. The lead pellet also had caused an infection in his jaw.

“He has become much thinner since I lost him and his fur has lost most of the sheen,” Alison said. “I owe the life of my cat to Marlize who found him and took the effort to take him to the veterinary clinic in Al Barsha,” she said.

But if it hadn’t been for the microchip she had fitted to Minky, Marlize may never have seen him again.

Narges Khouzestani, who runs a voluntary animal shelter called Abandoned Pets in Dubai, said that Minky’s happy ending was just one among many tragic cat stories in the UAE. She urged pet owners to tag and microchip their cats, especially as the Dubai Municipality is running a campaign to trap stray cats.

CAT CARE HINTS

Take the cat to a vet for a microchip. Register it with the Dubai Municipality and other clinics.

Neuter the animal — its lifespan increases. The cost is Dh200-250.

Leaving the country? Give the cat up for adoption, or put it in a shelter.

Ask a friend or family member to feed the cat once a day.

Vaccinate the cat once a year; kittens twice a year.

Reserve space in an animal shelter before leaving on vacation. The daily fee averages Dh30.

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com