A cat has been reunited with its owners after being found 9,000 miles away from his Australian home.
Melvin was picked up in Erskine on May 22 after members of the public who had been feeding him since Christmas reported that he looked unwell.
The Scottish SPCA were left puzzled when they scanned his microchip and discovered he was registered to an address in Australia.
The mystery was soon solved with the help of Cats Protection who traced his owners Jacqueline and Matt Dick.
The couple had adopted Melvin as a kitten but after 14 years down under they moved back to Scotland with Melvin and dog Max before the moggy disappeared eight weeks later in August 2022.
Cheeky Melvin managed to survive on handouts from Erskine residents for 11 months before he was reunited with his owners at the charity's Glasgow Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre.
Jacqueline said: “We were devastated when Melvin went missing. We did everything we could think of to try and find him, but by winter we feared the worst.
“We were over the moon when we received the call that he’d been found by the Scottish SPCA.
“The first night we got him home he didn’t leave my side and was purring really loudly. I was in floods of tears as I never thought I’d see him again.
“We just want to say a big thank you to everyone who looked out for him while he was missing and helped get him back home where he belongs.”
The SSPCA is now urging people to make sure their pets are microchipped.
Scottish SPCA chief inspector, Laura McIntyre said: "One of the first things we do with animals when they come into our care is scan them for a microchip. As you can imagine, the team were slightly confused when Melvin’s details came back registered to an address in Australia!
“We were delighted to be able to reunite Melvin with Jacqueline and Matt after all this time. It is so important to have your pets microchipped so that, as in this case, owners can be traced quickly.”
Cats Protecton’s Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland, Alice Palombo, added: “Melvin’s story goes to show why microchipping is so important and we’re thrilled that he has been reunited with his owners thanks to his chip.
“Microchipping for pet cats will become compulsory for pet cats in England from next year and Cats Protection is calling for the Scottish Government to also introduce this, so Scottish cats are not left behind.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
