The pain of a missing pet is unlike any other – a deep heartbreak that only grows with each passing day.
For one family, that pain lasted seven long years until, against all odds, their beloved grey tabby cat Kylo found his way back to them.
The moment they had longed for, but never truly believed would come, finally became a reality. Let me tell you all about it.
It all started when Kylo’s owner, Gavin Hopper, took their dog Harley for a walk in the park. Kylo was trailing right behind them one moment, and the next, he was gone, vanishing without a trace.
Realizing that Kylo was nowhere to be found, the family was devastated. They searched tirelessly, walking the park countless times with Harley sniffing for any trace of Kylo’s scent.
Days turned into weeks, and their hope slowly faded, though they never truly stopped wondering where he might be.
Life moved forward, and so did Gavin and his wife Frankie. When they moved to a new home, they made sure the new owners knew about Kylo, just in case he ever returned.
But after so much time passed, their thoughts of Kylo were more bittersweet memories than realistic hopes.
Then, seven years later, their world turned upside down as the family got a phone call that felt too good to be true.
The call came from a veterinary clinic just four miles away from their home, and it was the kind of news that made their hearts skip a beat.
A grey tabby had been brought to the vet for vaccination, and when the vet scanned his microchip, it revealed something almost too incredible to believe – this cat belonged to the Hoppers.
For seven long years, they had wondered, hoped, and feared the worst. But here it was, the confirmation they never expected to hear: Kylo was alive!
Frankie couldn’t process the news at first. To hear their beloved Kylo was found was unbelievable, as he shared in an interview:
“They asked, ‘Do you want your cat?’ And I couldn’t think of anything else in that moment. We were all sobbing… Deep down, I did think he was gone and just to know he was still alive was amazing.”
Kylo’s journey was nothing short of astonishing. Somehow, he had wandered across the city and found his way to a kind woman’s doorstep. Thinking he was a stray, she took him in, assuming he was a girl and naming him Poppy.
For years, the woman cared for him as her own, not realizing he already had a family who missed him deeply. Frankie shared:
“He had showed up to this wee woman’s back door and she just took him in. She thought he was a girl and she’d been calling him Poppy this whole time. She’s really looked after him.”
Frankie admitted that some people questioned why she wasn’t upset, asking why that lady hadn’t taken Kylo to a vet sooner.
But anger never crossed Frankie’s mind, as she was just grateful to the woman for taking care of Kylo all these years, sharing:
“A lot of people said you must be really angry, why didn’t she ever take him to a vet and I can’t even think about that. I just think if it wasn’t for her, maybe he wouldn’t have been here so I’m just really happy that we’ve got him back.”
The reunion was heartwarming – not just for the humans but for Harley too. The pup was happy to see his pal again, it was like no time had passed at all, as Frankie shared:
“She was going crazy, so happy and acted like normal and now she acts like he’s never been away.”
Kylo also met the family’s new dog, Tinkerbelle, and the three of them now spend their days enjoying each other’s company.
Kylo has adjusted well to being home, though he’s taken to lounging around more than he used to.
Though Kylo was once an adventurous outdoor explorer, his roaming days are officially behind him. The family isn’t taking any chances after losing him for so long, as Frankie jokes:
“He’s grounded forever.”
For the Hoppers, having Kylo back has filled a space in their hearts that had been empty for years and now their family feels whole again.
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