French cat found in Basingstoke returns to home in Calais

Ophelie, the 'sweetest' Tabby cat, was allegedly stolen during a camping holiday in the North of France with her owner, Christelle in May.

After making the journey across the English Channel, a Basingstoke resident noticed Ophelie wandering down her road, a cat that she had 'never seen before'.

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Ophelie (Image: Christelle)

Presuming that the cat was a stray, she began feeding the feline before taking it to Brunswick Place Veterinary Clinic in Viables to check whether it had been microchipped.

Jade Williams, an animal care assistant at the clinic, explained that after scanning the cat's microchip, she was surprised to find that it was in a different language.

"We worked out it was a company from Europe, and then narrowed it down to France. I spoke to the company, and then they gave us the name of the owner.

"I speak hardly any French, but my close friend does, so I asked him to translate," said Jade.

Her friend, Adrien Nortier, grew up in a tiny village near Alençon, which is coincidentally twinned with Basingstoke, before moving to England in 2007.

Adrien, who knew Jade through their participation in BATS, Basingstoke Amateur Theatrical Society, agreed to translate the conversations to help Ophelie return home.

He said: "I have learnt so much, it's been very interesting. It's not something I ever thought I would need to do, but it has been very stressful at times."

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The mission to return Ophelie to Calais lasted over a month described Adrien, with him receiving the initial call for help on August 29.

"I had to go back and forth with the French lady [Christelle] and the British, whether it be the vets or Trading Standards or DEFRA or quarantine kennels or transport companies. It has been full on," added Adrien.

Ophelie's vaccines had run out, meaning that the feline had to be quarantined in a kennel before being transported back across the ocean. Paperwork, including the cat's pet passport and health certificates, also had to be filled out and approved.

Before receiving the call from the vet surgery in Viables, Christelle thought she was 'never going to see her again' according to Adrien.

The cat returned back to Calais on Wednesday, October 2, after a long taxi journey from Southampton, where she was being quarantined, to Christelle and her partner Francis.

"They're very happy, she was very grateful to have her cat back. I'm also very happy that Ophelie is back with Cristal, it's lovely to see," concluded Adrien, who works as a wedding dressmaker.

Jade said that the whole 'crazy' situation should serve as a reminder of 'how important it is to get your cat microchipped'.

She added: "They lost their cat, but if it hadn't been microchipped we never would have known where it came from. We never would have thought to look in France."