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Sydney cat turns up in Northern Ireland

An adventurous Sydney cat is getting international attention after he was found wandering around the streets of Northern Ireland.

The stray ginger cat nicknamed Ozzie, was discovered in a garden in County Armagh earlier this week.

When a Cats Protection volunteer took him to get his microchip scanned at the vet, they discovered that the fur ball was from Australia.


But this was not the only shock which the cat had in store for the volunteers looking after him.

Apart from revealing that he had travelled more than 17,000 kilometres, his microchip suggested he was born in 1989, which would make him 25-years-old.

The microchip also revealed the cat, who was named Tigger when he was microchipped in Australia in 2000, also turned up as a stray at a vet clinic in London in 2004. However at the time no owners could be traced.

The organisation believes Ozzie was taken to London by his owner, then somehow crossed the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland in the years that followed.

The volunteers have embarked on an international search to reunite Ozzie with his owner.

“We have our paws crossed on solving the mystery of Ozzie our travelling cat,” said co-ordinator Gillian McMullen.

She noted while Ozzie was in bad shape when he was picked up, he still looked like he belonged to someone.

“The poor cat was starving but obviously had been cared for in the past because it was wearing a collar.”

Ozzie has been described as a gentle, affectionate cat. Source: Armagh Cats Protection
Ozzie has been described as a gentle, affectionate cat. Source: Armagh Cats Protection

Since the organisation shared Ozzie’s story on their Facebook page last night, it has been shared nearly 10,000 times and attracted nearly 2500 comments from across the world.

“Now he would certainly have a wild story to tell,” one person wrote. “I do pray he is taken in & appreciated by a loving family that will keep him warm & secure.”

Some have suggested the date of birth on Ozzie’s microchip could have been incorrect, and that he may in fact have been born in 1999.

Anyone with information about Ozzie has been urged to contact Armagh Cats Protection.

News break - June 18