A heartbroken family who lost their cat have been reunited with their pet after it turned up – FOUR YEARS later.
Emma was one of two feral cats who were adopted by Rachel McLaren, 43, and Laura, five, from a rescue centre in 2013 when they lived in Wetherby, Yorks.
The moggy went missing just a month before the family were due to move to Leicester and two weeks later, Emma’s brother Bob was killed in a road accident.
They moved into their new home in November 2013 assuming Emma had also died.
In January 2014 they rescued two new cats – Ginger and Cookie – and they have also recently got a new cockerpoo called Freddie.
Last Friday (7/7) Rachel received a phone call from someone who lived ten minutes from her old house in Wetherby to say Emma had been found.
She made the six-hour round-trip to pick Emma up so her heartbroken daughter could be reunited with the cat again.
Psychiatrist Rachel, 46, said: “She just wandered off one day and never came back.
“We’d had her for about eight months and she’d never disappeared like that before.
“After Bob was run over we just thought the worst about Emma.
“Emma had been microchipped and a vet had left a message for me on my phone.
“It said Emma had been found by a woman who had spotted her hanging around her garden for the past five days and asked if I’d noticed she’d been missing.
“I thought, only for about four years!
“I’d say someone had certainly taken Emma in and treated her well because she was in good health and, if anything, had put on a bit of weight.
“The woman who found her lived about ten minutes’ walk from our old house so she hadn’t gone far.
I’d love to say she recognised me instantly but I don’t think she did.
“Although, once we’d got her home she was really friendly and she’s been sitting on our laps and seems very happy.
“Emma spotted Freddie and she wasn’t impressed.
“But she’s a tough cat and I know she’ll stand her ground.
“We’ll give it some time before letting her meet Ginger and Cookie.”
Laura, eight, said: “I remember coming home and asking my mum where she was because I hadn’t seen her. I got very upset.
“Soon after, Bob went missing too and was killed.
“It was really good to see Emma again.
“I was jumping around the house and really happy when I heard she was coming home.
“She’s back now and being really nice.”
