Lewis Tayler, a man from Ashford, Surrey, was shocked to witness CCTV footage showing a woman picking up his three-year-old cat, Gus, from his doorstep and placing him in her car. The woman, dropping off her daughter at a nearby school, allegedly believed Gus was a backpack when she took him. Lewis, a clinical practitioner for the NHS, received a tip from a person who saw his missing cat posters, leading him to the woman’s residence in Feltham, west London.
Upon confronting the woman and her husband, who were captured on a neighbor’s camera handling Gus like a trophy, Lewis was informed that the woman initially thought the cat was a backpack. Despite her contradictory statements, she eventually admitted to taking Gus home. The couple claimed Gus had escaped when their daughter opened a door, prompting them to hire a pet detective after Lewis involved the police.
Frustrated by the situation, Lewis sought the help of pet detective Colin Butcher, but initial efforts to locate Gus were unsuccessful. However, a week later, Gus was found in a neighbor’s garden, likely attracted by Lewis’s scent. Despite the challenging ordeal, Lewis expressed gratitude for the community’s support in bringing Gus back home.
While Surrey police confirmed the cat’s recovery, they stated that the investigation into the incident was ongoing. Lewis emphasized the importance of community support in reuniting him with Gus and criticized the police for their lack of proactive involvement in the case.