A Florida family was reunited this month with a cat that disappeared more than 900 miles away after turning up at a North Carolina animal shelter, officials said.
The cat, named Xena, slipped out of a harness during a Fourth of July weekend visit to Corolla on the Outer Banks and was missing when the family returned home to Boynton Beach, Florida. More than a month later, shelter staff in North Carolina found an injured and underweight cat near where Xena had last been seen and identified her by scanning a microchip.
Currituck Animal Shelter staff said the cat was located on Aug. 27 about a half-mile from the site where she had been seen in the Tar Heel State. Shelter Director Rachael Stone said the animal had an abscess on her foot but remained "vocal" and eager for attention when found. A microchip scan linked the cat to the Boynton Beach family, prompting the shelter to contact the owners.
Shelter employees posted photos on Facebook showing Xena receiving veterinary care before the reunion. Stone said the family immediately made plans to drive north to retrieve the cat and that their determination "made our day." She added the reunion underscored the importance of microchipping pets and keeping owner information up to date.
Photos and accounts provided by the shelter captured the moment the family and Xena were reunited. Stone said the owners were "in awe" and had "kind of lost hope" that they would find the cat after weeks of searching. Xena was cleared to travel and returned home to Boynton Beach, where shelter staff said she is recovering from her month-long ordeal.
Staffers said Xena received veterinary attention for her foot abscess and was otherwise in stable condition when reunited with her owners. The Currituck shelter described the family as "so grateful" and said the reunion was heartening for staff who had worked to locate the animal.
Animal shelters and rescue groups often emphasize microchipping and updated contact information as vital tools for reuniting lost pets with their owners. In this case, the microchip helped bridge the distance between the Outer Banks and South Florida and brought an out-of-state search to a successful close.
Xena's recovery continues at home in Florida, and the family has expressed gratitude to the Currituck Animal Shelter and its staff for locating and caring for their cat.