A happy ending and a case in point for networking a missing pet far and wide!
Pretoria, South Africa (19 January 2026) – Simba had been missing from his home in Montana Park for months. In that time, his loving family searched everywhere. They left no stone unturned. They shared his photograph far and wide, including with the international PawBoost directory for lost and found pets. Every lead was followed, but sadly, nothing came back.
“His owners were devastated and did everything in their power to find him and network him,” shares Kempton Park Feral Felines.
Quite a distance away at Serengeti Estate, residents and volunteers who look after local feral cats noticed a newcomer had joined the ranks. Generally, feral cats in the estate are trapped, neutered, released (TNR) and fed regularly. Newbies don’t go unnoticed.
That’s how Simba was first spotted! A staggering 40 km from home….
“Ivy, one of our eagle eyed, heroic resident earth angels spotted this Main Coon a few weeks later and put out a message on the community groups asking if this cat belonged to anyone. There was no response. Craig, who feeds a precious family of ferals then noticed this BIG handsome boy a few days later at the feeding station and put out alerts on the community groups.”
At that point, Simba became the ‘the mystery cat’.
Then Helga, another resident, happened upon a PawBoost missing poster. The missing Main Coon had the exact same markings and face. How could he have wondered so far from home, though? Disbelief aside, she immediately contacted the email on the poster and arrangements were made.
“Plans were made to see if this was indeed Simba for the following day. I think if it was possible, Patricia would have come out immediately after she received the email, so desperate was she to have her precious Simba back home,” shares Kempton Park Feral Felines.
Patricia and her husband arrived at the feeding station the following day, doing their level best to stay calm. Hope can hurt when you’ve been disappointed before. But she called his name anyway…
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He came straight out and ran right up to his beloved family!
“We scanned him to check his microchip. 100% Simba! Over the moon is inadequate a description of the elation and joy of this incredible reunion,” shares Kempton Park Feral Felines.
No one knows how Simba managed to travel that far. The important thing is that he made it home.
It’s a case in point for networking when pets go missing – make the poster, share the post on local groups, send out alerts on networks. Being proactive is essential too – microchip your pets and ensure that details are always kept up-to-date, especially if address or contact details change.
Kempton Park Feral Felines later shared the happy ending online. The organisation supports the Serengeti volunteers and care for around 1,000 feral cats in Kempton area. They run TNR programmes, provide food and medical care, and rescue kittens that need bottle-feeding just to survive.
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