Butter the cat's stowaway trip to Wick
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A MISCHIEVOUS moggy had her owners in a panic when she disappeared from her Orkney home three weeks ago and took an impromptu overseas trip to Wick.
The five-year-old female cat called Butter melted away in the night from the home of Leanne Mcadie and her partner Richard McNeary, who live in a flat on the outskirts of Kirkwall.
"We are so relieved that she's turned up and I can't believe she made it to Wick," said Leanne, who admitted that Butter had gone missing briefly earlier in the year but ended up only about a mile away that time.
Last week, Butter was seen in Henrietta Street and around the old slaughterhouse in Green Road, Wick. A concerned member of the public reportedly enticed the friendly cat with a tasty treat and got her a temporary home with a volunteer from the Caithness branch of the charity Cats Protection.
A photo of the lost pet was posted on the charity's local Facebook page on Monday evening with some added information: "We have checked for a microchip. But the chip is registered in Orkney, Wick vets have tried to get in touch with registered owner so far not successful. If you have any information please come forward. Lets get this cat home to its family. Thank you."
"I can't believe it's not Butter," said Leanne the following day on seeing the Facebook post after a friend had alerted her. "You Butter believe it!" was one reply to whether the cat had actually travelled all the way from Orkney.
Did Butter fly across the Pentland Firth? It seems more likely that she stowed away in a vehicle after looking for a cosy place to settle down.
Deirdre Campbell, volunteer coordinator for Caithness Cats Protection, thinks Butter may have hopped on board a delivery van. "She's a lovely cat and very inquisitive. She probably got off without the driver even knowing," she said.
"She might have actually been stuck in the vehicle without food or water for a while. Anyway, the man who found her knew where I lived so he took her to me as she was looking awfully thin. I tested to see if she was microchipped and lo and behold she was."
Deirdre said that McGregor's veterinary practice in Wick eventually found Butter's details from a database and a phone number for owner Leanne. "She hadn't answered the call but when I put the post up on Facebook with the photo of Butter she left a message on that."
Leanne said she was absolutely delighted that her beloved Butter had been located. Her uncle is making a diversion through Wick to pick her up as he returns to Orkney from a holiday.
"She's a really friendly cat," Leanne said. "Once when a policeman came to the door asking if we'd witnessed an incident she sat on his shoulder. She speaks to absolutely anyone but can be a bit of a monkey."
Leanne said that Butter's sister called Peanut had been pining for her and she was looking forward to seeing them reunited as the "Peanut Butter" duo.
On a serious note, Deirdre said that Butter's story shows the importance of microchipping pets. A small capsule is inserted under the animal's skin containing the owner's details on a microchip. The procedure is harmless to the animal and the tiny computer chip is only the size of a grain of rice.
"We're getting a petition up to make chipping compulsory. It's very cheap to do and can help reunite lost pets with their owners like in Butter's case," Deirdre said.
The Caithness branch of Cats Protection can be followed on its Facebook page or on the website at www.cats.org.uk/caithness The charity's helpline number if you wish to adopt a cat or report a lost one is 0345 371 4217.
