Well-travelled moggy is a long way from home

HE is deaf, only has one tooth, appears to be suffering from dementia, and is possibly a very, very long way from home.

Stefan, the 15-year-old Polish moggy, was found wandering around Granton Square and taken in by a Lothian charity.

Despite being microchipped, however, staff at Lothian Cat Rescue in Bonnyrigg are no further forward in tracing his owner – as he was registered four years ago in Gdansk.

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They have not ruled out the possibility he may have come to Edinburgh as a stowaway after having no joy tracing his owner, Dorota Kukzycka, in the Capital.

The charity has put up posters where he was found, uploaded his picture to their website and even spoken to members of the Polish community in a bid to reunite the pair.

Warden Nicky Zelent said: “We think his owners have decided to come over from Poland and have brought him with them. But we can’t rule out the possibility that Stefan has sneaked into a van and come all the way over here.

“We’ve had cats arrive here from Glasgow, down south – we even had one turn up in a removal truck from Wales after the family next door moved house.

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Cats can turn up anywhere and that’s why it’s so important to get them microchipped.”

Stefan, described as a friendly, treacle-black cat, appears to be getting confused in his old age, which could explain why he got lost. The old timer has to live in the LCR offices due to his deafness as it is too dangerous to let him outside.

“We think he’s senile now – he sometimes forgets where his bowl is, or sits and meows at walls. We desperately want him reunited with his owners. Maybe something has happened to them or maybe they have gone into hospital.

“If we can’t find his owner we will have to find a new home for him – we would pay for his vet bills for the rest of his days and his new owners would pay for his food and litter. Even if someone recognises the name of the owner, maybe they can get in touch.

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“Stefan craves attention and he deserves to be in a home where he is getting all the love he needs.”

A representative for the DEFRA Pet Travel Scheme explained Polish cat owners who have the required documentation and vaccinations for their pet would not be logged on any kind of database – so it is impossible to tell when Stefan entered the UK.

Is Stefan your cat? Call Lothian Cat Rescue on 01875 821 025.