A Bath woman paid for her cat to be put down before discovering it was someone else’s pet.

The RSPCA told Lisa Rogers, 42, her cat Dusty had been found – but was seriously ill - after she had reported him missing.

She forked out £252 for the feline to be put to sleep, only for Dusty to turn up on her doorstep a month later.

The RSPCA apologised to the finance assistant and refunded her, blaming it on a miscommunication about the microchip details.

It transpired the moggy that had been put down had belonged to an elderly person who had died.

Furious Lisa said: "I was distraught when I was told Dusty had to be put down - I love that cat.

“And although I was over the moon when she came back from the dead, I'd still been left to pay out to have someone else's cat put down.

"Between the grief and the money, it's outrageous."

Dusty went missing from Lisa’s home while he was being looked after by her mum while she was on holiday in Portugal with fiancé Craig, 43, an engineer.

Stock picture of a cat being examined

She reported her missing when she came home on September 14, and was put on a list circulated to animal charities.

Within hours the RSPCA called Lisa to say a cat matching Dusty's description had been found and the animal's microchip matched Lisa's phone number and the cat's name.

Apparently the name and address on the chip did not match Lisa - but she claims the surgery said this was a "mix up" and the cat was hers.

The vet at Bath's RSPCA Rosemary Lodge centre then delivered the devastating news the cat had lost her sight, could not walk and had to be put down.

Lisa was away from the area so sent her mother to the vet, and paid £252 for Dusty to be put to sleep.

A month later, grief-stricken Lisa was still waiting the ashes when the real Dusty turned up.

“I came home from work and there she was on my front doorstep," she said.

"I knew it was Dusty because she had a distinctive lump under her belly from where she had surgery when she was little.

"And when I picked up him he had the distinctive squeaky meow I know and love.

"All the signs pointed to it being Dusty. And then we had the microchip checked and, sure enough, it was my cat.

"I was delighted he was home - but I was still landed with this bill for someone else's cat."

Lisa claims she spent weeks arguing her case before the vets refunded her and apologised for the mix up. Dusty has since gone missing again.

A stock picture of a vet with a cat

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "We are very pleased to hear that Dusty has been reunited with his owners and understand this has been an upsetting time for them.

"We were called to help a very poorly grey cat called Dusty, which we understood matched the description and microchip of missing Dusty.

"A member of Lisa Roger's family visited and confirmed the cat was their missing pet and consented to them being put to sleep by a vet, to prevent further suffering.

"We have since discovered there was a miscommunication about the microchip details and are looking into this.

"We have refunded the cost of treatment to Lisa Rogers and apologised for the distress caused.

"We have made enquiries and the owner of the cat which was put to sleep had passed away previously.

"The welfare of this very poorly cat was the number one concern of everyone involved in this very unusual event."
