A Long-Awaited Reunion with a Cat Missing Over a Year

As a pet owner, having your furry family member go missing is a fear. If it happens, your life is thrown into turmoil. Your life becomes filled with hanging flyers, scouring the neighborhood daily, and constantly feeling worried and scared for your pet’s safety.

This happened to Jessie and her family at the beginning of 2018.

Jessie was in the middle of moving and had to leave her cat, Star, with a family member. In the midst of the chaos and stress involved in moving, she received a phone call from her pet sitter saying that Star had managed to escape from a window. She rushed over to make sure Star wasn’t hiding somewhere and searched the apartment complex desperately, but with no luck.

She immediately hung up flyers, posted pictures throughout social media, and spread the word to locals that her cat was missing. Star was spotted periodically over the next couple of months. Jessie even managed to get near her a few times, but Star always bolted before she could be caught. One night, Jessie nearly caught Star while hobbling after her on a booted foot she had just had surgery on!

Shortly after that, things went quiet for a year. Star seemed to have disappeared forever. Jessie’s daughters never stopped asking about their beloved cat and the family was left to wonder what happened to her.

Then, on May 22nd 2019, the Upper Valley Humane Society posted on their Facebook page about a stray cat that had been brought in. They had named her ‘Mavis’ and asked social media followers to spread the word that she was looking for her family. ‘Mavis’ was then put on “stray hold,” a period of time for owners to find and contact UVHS about their lost pets.

However, Jessie didn’t see the original Facebook post. Nobody contacted UVHS about ‘Mavis’ and she was put up for adoption.

On June 4th at 10pm, Jessie’s friend texted her and told her that UVHS had her cat! She was in disbelief, but double checked. Sure enough, it was Star! Jessie frantically called the shelter as soon as she could the next morning, worried that she might be too late. She had no reason to worry, as Star was still at the shelter and could be picked up that day!

Jessie rushed to UVHS, nervous that Star might not remember her–worried that she might be a completely different cat now. As soon as Jessie walked into the room, Star jumped into her arms, hugging her, purring, and rubbing her head against Jessie. She remembered her family! With happy tears, Jessie took her long lost feline friend home. The best part of their reunion was bringing her daughter home early from school and having Star waiting to welcome her home. Her daughter’s eyes shone brighter than she’s ever seen them when she saw Star.

Since Star has been home, she is the same cat she was before. She fell back into her routine and still climbs up on the bed to cuddle and lay on Jessie’s head while she sleeps. Jessie says that Star reminds her more of a dog than a cat with her antics! Everyone is still over the moon and a little bit in disbelief that Star came home after being gone for so long.

The Upper Valley Humane Society is thrilled that they were reunited and that we were able to keep Star safe and cared for while she waited for her family to find her. We hope that this story inspires those that have lost their furry family members to never lose faith. We hope that it also highlights how important it is that we post on our social media pages about strays that are brought to us and put on “stray hold.” Through this vital protocol, we continue to unite families with their lost pets.

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We are currently open for adoptions by appointment. All available animals are listed on our website. If you see one you are interested in or require assistance through one of our programs, please call or email us.