A family in Kirtland Hills, Ohio, recently experienced an unusual and heartwarming encounter with someone else’s beloved pet.
When Emily Morris and her aunt, Bisy Dickson, spotted a black cat with their own cat outside their home, they thought it was a stray, WJW reported Friday.
He eventually became familiar enough with the family to let them pick him up. Therefore, when the women noticed he was wearing a tag they learned his name is Blackie, and he belonged to a family living far away in Texas.
The situation was even more interesting because Blackie disappeared in October, and his family was desperate to find him.
An image shows the fluffy black feline staring out what appears to be a window:
According to Laurie Bentley, the story unfolded when her son was in the process of moving to Maine accompanied by the cat. However, once the pair took a break from the road in Concord Township, the unthinkable happened.
Somehow, Blackie escaped and darted away from his owner into a nearby wooded area.
It is not uncommon for cats to run away because they are under stress, the Tractive website reads.
“Cats are creatures of habit – they don’t like changes in the household or to their routine,” the site said, adding many things can cause a cat to feel stressed or anxious, which in turn “may cause them to seek refuge elsewhere.”
However, it is important to note that cats have a homing instinct that serves in helping them find their way home again after being away, per PetMD.
Bentley said her son felt terrible about what happened, and he searched high and low for his beloved cat. However, his attempts were unsuccessful.
She shared about their situation online, and local animal rescue groups in Lake County joined forces to help in the search by printing out fliers, leaving food around the area, and telling others to be on the lookout for Blackie.
She is now reportedly driving to Ohio to retrieve her family’s beloved cat over the weekend and meet the friends who have been so kind to their pet.
Meanwhile, Dickson said the whole situation “feels like a Hallmark movie.”