Treasure, a 4-year-old cat, has seen a lot during her short life. It all started when she pawed a little girl, Raylinn, through her cage and was adopted.
When Raylinn was 6, her kitten ran away. Raylinn had walked into the garage to talk to her parents when thunder boomed. Treasure, who was about 1 year old at the time, got scared and bolted out the garage door.
Looking for missing Treasure
Quinn Alexander ‘Alex’ Madigan, 33, and Alyssa Madigan, 35, of Deltona, spent nearly a year searching for Treasure and putting up ‘missing’ posters.
“That was that,” Alex Madigan said. “We posted everywhere, and we just hoped.”
Unbeknownst to them, Treasure was picked up by a stranger, who took care of the cat before giving it to the Flagler Humane Society.
55 miles: From Deltona to the Flagler Humane Society
Three-and-a-half years later, Madigan was sitting at home on his couch when he received a text saying Treasure had been found in Flagler County.
“So we called up here and we left a voicemail,” Madigan said. “… And here we are to get our baby.”
The Madigans drove for about 90 minutes to reach the Flagler Humane Society shelter, meaning Treasure traveled over 55 miles throughout the years spent on the road.
Treasure reunites with Deltona family 4 years later
Raylinn, now 9 years old, didn’t find out her cat had been found until they were about to arrive. She said she’s excited and happy to see Treasure.
“I missed her a lot,” Raylinn said. “… I’m going to play with her and pet her.”
Amy Wade-Carotenuto, the executive director of the Flagler Humane Society, said it’s relatively uncommon for cats to be returned to their owners when compared to dogs, and the microchip made all the difference.
“It’s too good to be true,” Wade-Carotenuto said.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: ‘Too good to be true’: Deltona family reunites with furry friend after nearly 4 years
Reporting by Gabriel Velasquez Neira, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
