Beloved Lost Maine Cat Found Seven Years Later as Stray in Florida

The lesson here is to make sure to microchip your pets!

Ashes the cat was an indoor cat, who apparently got outside in Chesterville, Maine back in August 2015. Denise Cilley was obviously upset. It was her daughter Katie's 10th birthday, and her beloved kitty had disappeared.

When you lose a cat in super rural Maine for weeks, you assume that predators and the weather probably did Ashes in. She was only about one when she went missing.

Katie and her mom grieved the loss of this sweet kitty. Fast forward seven years and imagine their shock and then delighted surprise when they got a call from a vet's office in Longwood, Florida recently. They had a cat that was brought in with a microchip registered to them. She was a stray that was being taken care of by a local couple and they brought her to the vet when she seemed sick.

A routine scan showed who the owner was almost 1500 miles away! Denise had kept the chip information updated and answered the phone when the vet called. That, of course, has made her an even bigger advocate for having your pet microchipped. Ashes is in great spirits and still has her squeaky little meow.

We may never know how the heck this little kitty made it all the way to Florida. Maybe it was in his Maine blood as a lot of us end up in Florida. A Southwest Airlines employee volunteered to fly her home to her momma. She is right now in foster care in Florida waiting for the medical clearance to fly. Katie and her mom are so excited to see their little Ashes again. Of course, this journey home hasn't been free and vet bills are around 500 dollars so far with more to come. There is a GoFundMe page that was started to help the little lost kitty with further medical treatments. Thanks to everyone who helped get Ashes healthy and back in Maine soon!