Thanks to a string of coincidences, a rescue organisation, and kind neighbours in Honeydew, Gato has found his family again!
Honeydew, Johannesburg (29 September 2025) – A cat who vanished without a trace two years ago has finally been reunited with his family, and the twist is, he’d been living just a stone’s throw away the whole time!
It all started a couple of months back when Matthew and his family noticed a cat wandering into their home to sneak food from the bowls of their two boys, Binks and Rex. No one in the neighbourhood seemed to know much about the newcomer, other than whispers that she’d been left behind when someone moved away.
Sadly, it does happen.
Matthew and his family tirelessly reached out to community groups and locals with no luck in finding the missing cat’s home. When the Homeowners Association confirmed that they had found no microchip, the family thought she was simply a stray, so they tried to welcome her in.
“So after a while of not being able to find the owners, we tried to adopt the cat, and we thought she was a girl, and we named her Rosie,” says Matthew.
They named her Rosie, but life in the household was anything but rosy. Binks just wouldn’t make peace with her. The clashes got so bad that plates were smashed in the kitchen during one scuffle, and a visit to the vet was needed. It was hectic.
The family loved her but knew they had to find her a calmer space.
They brought her in at Kitty Kazz Kitten Rescue. There, Rosie was given a proper check-up, and the plot thickened.
The scan revealed a microchip after all, and the cat wasn’t a ‘she’ at all, but a ‘he’ named Gato.
“When we went to Kitty Kazz, they did a bunch of tests to see if she was okay. They found a chip, much to all of our surprises, and we were all very happy. They also told us she was a he!”
When Matthew phoned the number on the chip, the owners were floored.
Their beloved Gato had disappeared two years earlier, and they’d long stopped expecting good news. You can imagine their shock when they discovered he’d been living less than 100 metres away the whole time!
The reunion was a happy one. Gato’s relieved and happy family finally has him back where he belongs, thanks to a neighbour who cared enough to follow through and a rescue team who did a proper job.
Stories like this are a gentle reminder to always microchip your pets and to never lose hope. Sometimes, even after years, lost family members do find their way back home.
Sources: Supplied
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