February 26, 2008

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A cat that went missing nearly two months ago has returned home thanks to microchip technology and diligent animal shelter workers.

Mico got away from owner Jade Schulte last December, when her Albuquerque home burned down.

“We didn’t think we were going to get her back,” said Schulte. “We had basically given up and were hoping that she was with a good family.”

The next part of the story gets a little fuzzy. Somehow, Mico ended up in Pueblo, Colo., more than 200 miles away. Anybody’s best guess is that the cat jumped on a truck to stay warm and hopped off in Colorado.

Then someone found the cat and brought her to Pueblo Animal Services, where she was scanned for a microchip.

Sure enough, Mico is microchipped.

“It told us how to get Mico home,” said Janet Niles of Pueblo Animal Services. “It told us who Mico’s owner was and how to contact them and that’s how we discovered that Mico had come all the way from New Mexico.”

“I got a phone call about two weeks ago, saying they had my cat” said Schulte. “I was like, ‘Great, I’ll come pick her up.’ ”

Then Niles told Schulte where she was.

“I said, ‘How on earth did she get to Pueblo,’ ” said Schulte.

But because of the fire, Schulte was unable to afford travel to get her feline. Luckily, Niles offered to drive the cat home herself.

This week, the pair was reunited. And it was all thanks to a piece of $15 technology.

“That’s why I thank God for microchips and that’s why everyone should microchip their animals,” said Schulte.

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