At a petrol station in Arkansas, USA, a beautiful blue cat appeared before two women who happened to be transporting two rescue dogs.
As animal lovers, they couldn't turn a blind eye to this cat who seemed lost, so they decided to take him with them. After a quick trip to the vet to check for a microchip, they were delighted to find that his details were registered to a rescue centre. They immediately contacted the organisation to let them know the cat had been found. But the story turned out to be more surprising than they could have imagined!
A cat lost for five years
Named Luke, the cat had been adopted from the Pawsitively Cats shelter when he was just three months old. After seven happy years with his family, he made a fateful mistake. One day, for reasons unknown, the handsome blue cat simply didn't come home. His owners searched everywhere for him, but to no avail.
For five years, there was no sign of Luke. It's likely he was taken in by someone who never thought to check if he already had a family.
So when Luke's family received a phone call from the shelter to say their cat had been found, they could hardly believe it. They were overjoyed to hear he was still alive. In the meantime, the family had moved to Nevada, over 1,600 miles away from the shelter. But there was no question in their minds – they would find a way to get their beloved cat back!
An emotional reunion
A few days later, Luke (now named Sam) was reunited with his family in a very emotional reunion.
Now 12 years old, the cat has headed back to Nevada to rejoin his family, which includes several other dogs and cats, and even some little human sisters.
Without his microchip, the cat would probably never have been able to return home.
