Stories of owners finding their lost pets are a dime a dozen, but this one is definitely out of the box. The unusual tale includes a soccer game and a cat named Topsey.
In the middle of a soccer match, Topsey, the feline, stormed the grounds and became an internet sensation. After a struggle to remove the naughty kitty from the field, the staff veterinarian identified the moggy’s owners thanks to a chip and learned that the cat had been missing for months.
On Tuesday, February 8th, Sheffield Wednesday FC hosted Wigan Athletic at the Hillsborough stadium in an English third division match. While both teams were battling it out, an unforeseen player made her entrance onto the green rectangle.
Indeed, it was a calico tabby cat running around the pitch. Unfortunately, since the moggy showed no intention of leaving the premises, players and referees had to pause play to intervene temporarily.
Even for professional athletes, catching the cat proved more difficult than expected due to the animal’s agility and speed. The feline quickly sped past them until Wigan Athletic’s Jason Kerr, a Scottish defender, pinned her down gently.
Much to the spectators’ amusement, he handed her over to the staff on the edge of the pitch.
Following their surprising performance, a staff veterinarian examined the swift cat. The veterinarian detected an identification chip in the animal. He was able to call the owner the following day to inform her of the situation.
Topsey escaped last summer
Owner Alison Jubb couldn’t believe the call she received from the vet. Coincidentally, Jubb’s daughter-in-law had called the day before to say she was watching the game and that a cat had run onto the pitch.
Both women laughed about the incident, not realizing it that the cat had been Topsey! Topsey ran away in June 2021, right before summer vacation. Alison Jubb needed to go away for a few days; hence she decided to bring her pet to a cattery in North Sheffield.
Jubb told BBC :
“We were going away, and I was taking her to a cattery, and she escaped out of the cat box, and we never heard anything again.”
Topsey did not return totally unhurt from her misadventure. The vet noticed bite marks on her, most likely caused by a dog. An X-ray was performed to assess the severity of the damage.
Alison Jubb was relieved to have Topsey back and hoped she would recover quickly from her injuries.