Missing Cat From Kentucky Found Alive In Texas After 5 Years

Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/kentucky-missing-cat-found-texas/

A missing cat named Bernie disappeared over five years ago. That cat was recently found over 1,000 miles from where he went missing.

Margaret Burcham was devastated when her cat, Bernie, wandered away from her yard in Kentucky over five years ago and never returned. Burcham explained to WCPO 9 that she did everything in her power to get her beloved cat back, but her efforts turned up fruitless.

She said, “I looked, and I called all the shelters,” but no one had picked up a cat by Bernie’s description.

Screenshot 3844 512x338 - Missing Cat From Kentucky Found Alive In Texas After 5 Years — Photo: YouTube / WCPO 9

As the days, weeks, and months passed, Burcham gave up hope of ever seeing Bernie again.

However, quite to her surprise, she received a call from Heart of Texas, a volunteer group dedicated to finding missing pets. They told her that they had her cat and had found him wandering the streets of Waco, Texas.

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Screenshot 3833 507x338 - Missing Cat From Kentucky Found Alive In Texas After 5 Years — Photo: YouTube / WCPO 9

According to WCPO 9, Bernie was allegedly healthy and appeared well-cared for. When a volunteer from the community saw the cat, they picked him up to get his microchip scanned to locate his owner.

Thanks to the microchip registered with Burcham’s information, they were able to contact the feline’s true owner and share the good news!

Screenshot 3839 505x338 - Missing Cat From Kentucky Found Alive In Texas After 5 Years — Photo: YouTube / WCPO 9

Conveniently, a volunteer with Heart of Texas, Brandi Neth, was taking a family road trip from Texas and passing through Dayton, Ohio where Burcham had relocated to, and she offered to bring Bernie and reunite her with Burcham.

The reunion was captured on video by WCPO 9 and shared in the video below.

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While no one is certain how Bernie ended up so far from his home, it seems he had human help in some form considering how well-fed and kept he was.

It’s possible he was stolen, or a well-meaning person picked him up thinking he was a stray. Of course, any “stray” animals should always be tested for microchips to ensure they’re not actually lost pets.