As everyone with a four-legged friend knows, losing track of a precious pet is a panic-inducing nightmare.

When three-year-old Gizmo failed to return home one night, the ginger tom’s owner spent the next few days knocking on every door in her neighbourhood, asking if anybody had found her beloved feline companion.

The owner didn’t realise that Gizmo had been spooked by loud noises coming from a building site on the housing estate where he lived. He found the sudden banging and drilling incredibly distressing, and instead of going home, had run into the nearest safe space he could find – a neighbours’ property. The neighbour was having home improvement works done herself, and Gizmo managed to sneak underneath an open bath panel, seeking out a cosy corner where he could curl up and avoid the noise.

With Gizmo hidden away and at risk of becoming trapped, his Great Escape could very easily have had a rather unfortunate ending. Thankfully, the owner of the house he was now taking refuge in heard strange mewing and scratching sounds coming from somewhere in her bathroom, and soon discovered Gizmo skulking in the tiny panelled space between the bath and the sink.

She called Mayhew to ask for our help in getting Gizmo out, and Georgina and Libby, two of our Animal Welfare Officers, went to rescue Gizmo from his rather ill-chosen sanctuary.

Gizmo had been so keen to get away from the strange noises that he’d retreated even further back between the various pipes and panels, and despite Georgina and Libby’s best efforts, they were unable to reach him. This resulted in them having to employ every trick in the book to coax Gizmo out willingly – no mean feat for a terrified tom!

Eventually Georgina and Libby managed to persuade Gizmo to come out, and brought him back to Mayhew for a health assessment. The owner of the house where he was found did not recognise him, so we checked for a microchip. Unfortunately Gizmo was not chipped, so our Animal Welfare Officers returned to the estate he came from to put up posters, hoping that his owner would spot them and come forward.

Luckily, although the owner had not seen the posters herself yet, another one of her neighbours had, and told her about them.

Happily, the owner was then able to get in touch with us and confirm that Gizmo was hers – after which a very relieved and heartfelt reunion took place!

Whilst Gizmo was at Mayhew we had him microchipped and registered, to make it easier to find his way home if and when he goes on any future Great Escapes. It was a stroke of luck that our posters reached his owner this time, and neither she, nor he, would want to take that risk again.

Whilst it is a compulsory for all dogs in England and Wales to be microchipped, no such legal requirement is currently in place for cats. However, we believe that microchipping your cat is also vital, as it is the safest method of ensuring that lost animals can be reunited with worried owners.

Thousands of cats and dogs are lost in the UK every year, and without official identification, the chances of them finding their way back home are extremely low. Microchipping is cheap, harmless and takes seconds, and your confidential data is kept secure by registered organisations such as vets and rescue shelters.