Beloved Sheffield Meadowhall cat reunited with overjoyed owner more than two years after going missing
Sheffield cat Ozzie has been reunited with his owner Alison Green after he was found living stray near Meadowhall more than two years after going missing.
A beloved Sheffield cat has been reunited with his overjoyed owner after he was found living stray near Meadowhall - 12 miles away from home - more than two years after going missing.
Alison Green, 47, from Stocksbridge, said that one week before Christmas 2023, Ozzie the cat - named after Sheffield Wednesday mascot Ozzie Owl - went out in the morning as usual, but never came back home.
Alison said she tried the usual lost cat posts, posters, reporting him missing to vets and the microchip service, but unfortunately didn’t hear any news on Ozzie.
Alison said: “For the longest time, we hoped to see him sat there when we opened the door but no luck.”
More than two years later, Alison received a call on the morning of Good Friday 2026 (3 April) from Vets for Pets in Barnsley saying Ozzie had been brought in.
Alison said: “I couldn't believe it, it was the last thing I ever expected and part of me still thought it must be a mistake until I actually saw him with my own eyes and my heart melted.
“When we got home he came out of the carrier, strolled down the hallway and sat in his usual spot on the sofa as if he'd never been away. I'm 100% sure he remembers us all and has got straight back into his old habits, other than showing absolutely no desire to go outside which is a massive relief. It's unbelievable we have him home and safe, he's survived three winters outside.”
After trying for a while to catch Ozzie, good Samaritan Christina Buckley was able to get him into a carrier on Thursday 2 April and co-ordinated with Rachel Dunning from South Yorkshire Street Cats to get him booked in at the vets.
When the vets scanned Ozzie, they found a chip that had migrated down his shoulder. After a search on the database linked him to Alison, the vets contacted her and she was able to pick him up later that day.
In a post on Facebook, Christina highlighted the importance of microchipping pets, writing: “Thanks to that tiny microchip, we were able to reunite them after such a long time apart. It was an incredibly emotional moment and a reminder that even after years, there’s always hope of a happy ending.”
On 10 June 2024, microchipping cats became a legal requirement under the Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023. Owners must ensure their cat is microchipped before they reach the age of 20 weeks with their contact details stored and kept up to date in an approved pet microchipping database.
Alison said: “I'm so grateful to South Yorkshire Street Cats volunteers for what they do as without them we would never have got him back.”
South Yorkshire Street Cats is a group set up to help support and care for street cats in South Yorkshire which relies on donations of food, litter and cash to continue their work. To find out more, visit the South Yorkshire Street Cats Facebook page here.