When Sue Zelitsky’s cat Jimmy went missing, she and her husband searched tirelessly to find him.
They had no idea that he would find their way back to them long after they’d given up hope.
Jimmy regularly went outside to play – visiting the neighbors, sneaking into open windows of cars, and joining the family dog on his walks – and he always came back.
Image Credit: Sue Zelitsky
But then, one night, the then 13-year-old cat did not return. His family searched and called for him, but there was no response.
They stuck “missing cat” posters everywhere and called his name when they went for walks, but to no avail.
Image Credit: Sue Zelitsky
Two and a half years passed. The family had come to terms with never finding him again.
But one day, Zelitsky was scrolling through her Facebook feed when she saw a cat advertised for adoption by West Milford Animal Shelter.
His resemblance to Jimmy was uncanny, so Zelitsky contacted the shelter.
The cat had been pulled off the streets ten miles away after a blizzard.
After exchanging a few messages, it seemed like there was a huge chance that the cat was, in fact, Jimmy.
So Zelitsky packed some things that Jimmy would recognize and went with her neighbor, who Jimmy had been close to, and went to meet him.
As soon as Zelitsky saw the cat, she knew it was her Jimmy. The kit immediately walked over to her and gave her head-butts.
Zelitsky broke down in tears at finally seeing her precious boy again.
Later, her husband arrived and was greeted in the same loving way.
Image Credit: Sue Zelitsky
Jimmy might be fifteen years old now, but he’s making up for lost time with his family.
The family dog is happy to have him back too, and his two new kitten siblings who were adopted after he went missing quite like him, too!
It sounds impossible, but somehow, Jimmy found his way home again, like he always had before.
Share away, people.