News
Hola, NOLA! Tigger returns home
June 29, 2007, 12:0AM MT
By Joy Moffat
Nearly two years after their separation in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, 9-year-old Taylor Morales is cuddling once again with her prized cat Tigger. The cat’s microchip is credited with bringing the two back together.
Nearly two years after their separation in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, 9-year-old Taylor Morales is cuddling once again with her prized cat Tigger. The cat’s microchip is credited with bringing the two back together.
Photo by Christopher's Photography, Metairie, LA
By Cathy Scott, Best Friends Staff
Tigger, who was about two years old when Katrina hit, was rescued in mid-September 2005 from St. Bernard Parish by a Best Friends’ rapid response team. The tabby was taken to a base camp set up by Best Friends on the grounds of the St. Francis Animal Sanctuary outside of New Orleans.
Earlier, Taylor’s father, David Morales, had driven to Delacroix Island, ahead of the storm. He was a fisherman and wanted to secure his boat. The rest of the family stayed behind and packed a few belongings. During their haste to evacuate, Tigger hid either in or outside the house and was separated from the family. The Moraleses did not live in a flood-plain zone and expected, like many residents, to return in a couple days and find their cat there waiting for them.
As it turned out, extensive flooding destroyed the Morales’ home and everything in it. Weeks later, when the family was able to go home, they found Tigger’s paw prints on their sofa, but Tigger was gone. Thus began their lengthy search.
Meanwhile, Best Friends had placed Tigger with a rescue group that, in turn, put him in a foster home with a family. He was safe, but the Moraleses didn’t know it yet.
Because of the lack of electricity and lack of resources in the early days of the rescue effort, it wasn’t known that Tigger had a microchip (a permanent identification chip that’s injected just below the skin).
Eventually, however, through a lost-and-found pet database listing photos and information, the family learned that Best Friends had rescued a cat that resembled Tigger. Tigger was scanned, the microchip registered in Taylor’s name was confirmed and plans began to reunite Tigger with his family. The case was similar to one earlier this year, when a small dog named Pablo was reunited with his person after Best Friends took the case to court to have the pet returned to his legal owner.
“It’s important that Taylor had him chipped,” said Russ Mead, general counsel for Best Friends. “Once he was scanned, it made it very easy to find out he belongs to Taylor.”
Once the news of Tigger’s imminent return reached Taylor, who had slept with Tigger every night prior to the storm, she cleaned her room and prepared for the homecoming.
Taylor was at the airport, waiting for Tigger, on June 15 when he arrived. Tigger’s carrier was unzipped, he poked his head out and Taylor cupped her hands around his face. She then lifted him in her arms. Tigger was, indeed, home again.
To watch a slide show of the reunion go to YouTube.