Cosmo goes home – after a year!
A resident in Richmond had been trying to trap an injured raccoon on her property for quite some time when she accidentally trapped a beautiful stray orange cat instead!
Thankfully, the resident knew to bring the cat to the City Shelter for the best possible chance at reuniting him with his people. Once the cat arrived in our care, one of our amazing Animal Care Attendants assessed the cat and noticed that he had a very clear tattoo in his ear. We were able to trace the tattoo to a veterinary clinic all the way in Langley. Fortunately, the vet clinic was able to provide us with the owner’s name, address, and phone number. The clinic was also able to tell us the name of the cat – Cosmo!
We contacted the phone number provided but did not hear back right away so we speculated that the owner no longer wanted their cat, or had given him away. About a day passed before we received a response. When our RAPS team member told the gentleman we were caring for a young orange cat named Cosmo, he couldn’t believe his ears. Cosmo had been missing from their home in Langley for over a year!
The family had sadly mourned the loss of Cosmo, and even given away all of his stuff. Thankfully, Cosmo’s owner was able to come down to RAPS the following day and reclaim him and take him home. He will be keeping a close watch over Cosmo, who will no longer be allowed outside, and slowly reintroducing him to the family (including his new puppy-brother).
We were able to reunite Cosmo with his family because they had him neutered and tattooed when he was younger. A tattoo is a permanent form of identification that can help us trace pets back to their owners. As long as owners keep their information up-to-date with the vet clinic who gave the animal the tattoo, a tattoo is a very helpful tool for us. Another form of identification we recommend (besides a collar and tag) is a microchip. A microchip is a small chip implanted under the skin between the shoulder blades. When the microchip is scanned with the microchip scanner, it will give us a number that we can then use to identify the pet and their owner. Both tattoos and microchips are an excellent way to ensure that if your animal gets lost, they are more likely to be reunited with their family.
Here at RAPS we were thrilled to reunite Cosmo with his family and it was certainly a happy day for all involved, especially Cosmo!
All of this is possible because of the support we have from the community. Happy endings like this are not rare. But there are plenty of animals who do not have the good fortune that Cosmo did. No matter what, RAPS ensures that every animal that finds its way into our care receives the finest treatment possible.
