After a broken veterinarian accidentally released the cat to the wrong family and it went missing, the cat was miraculously found.
Pet detectives were called in to assist in the desperate search for Tara the tortoiseshell cat, which was launched in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Exclusive to Daily Mail Australia, it was revealed on Tuesday that Tara was mistaken for another tortoiseshell cat named Lara at the renowned Bondi Junction Veterinary Hospital, who then let her run away.
The cat had been missing since the middle of July, but an update posted to Facebook on Monday night said Tara had been found and was in good condition.
When Tara was given to the grandmother of the family who owned Lara, things went awry.
When the family got home, they released Tara into the backyard without realising it was the wrong cat. Unfamiliar with her surroundings, Tara was able to escape.
While visiting sick relatives in different foreign countries, her owners Katie Matthews and her partner Bernardo Matuck were shocked to learn that their cherished cat had escaped.
On Monday night, Mr. Matuck posted about the “awesome news” and thanked everyone for their assistance in finding the furry runaway.
Owner of the veterinary hospital Dr. Julia Crawford acknowledged last month that a human error led to the error, but she insisted that procedures are in place.
Since the mishap, the clinic and its staff have faced criticism and abuse from the public.
They accepted accountability on Facebook and pleaded with people not to criticise the family of the other cat Lara, who mistakenly adopted her.
The clinic reported that the grandmother who unintentionally collected Tara (rather than Lara) DID NOT INTEND TO LET TARA OUTSIDE.
The sentiments behind the words typed in the frantic message sent to Tara’s owners were that “ideally, no cat should be let outside immediately after returning home from a stay away from home.”
The policies and procedures to prevent a mix-up like this, according to Ms. Crawford, were sadly not followed when the pets were released.
It was a single error made by a person who at the time wasn’t paying attention to what they were doing, she claimed.
Cats next to each other that are similar. Everything is clearly labelled, everything is in its proper position, and a human error occurred.
Shortly after Tara went missing, the second cat, Lara, was given a new home and has since made herself at home.