A two-year-old black cat called Molly, from Brent, North West London who went missing on 1st April 2022 after having scarpered out of his home on the exact same day owner, Colin Ortutai-Hughes, had been instructed to leave the property by his letting agent, is now safely back and reunited with her owner.
Molly, a domestic shorthair two-year-old black cat, was missing for five days before being spotted by her owner’s landlord just as a removal van was preparing to depart to put owner Colin’s household goods into storage.
Owner and local Brent resident, 45-year-old divorced father-of-four, Colin, says that despite having searched extensively for Molly, he had started to fear the worst. As he explains, “I was so terrified she would run to the busy nearby road and get hit by a car. I was already having to deal with the shock of being told to move out of my home and watch the front door lock being changed in front of me, so losing Molly was the final straw.”
He adds, “It was also really cold, and Molly is very much an indoor cat. As she had four-month-old kittens, I was very worried about her health and physical condition, and I knew it was important to have her neutered.”
Fur matted and covered in ‘oily substance’
Whilst delighted at her return, cat lover Colin was also very concerned by Molly’s appearance: her fur was covered in an unknown and odourless, oily substance. Colin immediately drove her to the nearby Mayhew where she was cleaned and examined and found to be in good health overall, having no suffered no long-term damage from the oily substance.
Following her examination, Molly was returned to Colin with provisions, including blankets and wet and dry food for her continued recovery.
However, as Colin was anxious about Molly’s kittens being in contact with the unconfirmed oily substance which had covered her fur, Mayhew offered to take in the kittens so steps could be explored to find them forever homes.
As a Mayhew Welfare Officer explains, “Molly is a happy cat with a lovely disposition and temperament that so far hadn’t been traumatised by her experience. Whilst we may never know how she came into contact with the substance, the priority was to ensure she continued to make a full recovery and could return to her owner and the kitten’s father, Max.”
Molly, who has also since been neutered by the veterinary team at Mayhew, is back living with Colin who is currently staying with friends whilst awaiting updates on available pet-friendly accommodation.
Click here to read about Mayhew rescue cats and dogs looking to find their forever home.
