Patterson Lakes cat lover reunited with pet after desperate six-week search
A Patterson Lakes couple have been reunited with their beloved Instagram celebrity cat, who rose to prominence when he was featured on a billboard after he went missing. But they’ve been stunned by the lengths someone took to disguise the adored pet.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
Possum the lost Persian cat, who starred on a billboard-sized missing pet poster, is home again.
Bedraggled, very hungry and dyed black, the white fluffy kitty — who has his own Instagram account — was also suffering from an abscess but vets have assured happy owner Brett Cooper his beloved companion will be fine.
While most Victorians planned to shed some unwanted kilos or save more pennies in 2020, Patterson Lakes man Brett Cooper just wanted to find Possum, who slipped out of a window at his Gladesville Blvd home on November 25.
And after six weeks of desperate searching — which included erecting the billboard on his front fence — Mr Cooper and partner Emi Uria finally received a call from RSPCA they thought would never ring through.
“My heart dropped instantly … I thought they were going to say he wasn’t alive,” Mr Cooper told the Leader.
“I was out every night until 2am with a torch looking for him … some neighbours must have thought I was insane.
“But RSPCA scanned the microchip which was registered as stolen and asked me if I was missing a cat.”
The couple raced to the Pearcedale shelter where they were reunited with their furry friend, who was dyed black, malnourished and suffered from an infected abscess on his shoulder.
The Persian cat was treated by staff at North Rd Veterinary Centre Gardenvale who drained the lump and tip him to make a full recovery.
“We were told he was handed in by a suspicious-looking man from Seaford,” Mr Cooper said.
“But he has started eating more now and has returned to his lookout spot from behind the window.
“We’re so happy to have him back.”
MORE NEWS
HEAT-PROOF YOUR GARDEN THIS SUMMER
MELBOURNE’S BEST SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN PARKS
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM SUMMER BURGLARIES
Mr Cooper thanked the Patterson Lakes community for its outpouring of support in his quest to find his fluffy cat, with posts on social media shared to more than 1200 Facebook profile pages.
He said the happy family would organise a special celebration with Possum’s favourite fish and chips dinner.
“Possum has been with me through everything. When I’ve had ups and downs (in life), he’s been my constant (support),” he said.
“I always knew he was out there somewhere.”