An elderly moggy has finally found its way home after going missing – for an incredible 13 years.
Meet Janet Adamowicz, she was left heartbroken when her beloved tabby cat, Boo, disappeared in 2005 at the age of four.
The married step-mum-of-two plastered missing posters of Boo to lampposts in Harrogate, West Yorks., and put an advert in the local paper.
After a year of fruitless searching, Janet gave up hope and eventually decided to give a home to two other cats, Ollie in 2008 and Tessie in 2014. That was that, she thought. She could only hope that Boo had found another home and was alive and well.
But then, 13 years later, she got a call out of the blue.
“I got a call on Thursday to say I had a cat missing,” Janet said. “I said ‘I don’t think I do, they’re both here’ – but they said we’ve looked on the system it says you own a cat called Boo. I thought it was weird, but I couldn’t believe it when I got to the vets and they had her there – and she still remembered me.”
“I don’t know where she had been, I think possibly a stray but kept being fed by strangers – or catching her own food.”
Despite being a little dehydrated, Boo was in generally good health.
She was taken to Wicstun Vets in York by a lady who did not leave her name or details – other than the fact that the cat had been lurking around for a few weeks.
“Boo was very lively as a young kitten and enjoyed the outdoors and adventuring – but would always return home,” Janet explained. “We don’t know how she got all those 40 miles, it could have been any number of reasons. She has done well as a 17-year-old cat to last that long as a stray cat – it really is remarkable.”
“Despite only being five years old she still remembers me and has been my shadow ever since coming home. The other two cats are not impressed, but hopefully, Boo is finally home for good.”
The vets reassured all pet owners have their cats micro-chipped just in case they go missing.
A spokesperson at Wicstun said: “Somehow she has traveled over 40 miles from home – she might have done that last week or 13 years ago.
“It’s not uncommon for cats to nap in vans, sadly waking up to find themselves many miles away from where they should be. “
According to the vets where Boo was returned to, there were emotional scenes when the pair were finally reunited.
“There wasn’t a dry eye in the building,” a spokesperson for the vet said. “Boo recognized her mum straight away and within minutes the two were thoroughly enjoying plenty of face rubs, cuddles, and meows.”
They used microchip data from 2001 to make the link, matching Boo’s name with Janet’s mobile number. The vets used the opportunity to urge all pet owners have their cats micro-chipped just in case they go missing because as this story proves, you just never know!
