You couldn't make this up

[givemushypeasachance]

Some of you may recall me posting last September about my friends' cat going missing the day they went on holiday to America; despite loads of searching and posters, ringing around vets and Facebook group posting there was no sign of her. They never gave up hope but it was looking increasingly likely that we'd never know what happened to her. They still had their other cat, and now nine months on they were arranging to take on another kitten from a family friend at the end of May.

Well, they've just gone on a week's holiday to Tenerife (the holiday to America last year was a bit of a downer in the circumstances and they felt like a chilled week in the sun). And they get a missed call that turns out to be a vets five miles from their house - "Oh hi, we've got [Missing Cat] who's just been handed in to us, can you come and pick her up?".

I've double checked and this was an ID from a chip check, and she's a female ginger and black tortie lost in the same city - the chance of a false positive seems amazingly small. I'm going down to pick her up this evening; apparently she seemed okay if a bit hungry, a vet will be giving her a check over. A woman who spotted her a few times in a supermarket car park near the vets brought her in. No idea how she got over there, when she never went further than a couple of back gardens away in a terraced street on the other side of the city.

It's absolutely bloody ridiculous, but amazing news!

[Germgirl]

Brilliant news though :) will they still take the kitten do you think?
Thus must be so pleased. I can't imagine how awful it would be to lose my idiot furball.

[Stillyummy]

I like a happy ending

[givemushypeasachance]

I haven't dared ask about the kitten - my friend doesn't totally believe this yet, I think she won't until she can see a photo. I can't begin to believe how they must feel about it all, it's pretty much knocked me for six!

Emotional attachment to the kitten had already settled in - they've been getting photos since the litter was born a couple of months ago, came around to the idea of taking one on, picked out which one and named it, even "met" it via Skype (they're a couple of hours away so haven't visited in person)... there's no obvious reason why they couldn't have three cats, except that their existing non-missing cat might have her nose put even more out of joint! Think that'll be a question to sleep on for a few days.

[caper555]

Lovely news, mine came back after 2.5 years - the call from the vet was like 'winning the lottery'!

[givemushypeasachance]

It's really her! I still can't quite believe it. She's in good condition so can't have been living rough (with her three teeth and no street smarts) but goodness knows where she's been. The amount of purring and headbutts I've had suggest she's glad to be back though.

[givemushypeasachance]

Kittens are still a potentially dodgy topic of conversion, but my friends are cutting short their holiday and flying home tomorrow - not sure I blame them really, they never thought they'd see her again and just want to come back and give her cuddles (as well as reassuring their other cat who isn't thrilled by all this). That's two holidays in the past year struck by Cat Disaster - though at least this is a happy disaster!

[thecatneuterer]

Amazing news. And yes there's not much worse than a holiday cat disaster. I'm surprised holiday insurance policies don't specify it in their clauses :)

[AuntieDee]

Brilliant news but how bizarre! Good on you for tracking her down!

[BettyCatKitten]

Great news! Perhaps they should forgo a holiday next year

[givemushypeasachance]

It was a very kind random woman who'd seen her in the supermarket car park who did the finding - they took her to the vets around the corner who did a chip check. I just went to collect the furry parcel on my friends behalf - I couldn't believe it when they texted me this morning saying please ring us asap, she's been reported found! Thank heavens for microchips.

[RubbishMantra]

Proper cat people, cutting their holiday short. I wouldn't be able to wait either. They must be ecstatic!

[givemushypeasachance]

They are - they're flying back this afternoon, and when my friend texted the flight number she said not to worry if there were crazy dramatic plane accidents as she was just so happy! Still hoping for no plane crashes though, I'm sure poor formerly missing cat wants her mum & dad back rather than just me (though she's always been a soppy thing and I've been getting a lot of love).

I do wonder if we'll ever find out where she's been for nine months - friends are going to find out if the woman who picked her up left a name to see if they can pass on a reward as well. If not I wonder if it could go to the vets and maybe they could pass on to a cat charity - don't know if petplan would agree to that though. They dutifully kept up her insurance payments, bless them!