“Mojo! Mojo! Where are you?” Neighbors in a quiet neighborhood no doubt wondered why a family was shouting endlessly about Mojo in 2020. A woman and her nephews searched and searched for him, a fluffy black cat or “moggie,” as the UK says. But he had sadly vanished after taking a walk one sunny evening in Cambridgeshire.
“…we were all walking around the whole block shouting, ‘Mojo! Mojo!’” explained Alison Woodrow. “But he just didn’t come back,” she told the BBC.
Images via iTV.com/Alison Woodrow and Facebook/Peterborough Cats Protection
How The Family Lost Their Mojo
Alison, a volunteer with Cats Protection in Peterborough, had fallen for the black fluffball when Mojo was just a tiny, frail 4-week-old kitten in 2018.
Images via Peterborough Telegraph/Alison Woodrow
After ten years of fostering, he was her only so-called “foster fail.” She adopted him after nursing him back to health from the brink of death.
Images via iTV.com/Alison Woodrow
“Mojo was a tiny foundling kitten who was in a terrible state and very poorly,” she said.“I bought him back from the brink and in my ten+ years of fostering, he was the only cat I ever adopted – he was my failed foster.”
Moho in 2018 via Facebook/ Peterborough Cats Protection
The Kitten Took a Stroll and Vanished
Two years later, Mojo took a stroll and disappeared. It was not typical for him to wander and stray from home.
“Why he would go for a wander, I have no idea. There were some dogs locally that weren’t very nice,” she said.
Woodrow anxiously feared the worst. But maybe he had climbed into a car and got carried away? After months of searching, she was heartbroken that she couldn’t find him. Gradually, she gave up hope she would ever see her favorite foster baby again. Yet she never stopped wondering what had happened to him.
How She Got Her Mojo Back
The fluffy black cat had never known anything outside of life with his foster family and Cats Protection. How would he survive out there in the dangerous world? As it turned out, he did just fine for four years. Most likely, he charmed someone nearby and they cared for him. Despite being found outside by a local cat lover, his fur was “glossy,” and he was well-fed.
When the neighbor took the kitty to the vet, they found a microchip. And the data led them to Woodrow and her family. Despite all the searches back in 2020, Mojo turned up only seven minutes from home. Thus, he was likely always nearby.
As we see every day, his return was all thanks to that microchip. Woodrow took the moment to highlight the importance of getting one for you pet. Wonderfully, they have recently become compulsory in the UK. But she also emphasized the need to scan them. If people don’t check for them, they can’t help at all.
“It’s also important to spread the message that anyone who finds a stray gets them scanned for a chip,” she said.
One night a 7:00 pm, Woodrow was watching television. That’s when she saw the vet calling on the phone, suspecting they wanted her to help a cat in need.
“The lady at the veterinary practice said, ‘Have you lost your cat?’”
Taken aback, Woodrow replied, “Yes, but four years ago!”
“Well, we’ve got him here,” the vet told her.
Right away, Woodrow rushed to the vet with her cat carrier in hand.
“Lo and behold, it was definitely Mojo!” she said.
Alison with her kitty
Adjusting to Home After Four Years Missing
After spending most of his adult life away from home, Mojo didn’t recognize his mom a first. But he stayed with her in the bed his first night home.
“It’s all a bit weird and a bit of an adjustment,” Woodrow said.
Image via Facebook/Peterborough Cats Protection
A New Life Begins
As most cats would be, the kitty was very frightened of the vet. Afterward, he was disoriented to be back at his long-lost home. It was like starting all over again. Slowly, he adjusted and was different than before, preferring to come out at night.
“To be fair, I’d only had him two years, and he’s been missing four. So, his new life was probably his new life to him,” she said. “But he’s so settled back in now! It’s wonderful to see. It really is.”
Instantly, the four dogs in the home remembered Mojo!
With his old pal, Disco the dog. Images via Peterborough Telegraph/Alison Woodrow
He Found His Mojo Somewhere Else
Thankfully, someone had cared for him and loved him for the four years he was missing. But now, they’re probably missing him, too!
“He found his Mojo somewhere else!” Woodrow joked.
A Big Family of Furbabies
At the same time that Mojo has returned home, Woodrow is busy caring for a litter of black kittens again. Coincidentally, they look much like Mojo did when she took him in as a tiny fluffy kitten!
A man was about to light a bonfire in a stack of wood but took a moment to check around it. That’s when he discovered hiding kittens whose mama had sadly vanished.
“Alison is socializing the litter to get them used to humans, as well as teaching them how to use a litter tray and nursing them back to full health, as they’ve had very upset tummies. We’ll let you know when these gorgeous bundles of fluff are ready for rehoming!” shared Peterborough Cats Protection.
Images via Facebook/Peterborough Cats Protection
