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Baldivis woman reunited with missing cat after six years

Jake DietschSound Telegraph
Ronel Oosterloo with her long-lost cat Ginger at Baldivis Vet Hospital.
Camera IconRonel Oosterloo with her long-lost cat Ginger at Baldivis Vet Hospital. Credit: Jake Dietsch, Jake Dietsch.

After a wait of more than six years, a Baldivis cat-lover has been reunited with her “lost baby”, Ginger.

In November 2013, Ronel Oosterloo’s cat dashed out of her home and through a gap in the fence. She had been microchipped just weeks earlier, but despite weeks of searching the area and years of monitoring lost and found pages, Ginger appeared to be gone.

That was until January 13, 2020, when the cat’s adopted owners for the past year brought her in to Baldivis Vet Hospital.

Mrs Oosterloo said she “felt broken” when she lost her “loveable” pet who had stayed at her side in times of hardship, such as when she suffered a stroke. Ginger had been with the Oosterloo’s since she was a kitten and is now around 13-years-old.

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“He was loveable, he was following me everywhere,” she said.

“Anybody who loves animals would be heartbroken and I was always thinking about him for all those years.”

“We spent weeks looking for him and driving around. When there were people who told me that there was a diseased cat next to the road, I went out there and looked for him there.

“But when I went there I would find it wasn't my cat.”

When Mrs Oosterloo got a call from the vet saying her cat had been found she rushed straight there.

Ginger had lost a lot of weight and had been drugged while being treated for a blocked bladder, but as soon as Mrs Oosterloo saw his distinctive red spot above his lip she knew it was him.

While loved ones believed Ginger had been hit by a car, Mrs Oosterloo never gave up.

“I just had that feeling he was still alive,” she said.

“I won't let him go away again. He was my baby, he was always with me.”

Mrs Oosterloo is now encouraging people to ensure they microchip their cats. She has set up a GoFundMe page for Ginger’s medical bills, with remaining funds to go towards microchipping of other cats. To donate, click here.

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