Young Rufford girl's 'heartbreak' one year since 'cat in a million' went missing

Mercury, a friendly adult male cat, has been missing from the Rufford area of Nottinghamshire since April 2023.

Debbie Russell, the owner of the cat, expressed her sadness and heartbreak a year since her daughter's beloved cat went missing.

She believes that someone may have taken him in.

Mercury left the family home when a visitor accidentally left the door open in April 2023, leaving Debbie's daughter, Jenna, with a “broken heart”.

Mercury is a distinct-looking cat with missing fang teeth, a deformed rib, and a nick to his left ear.

He was adopted from a rescue along with his brother Freddie in 2022. Freddie has since sadly died from a blood clot.

She said: “Mercury and Jenna were inseparable.

“Mercury was her constant companion – he waited for her to come home from school and had to be peeled off her in the morning so she could get ready. She carried him everywhere. If she cried, he would run from another room to be with her.

“As you can imagine, he has been a significant loss to the whole family.

"We miss him every day. All of us are distraught, including my 85-year-old mother who loved spending time with him.

“He is a one-in-a-million cat, so special to us. We miss him so much.”

If anyone has any information about Mercury, they are advised to contact Beauty’s Legacy – a lost or stolen animal charity – on 07866 026343.

The family have issued a ‘significant reward’ for Mercury’s safe return.

Lisa Dean, founder of Beauty’s Legacy, said: “The impact of the entire ordeal has been huge for the family.

“The fear, grief, anxiety and guilt is soul-destroying. Having a heartbroken child in the family makes it even more upsetting.

“Theft by finding is a criminal offence, which may result in a custodial sentence, so we urge whoever knows where Mercury is, to either hand him in to your nearest vets, or get in touch on 07866 026343.

“We are not the police and we guarantee 100 per cent anonymity. We can collect him from any area and return him to his family.”