Thuravoor: Thanks to a WhatsApp group, a precious pet cat belonging to a family in Pattambi in Palakkad district could be retrieved from here, about 150 km south several days later. The cat went missing as the car in which family was travelling met with an accident near Thuravoor in Alappuzha district on November 5.

The family members - P Gangadharan, wife Dr M K Geetha and son Appu - had taken their pet along with them during their trip and lost it as they were returning from Thiruvananthapuram to Palakkad. The cat named Toto, a Persian semi punch which was kept in a special cage, went missing in the melee following an accident on the national highway. Geetha, who suffered injuries as the car hit the median, had to be rushed to hospital from the spot.

The family later launched a frantic search for their pet. An extensive search lasting several days was conducted by the family in the area. But Totu was not found. Saneesh Payikkad, the admin of a local WhatsApp group named ‘Voice of Kuthiyathode’ learnt about it and conducted an enquiry of his own with the help of social media.

Soon, Toto was traced living comfortably at a house near Kuthiyathode. When the residents of the house realised that Toto’s owners were desperately looking for him, they handed the cat over to Saneesh, from whom Appu took his pet home.

Finally, the cat and its masters were reunited, thanks to the WhatsApp group.

