A black and white cat named Tom who went missing in 2009 reunited with his human after living in a cemetery for over a decade. Anna’s Rescue Centre (ARC), a cat rescue charity in Cardiff, made the reunion possible with the power of social media, a microchip, and pure luck.
According to ITV News, a man named Peter made friends with two stray cats in the cemetery. He called ARC after growing concerned with their health.
“He was concerned about one cat because it had been infested by flies, and he just thought it wasn’t right,” ARC volunteer Deveney Lucas told the outlet. Shelter workers fed the malnourished cats and took them to the vet.
“We always scan them to make sure they don’t have microchips. The very bad one with the fly problem wasn’t chipped, but the little black and white boy, Tom, did have a microchip much to our surprise.”
ARC Uses Social Media To Reunite Tom His Long-Lost Human
The microchip was found to be out of date, so ARC put out a plea on Facebook to find Tom’s human.
“We are looking for a lady with the last name WHITE. Who lives or used to live on Claude Road. Cardiff. This lady’s cat Tom went missing 12 years ago!!! We have him here safe and sound!!!! Details aren’t up to date. I guess many would lose hope after such a long time. But hope is everything. Please share, let’s make a dream come true and give everyone with a missing cat hope.”
Then the miracle happened. “We had 36,000 views on the Facebook post and so many people were offering advice. And then miracle upon miracle, we get a call from a lady saying it was her cat,” Deveney told ITV News.
“She was in absolute shock, she actually said ‘I think I’m dreaming this.’ She was so delighted that Tom was still alive at 20-years-old.”
But what about Tom’s friend, the other cat that he bonded with in the cemetery?
Two Cemetery Friends Get To Live Out Their Lives Together
Tom’s human decided the other kitty, Dennis, should come home with them to be a member of the family too.
“We have found the owner! Not only will she be reunited with her long lost boy tomorrow, but she’s going to take in his companion also, ARC posted on Facebook. “His companion hasn’t got long left, but he’s going to enjoy comfort now until the very end.”
In a video posted to their Facebook page, ARC documented the tearful reunion that included the two cats, the man who found them, and Tom’s human.
“Sometimes reuniting doesn’t goes as swimmingly as we would like, often when a cat has been missing for so long. The families have moved on and have other pets and then ask us if we can rehome their lost pet,” they wrote in the caption.
“But this wonderful lady, baring in mind she only found out around 5 yesterday evening, spent the night reorganizing her home. To give the old boys a private room to make their integration go as smoothly as possible when introducing them to her other cats.”
(Picture Credit: CompellingPhotography/Getty Images)
After these kitties survived in a cemetery for over a decade, we at CatTime feel overjoyed that they’re heading home. Now they’ll live out their lives in comfort!
If you would like to donate to Ana’s Rescue Centre, please do so here.
Tom’s story has a happy ending, but it reminds us all that we need to keep our kitties safe. Please check out CatTime’s 10 tips to make sure you don’t lose your cat.
Are you happy to see Tom finally going home with his human? Do you think this story will give hope to anyone whose cat has gone missing? Let us know in the comments below!