When a resident of Okotoks, Canada, found an exhausted cat by the side of the road, she thought she was simply helping a poor stray find safety. She took her to the SAVE (Saving Animals Volunteer Endeavor) rescue centre, little knowing that the cat's story would soon stun the entire team.
The cat was elderly and in very poor condition, and it looked as though she had been fending for herself for a long time. The volunteers immediately began the routine checks, unaware that a simple scan of her microchip was about to reveal a past that had been forgotten for nearly a decade.
A microchip that changed everything
When the staff scanned the cat's microchip, they found it wasn't registered. However, SAVE managed to trace it back to the Calgary Humane Society, who were able to find the owner's contact details. The team then learned the cat's name: Katherine. But it was another detail that shocked everyone: she had been missing for eight years.
According to SAVE, the cat had likely survived on her own for a long time, thanks to her own instincts and the occasional help of kind strangers. Despite being tired and thin, she was calm, gentle, and clearly craved affection.
Her owner was notified by phone and immediately made the journey to the rescue centre. What followed was described as an instantaneous and deeply moving reunion. Katherine recognised her owner's voice and rushed towards her. The moment they were in each other's arms, they were inseparable.
Home at last after eight long years
The video of their reunion, posted on Instagram by SAVE, has been viewed over 290,000 times. In it, the owner can be heard saying an emotional "I knew you didn’t die" as she is reunited with her beloved cat. The rescue team described it as a poignant scene, filled with urgent meows and a profound sense of relief.
When she disappeared, the family had just adopted two young kittens. Katherine had started spending more time outside before vanishing completely. They put up posters, searched everywhere, and asked all the neighbours, but there was no sign of her. As the months went by, her owner had eventually lost hope.
Today, Katherine is back home. She is resting, eating well, and settling back in as if those eight long years never happened. For the volunteers, this story is a powerful reminder of the importance of microchipping – and, crucially, of keeping contact details up to date.
