$5K reward helps Calgary couple's cat come back

A Calgary couple say they learned the importance of being proactive to recover a lost pet after online post to find their missing cat went viral.

In the post on Kijiji, owners Matt Morozoff and his fiancée, Susan Abdallah, say the cat, who they call Paul, went missing on March 17. Paul was then found by someone who took it to a veterinarian.

The vet, in turn, handed the cat over to the Calgary Humane Society. By March 25, Morozoff and Abdallah learned their cat had already been adopted.

Paul didn't have a microchip identification or a collar as the cat spends most of his time on Morozoff's farm in Saskatchewan.

"It's been very stressful," Abdallah said.

$5K reward

The post offered a $5,000 reward for the new owners to return Paul.

Sage Pullen McIntosh, manager of community outreach with the Calgary Humane Society, says cases like these are very rare — but it's up to the adopter to decide whether to return a pet if an owner comes forward.

In this case, the adopters wanted to let Paul return home.

"They definitely wanted to be able to reunite Paul with his previous owners and we're going to be able to make that happen," said Pullen McIntosh.

Chips and collars

Abdallah says she is excited the cat will be reunited with their three dogs and other cat — and she wants others to learn from her story.

"If you do lose a pet, check websites daily ... make sure even if it's a farm cat, and you're bringing it to the city, make sure it has a chip and collar. Accidents happen."

Abdullah says the reward offered will either go to the family that will return the cat, or to the Calgary Humane Society.

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