In East Kilbride, Scotland, a perplexing situation involving numerous cats mysteriously appearing ten miles away from their homes has led to the formation of a support group for distressed pet owners. The group, named Pepe’s Friends, was established after nine cats, originally missing from East Kilbride, turned up in the communities of Newarthill, Carfin, and Holytown near Motherwell.
The Facebook group takes its name from Pepe, a 12-year-old cat blind in one eye, who was found in Newarthill 16 days after his disappearance last month. His owner, 50-year-old carer Tracy McCulloch, firmly believes that an external factor is involved in the relocation of the pets. “It’s 100 percent not the cats taking themselves there. There’s something going on—we keep finding new cases. That’s nine so far since Christmas,” McCulloch stated.
The case of Pepe was resolved when a woman from Newarthill spotted him and contacted McCulloch via Facebook. A reunion was facilitated when McCulloch’s daughter used a box of biscuits to lure Pepe out of hiding, although he was significantly emaciated by then. This incident, along with similar stories of cats being found far from home, prompted the establishment of Pepe’s Friends to aid other owners in recovering their missing pets.
Another resident of East Kilbride, Louise Thomson, shared a similar story. Her cat, Sox, vanished in February and was discovered two weeks later raiding bins in Carfin. “I had lost all hope of ever seeing him again, but then I got a Facebook message from someone in Carfin who had caught him,” Thomson explained. The emotional reunion was particularly poignant for Thomson’s daughters, Cara and Amy, who had grown up with Sox.
The mysterious disappearances have raised concerns among the local community, with many speculating that someone might be deliberately relocating these pets. Linda Cuthbert from the Clan McCat Scotland, a cat rescue charity, highlighted the importance of microchipping pets. “England will make it mandatory this summer for all cats to be microchipped with their owner’s details. I hope the Scottish Government will follow suit so that owners and cats can be reunited more easily,” Cuthbert remarked.
As the local community continues to grapple with these strange occurrences, Pepe’s Friends provides a beacon of hope, fostering collaboration and support among pet owners facing similar distressing situations.