The RSPCA is reiterating the importance of microchipping after a missing cat was reunited with its owner after five years.
Beloved family cat, Tinkerbell has been reunited with her ‘speechless’ owners in Yorkshire thanks to the RSPCA and an updated microchip. 
Owners Caroline Buckle and her father Peter had been moving house in Shelf, Halifax when they temporarily stayed with a family member in Thackley, Bradford five years ago.
While staying with family members they occasionally let their two cats, Tinkerbell and Bobby, out into the garden. However, on one occasion the cats were let out but did not return.
The family continued with the move and have moved once more to Northowram during the five years – but crucially each time they updated the cats microchip details.
This meant that when Tinkerbell was found by RSPCA Inspector Emma Ellis on January 11 she was able to see straight away that the cat had been reported lost and was able to get in touch with Caroline and reunite them that same day.
Tinkerbell had been found living in a greenhouse in a garden in the BD10 area, just metres from where she had originally gone missing.
Caroline Buckley said: “We never gave up hope for Tinkerbell, at the time I made posters and put them out in Bradford and Halifax. I posted pictures of her on Facebook and we’d visit our old home to see if she had returned there.
“The second time we moved I made sure I updated her details again although we were losing hope by this point, but I am so glad we did. When we got a call from Emma, I was speechless. I told my dad and he just burst into tears, we couldn’t believe it – we wanted her back straight away.
“It has renewed our hope that we might be reunited with Bobby too as he is still missing – his is very distinctive cat so we just hope someone in the local area might recognise him.”
Inspector Ellis said: “I’m so glad to have been part of this happy story – and it just shows how important those microchips are. Tinkerbell was in great condition and a good weight so I suspect someone may have been feeding her during her adventures, but it’s lovely to see her back where she belongs now.”
