In a miraculous turn of events, an orange tabby cat was reunited with its owner 14 years after going missing following Hurricane Jeanne in 2004.
Retired Florida K9 officer Perry Martin told FOX 4 in Southwest Florida that he adopted the stray cat, named Thomas Jr., nicknamed T2, two years before the deadly hurricane struck the Florida coast.
“He was a stray. Just kind of showed up,” he said. “Took him to the vet, gave him his shots and that’s when he got his microchip.”
After his furry friend escaped his home during the aftermath of the storm, Martin filed a report with the Humane Society and hoped for the best.
“My vet even listed him as deceased,” Martin told the station.
It took 14 years, but Martin finally received the call he’d been waiting to hear, after a cat was dropped off at the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast in Florida with a microchip registered to his name, the station reported.
“They said, ‘Perry, what would you do if we told you that T2 was alive?’ And I said, ‘I’d probably tell you you’re crazy because he died a long, long time ago!'” he told the station.
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Although the information on the microchip was outdated, the Humane Society was able to track down Martin and reunite the duo.
“As soon as I looked at that face, I knew exactly who he was. A little bit older, kind of like me,” said Martin.
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T2 is now 18 years old, and Martin plans to make sure his old friend spends the rest of his days just like he did before he got lost — “spoiled.”
This Fox News piece is used by permission.
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