Lost and found: the power of the microchip

Jelly enjoying the comforts of my crate. At least
someone found it useful!

Mom always has liked to collect animals, or at least look out for them. During my family's recent Plymouth sojourn, she was ready to rescue an exhausted-looking golden retriever, who dutifully went after a big stick thrown into the water...again...and again...and again...and again...the darn thing looked so pooped that even Dad, sitting aloft atop White Cliffs, worried that Mom would dash to the rescue.

Fortunately, the owners came to their senses and let the dog plop down on the beach, just like they were doing.

I tell this tale because of an interesting update regarding Jelly, the cat that my sister found last summer mewing in a group of bushes at the Lilja School fields. Noticing what a lovely cat it was, and keeping it carefully away from moi, my family betook themselves to the Cat Whisperer (aka Dr. Anthony Cosimini at the Cat's Hospital in Wellesley) hoping that it was microchipped.

Alas, it was not, but thanks to my amazing Amazonian caregiver, the only human who could possibly rassle me and win, we were able to return the  (I must say) adorable Jelly to its owners, feeling a bit like we had stolen the poor thing. The dad declared that the family would have Jelly microchipped immediately.

Later that fall, we learned that Jelly had again gone missing, and we lost track of the story. This morning, however, we had an update: Jelly had a cough, and was taken to the vet by a family who had taken her in. There, the vet had to inform the family that "their" cat actually wasn't—being microchipped, Jelly was reunited yet again with her true family. Lucky cat, to be given such care!