A tortoiseshell cat missing from Cambridge for approximately one year has been reunited with her owner after being found on a North Canterbury farm 630km away. A microchip scan performed by a veterinarian revealed the cat, now named Goldie, was registered to Georgia Nugent-O’Leary in the Waikato region.
How did a microchip lead to the reunion?
Lee Henderson discovered the cat as a stray on her property on the outskirts of Amberley. After a Facebook post seeking information about the feline went unanswered, Henderson took the cat to a veterinarian to check for a microchip. The scan identified the cat as being registered in Cambridge, Waikato.
The discovery caused immediate excitement at the veterinary clinic. “It was from Cambridge, and we were like, Cambridge! And the whole vet clinic sort of blew up,” Henderson told Seven Sharp.
What is the history of the cat?
Georgia Nugent-O’Leary, who lives near Lake Karapiro, originally took the cat in as a stray in 2022. She had named the cat “Mum Cat” before the animal went missing early last year. Nugent-O’Leary stated that while she had not entirely given up hope, she was “pretty close” to believing the worst had happened.
The news of the cat’s survival on the other side of the Cook Strait came as a shock to Nugent-O’Leary. She described receiving the news via telephone as “the most bizarre phone call to receive.” Henderson noted that both women were crying during the conversation, describing it as a “golden moment.”
How did the cat travel 630km across New Zealand?
The exact method the cat used to travel more than half the length of the country remains unknown. The two women have proposed different theories regarding how the cat may have moved from the Waikato to Canterbury.
Nugent-O’Leary suggested the cat may have hitched a ride on a commercial vehicle. She pointed to a local business near her Cambridge property that deals in pine shavings and animal bedding. “It’s possible she might have jumped on a truck at some point,” Nugent-O’Leary said.
Henderson offered an alternative theory. Given Nugent-O’Leary’s background as an Olympic rower, Henderson suggested the cat might have stowed away on a rowing skiff. “She might have had a home in between somewhere, but she’s made her way here,” Henderson said.
Comparing the Travel Theories
| Theory | Proposed Method | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Land Transport | Hitching a ride on a truck (e.g., animal bedding/pine shavings) | Nugent-O’Leary |
| Rowing Equipment | Stowing away on a rowing skiff | Henderson |
Where will the cat live now?
Despite Henderson’s offer to fly the cat back to the Waikato, the two women agreed the cat would stay in Canterbury. Nugent-O’Leary is currently caring for two of the cat’s kittens in Cambridge alongside her partner, Tom Cat, and still has three other cats to look after.
Henderson, who was seeking a new mouser for her farm after her previous cat became partly blind and deaf, has renamed the cat Goldie. The cat has settled into life on the Amberley farm, though she remains wary of strangers. “Somehow she’s made it very safely to my little farmlet, and she’s really happy at her forever home,” Henderson said.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far did the cat travel to reach Canterbury?
The cat traveled approximately 630km from the Cambridge area in the Waikato to the Amberley area in North Canterbury.
How was the cat identified after a year?
A veterinary clinic performed a microchip scan on the stray cat, which linked her back to her original owner in Cambridge.
Where is the cat living now?
The cat, now named Goldie, is living permanently on Lee Henderson’s farm in Amberley, North Canterbury.
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