Will we find the owners of Kiko,
through the powers of the internet?

UPDATE 3: We are trying to get Kiko home! Now that the official waiting period is over (legal/administrative/vaccinations) we are ready to send Kiko home! We're looking for people traveling from Belgium to Portugal (Braga or Porto). More information on the dedicated page 'looking for a travel buddy'. (updated 20 juli 11:30)

UPDATE 2: The most amazing thing has happened, because YES, the owner has been located! They were extremely overjoyed when they heard the news. However, we now have the difficult task of navigating some administrative hurdles in order to find out if and how we can reunite Kiko with his owner. We expect a final update to follow once we know a bit more, and we may still need your help to make this reunion possible. Please stay tuned. (updated 30 june 14:30)

UPDATE 1: We are in contact with a Portuguese organisation, who have helped us discover the chip has an address in the Braga district. The original address shows either near Pedralva or near Freitas/Fafe. Obviously we're also still trying to respect privacy laws, so don't ask us for a name or an exact address. (updated 27 june 11:00)

Some stories are so unusual that they deserve a little help from the internet. This is Kiko, a 6-year-old male cat who was found in Boortmeerbeek, Belgium. When he came into our care at Pootjesparadijs, we checked his chip, like we always do with found animals. That small chip led us much further than expected: all the way to Portugal.

Kiko is registered in a Portuguese database. We contacted them and they confirmed that Kiko had been reported missing 3 years ago. His family was on holiday in Belgium (Boortmeerbeek) when they lost him. For the past 3 years, Kiko was kept in a safe environment, fed and taken care of. 

Kiko found his way to us and now we are trying to find the family who may still be wondering what happened to Kiko. The Portuguese database tried to contact Kiko’s owners, but the contact details linked to his chip are no longer correct. Sadly, because of privacy rules, they could not give us the owners’ name.

So now we are asking for YOUR help.

Do you remember a Portuguese family who lost their cat while travelling in Belgium around 3 years ago? Were you staying near Boortmeerbeek, Zemst, Mechelen, Leuven or the surrounding area? Do you know someone in Portugal who once spoke about losing a cat named Kiko during a holiday?

Please share this page. Share it in Portugal, in Belgium, in travel groups, in cat communities, with friends, family, neighbours and anyone who might help this story travel a little further.

Kiko’s chip brought us this far. Maybe the internet can bring him the rest of the way home.

Do you have any information about Kiko or his family? Please contact us at info@pootjesparadijs.be.

This story is also a small reminder to every pet owner. Please make sure your pet’s chip details are always up to date. A chip can only bring a lost animal home when the contact details still lead to the right person.