Written by Megan Reddering
Professional photography by Caroline Hartley Photography
Something incredible happened that I’d like to share, and my wish is that it brings hope and encouragement to those animal lovers who may need it.
In 2019 I was given a chance to adopt a cat in need of a home after his owners had passed away. He was a fluffy Siamese cross, and I was absolutely thrilled – since I was a little girl, I’ve always wanted a Siamese cat.
I had very little information on his medical history due to the difficult circumstances surrounding his adoption, so I took him to a vet in Stellenbosch who specialises in cats to make sure everything was okay and that he had all the necessary tests so as not to expose my other cat to anything. Everything was fine, and we were good to go.
He had some adjustment issues, which were to be expected. I knew it would take some time for him to settle in, and we were getting there slowly but surely. He’d cry in the middle of the night – he was clearly mourning his previous owners and missing his home. He also had trouble jumping up onto things. He wouldn’t jump onto tables or chairs and would claw his way onto my bed, which was quite cute to watch.
One day, the unthinkable happened. We left him unattended for about fifteen minutes while having lunch in another room, and when we returned, he’d vanished. We immediately ran outside to search for him. Our yard is enclosed with high walls, so we knew he couldn’t have gone far. We searched everywhere, and he was nowhere to be found. I was devastated.
I posted on Facebook and shared the post on various pages. I also posted in our neighbourhood watch group. He had a collar on when he went missing, and he had a microchip from the previous owner, which I hadn’t thought to update yet. Surely he couldn’t have gone far, I thought. He couldn’t even jump up on things.
Days, weeks and months passed, and then years, but there was no sign of him. He’d vanished into thin air.
I felt so sick about the whole thing. He’d already been through so much after his owners passed away, and he didn’t know his new environment well. In the almost four years that passed since his disappearance, I thought about him often and felt so much guilt and regret. I shouldn’t have left him alone for those few minutes with a window open. He clearly wasn’t ready. I often thought I saw him running when driving somewhere at night or early in the morning. The reality had set in that I’d never see him again and never even know what had happened to him.
And then, on the 20th of October 2022, while scrolling through my feed on Facebook, I saw a post on Lost & Found Pets Helderberg & Stellenbosch, and there he was! I immediately commented, and Margie Visser, who created the post, was very responsive and supportive. I called Animal Welfare Helderberg the following day, and they said I was welcome to come and have a look at him.
When I arrived, everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful. I met Eugenie, the amazing individual behind the rescue process, and she took me to him. When I saw him, I knew immediately. When she lifted him up and I saw the distinguishing black spot on his right back foot, I burst into tears. Feelings of disbelief, shock, relief and absolute joy flooded through me.
Eugenie was so calm and supportive. She listened to me as I explained what happened and showed zero judgement even though I still blamed myself. She explained that he’d been showing up in a gentleman’s home in Heldervue at night for the past five months and eating their cat’s food. The gentleman managed to capture him and bring him in. She’d also given him the medical attention he needed, as it looked like he’d been in a bit of a scuffle with another cat. She took my information to update his chip information and sent me off to bring my boy home.
I really want to take this opportunity to thank Eugenie and all the individuals like her who do so much and often either go unseen or get seen in a negative light for whatever reason. Thank you to all those involved in animal rescue – I know there are very few success stories. I know you face many daily challenges, but you do make a difference and have an amazing impact. Thank you to the Margie Vissers out there who create these posts and to everyone who shares them – please continue to do so.
I don’t know what’s happened to him in the past few years, and I probably never will. All I know is that he was in our neighbourhood all along. Thank you to the kind gentleman who captured him and did the right thing.
If you ever find an animal that doesn’t belong to you, please give their owner a chance to claim them. We all have so much reach with technology and social media – let’s be responsible with that power and do the right thing when we have the opportunity.
I had this special boy for a such a short period, and I never knew what his original name was. I named him Lukka four years ago, but we decided to take some time to get to know him again and give him a different name for his new beginning. So he's now called Regal since he's such a gentleman, even after everything he's been through.
