Desiree Hobbinsa 26-year-old Canadian, had been subjected to the painful ordeal of the death of his cat, zeppy. She had him cremated, had scattered his ashes, and then gone through long months of grief. Finally, when she had found inner peace, she had adopted a new kitten, in addition to her 2 other felines. But 9 months after the death of zeppyshe received a funny call from a shelter.
The body of a cat was found on the side of the road
It all started in September 2020, then zeppy disappeared for several days. His owner had put up many posters and moved heaven and earth to find him. But after only a week, a message on Facebook had put an end to his hopes. A cat that looks like zeppy at all points had been found dead on the side of the road, in the neighborhood where she lived.
© Desiree Hobbins / 980 CJME
The young woman had arranged with friends to go there and confirm the cat’s identity. The latter had assured that it was indeed Zeppy.
Désirée then took her friends to the shelter where the cat had been adopted Regina Humane Society, to have him cremated. She had checked the poor cat’s body herself, and thought she recognized it zeppy.
Désirée had the wrong cat cremated
A few months later, Désirée received a call from the same shelter. A woman had entrusted them with a cat, and her identification chip indicated that it was zeppy. Desiree couldn’t believe her ears. Especially since she didn’t know her animal was chipped.
“He was healthy and missing a tooth, but it was Zeppy. […] I just didn’t believe it was real“, she confided 980 CJME.
© Desiree Hobbins / 980 CJME
The woman who drove zeppy at the shelter, explained what had happened. A few months earlier, the cat had started feeding in his litter boxes. She had set up a box for him in her garden, thinking he belonged to no one, and fed him. And then, when she had to leave during the summer, she contacted the shelter because she couldn’t take care of it anymore. The association checked the animal’s chip and that’s how they tracked it down Desiree.
The cremated cat was therefore not zeppy. Desiree regrets that the shelter did not check for the presence of a chip before the burn, knowing that they knew that the cat had been adopted at home and that they installed a chip in each of their residents.
At least today zeppy is doing very well, and is being kept with the mother Desiree, because she could not have more than 3 cats. Thus, the young woman can see her friend very regularly, and take full advantage of the time she spends with him when she never thought she would see him again.
