This British cat story sums up the good and the bad, the misfortune and good luck that a cat can experience during her/his life. All the events are fairly typically, except one. The end is good and it concerns Cats Protection.

“Nugget” is an 8 year old, microchipped, calico cat (tortoiseshell-and-white). I wonder if her name was partly inspired by her coat? Nugget’s human companion is Debra Wood. Today, they live in Mundesley, Norfolk a place where English people retire to. That is why there are caravan parks up there. It is also a seaside, tourist area.

At about the age of three, when they were living in Trimingham, Norfolk, Nugget was hit by a car. Her leg was badly damaged but a vet wired it up and saved it. The whole experience knocked her confidence and she stayed inside more, which was probably a good thing until….

Nugget was hounded out of her sanctuary, her territory, by the neighbour’s wandering cat who entered the home through the cat flap.

It is not unusual for wandering and time-share cats to visit homes other than their own. It is more common that people think. However, it is unusual for the stranger cat to pick a fight with the resident cat, as happened with Nugget, and win that fight. Nugget ran away from her home. Perhaps her lack of confidence and damaged leg weakened her abilities to defend her territory.

Although Nugget went to a caravan park nearby, Debra Wood was unable to find out where she was despite her best efforts.

Nugget had lost her territory and had become a stray cat living on scraps of food at the caravan park. She did this for 4 years! I am sure that holiday makers who were occupying their caravans or renting caravans were happy to feed her. She may have become a fixture at the site. It must have been tough. The winters are pretty horrible.

One kind lady took a particular fancy to Nugget. Thank God for kind ladies who like cats!. This lady stayed at the caravan park for three months and took care of Nugget. When the lady left it appears that her conscience would not allow her to simply walk away so she took Nugget to the local, North Walsham branch of Cats Protection.

That was a fine thing to do because Cats Protection volunteers are highly responsible cat caretakers and as Nugget was microchipped, they were able to trace Debra Woods, the owner, and reunite them four long years after she was forced from her home.

Nugget immediately recognised Debra’s voice and the long journey as a stray cat was over. It’s a cat’s life. All these things can happen to a cat. It pays to microchip. The story is about the wisdom to microchip and the kindness and thoughtfulness of cat loving ladies.