Ollie’s big adventure

A cat which went missing for five months was eventually found on the other side of the Waitemata¯ Harbour thanks to being microchipped.

Earlier this year Botany resident Ann Voykovich’s then 1-year-old cat Ollie went missing one rainy day and wasn’t seen for the next five months.

When Ollie was identified by a vet he was about 30 kilometres from his home on the other side of the Waitemata Harbour in Takapuna.

Microchipping cats has been a hot topic in recent days with Auckland Council proposing in its new $307 million pest eradication programme that cats will be defined as pests if they’re not microchipped.

Under its new programme to rein in pests and protect ecosystems and threatened species, cats without microchips found roaming in sensitive environments will be killed.

While Auckland Council’s focus was to help ecosystems, Ollie’s story showed there were other benefits to microchipping cats.

If Ollie hadn’t been microchipped he would have been lost forever, Voykovich said.

‘‘I didn’t give up hope we’d find him one day. He’s a very, very important part of the family,’’ Voykovich said.

Ollie’s inquisitive nature meant he would often get into cars and have a sniff around, Voykovich said.

‘‘That’s the only way we thought he could get from Botany to Takapuna. How else could he get across the harbour bridge?’’

When the vet in Takapuna phoned Voykovich said she couldn’t believe it.

‘‘I went screaming through the house, we jumped in the car and took off.’’

According to the New Zealand Companion Animal Council 44 per cent of households have a cat compared to 28 per cent with dogs, making cats New Zealand’s most popular pet.

From 2011 to 2015 microchipped cats increased from 12 per cent to 31 per cent. In comparison 71 per cent of dog owners microchipped their pet.

Auckland Council biosecurity manager Phil Brow said cats were a danger to numerous threatened species including black petrel, Cook’s petrel, dotterels and kiwi.

Globally cats had contributed to 14 per cent of modern bird, mammal and reptile extinctions, he said.