The Incredible Journey: Microchip ID Reunites Owners with Cat - 13 Years Later

November 16, 2008

De cat came back—thought she were a goner,
But de cat came back for it wouldn’t stay away.
—Lyrics from "The Cat Came Back," a song written by Harry S. Miller in 1893.

It’s a story that tugs at the heartstrings of all pet devotees: A cat given up for lost in 1995 has come home. As first reported by The Press Democrat, a gray and brown-tinged kitty with round, golden eyes named George was reunited with his Santa Rosa, Calif., owners last week after animal control officers tracked them down by scanning a microchip with identifying info implanted under the animal’s skin. (See slideshow of George.)

Frank Walburg says his boy, George, now nearly 17, was but a shadow of his former self when found—weighing a paltry 6.3 pounds (2.9 kilograms), less than half the nearly 14 pounds (6.4 kilograms) he weighed the day he vanished over 13 years ago. He was also sick, suffering from a respiratory infection as well as toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease characterized by lethargy and weight loss, which can be successfully treated with antibiotics.

"He used to be like a heater on wheels," Walburg chuckles about his beloved feline friend, "like a lion in both appearance and walk," his wife, Melinda Merman, wrote on her Web site. Still, Walburg told the San Francisco Chronicle "there was no ambiguity that he was the same dude, no doubt about it."

HOME AGAIN: George returned home last week after missing more than 13 years thanks to an implanted microchip ID. (See slideshow of George.)
Frank Walburg

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