A Harrogate family was left stunned yesterday after their beloved family cat Django was found — five years after they thought they had lost him forever.
Lisa Watson and her husband used to live off Knaresborough Road with Django, a black and white puss they had owned for over two years.
The cat was microchipped but one day Django disappeared and never returned.
Lisa, who had a close bond with her pet, was frantic with worry.
She joined Facebook groups, printed posters and went out every night for four weeks looking for her.
She even went to see a clairvoyant who told her that Django had been killed and she should move on. She said:
“It broke my heart. I thought, that’s my closure, I’m never going to see him again.”
When Django went missing, Lisa was five months pregnant and she said the stress of losing the cat contributed to her giving birth two months early.
But years later, she never stopped thinking about Django and wondered if he was still out there.
The family moved to a different part of the Harrogate district but whenever they were in the area they used to live, they would take a detour to see if they could spot Django.
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Fateful phone call
Everything changed yesterday when Lisa had a phone call from her husband. He cryptically asked her what phone call would she never expect to receive.
She immediately responded with: “Finding Django”.
Django had been found at Fodder by the Great Yorkshire Showground, and after her microchip was scanned by a local vet, it led her back to Lisa.
When she picked Django up, he did not look like a cat that had been struggling to survive in the wild. He was well fed and decidedly chunky.
She described the emotional reunion with the affectionate mog.
“He leaped into my arms, picked up his head and nuzzled my face.”
Lisa and Django have a lot of catching up to do. The family now has some other cats and a five-year-old son who is delighted to have a new pet.
Lisa said:
“If Django doesnt wander off again he’ll be mine for life.
“It’s like when people get reunited there are mixed emotions. You’re glad but you’re strangers again. A lot has happened, there are new family members and the dynamic has changed!”
Lisa urged anyone who sees a cat they think might be a stray to get their microchip checked by a vet. It could help another family be reunited with their long-lost pet.
