Grieving Cat Owner Gets A Surprising Call Two Years After Her Cat Went Missing In Maryland

Most people say there’s nothing worse than when your beloved pet crosses the Rainbow Bridge. 

But if you ask me, I’d say there is something worse – when your pet goes missing. When your pet crosses the Rainbow Bridge, you know you’ve lost them forever and you have to learn to cope with that loss.

However, when your pet goes missing, you’re constantly thinking about where they are, are they safe, do they have anything to eat, and most importantly, will they ever return home?

These were the same thoughts Alexis Keith, a cat parent from Maryland, had when her beloved cat Lilly vanished in the middle of the night.

Days, months, and even years passed with no sign of Lilly, leaving Alexis heartbroken.

Alexis spent two years grieving and hoping her beloved feline friend would return home. She just couldn’t stop thinking about the night Lilly disappeared. Alexis shared in an interview:

“She normally wanted to get fed right away. But that morning, there was no Lilly, only a cracked third-floor window – left open overnight because it was hot – and a heartbreaking realization. She jumped down to the second-floor deck and then, I guess, down to the ground. I was like, ‘Oh my God, she probably hurt herself.’”

Worried, Alexis immediately started searching for Lilly. She posted flyers all over the neighborhood and joined every local lost pet group. But sadly, despite the efforts, there was no sign of Lilly.

Though heartbroken, Alexis refused to stop hoping. She added:

“I always wanted to believe she was OK – that someone else had her and she was being taken care of. I knew that she was such a sweetheart, and I was just hoping that she was able to win somebody over.”

For two years, Alexis tirelessly searched for Lilly, but still, she knew she had to move on with her life.

During that time, Alexis moved twice, got married, and even had a baby. Then, when she least expected it, she received a life-changing call.

Alexis received a call from the spay-neuter nonprofit and clinic SAVECats. It turned out they had welcomed an injured gray cat, and when they scanned her for a microchip, Alexis’s number came up. It was Lilly after all this time!

Alexis was left breathless. She recalled:

“It took me, like, three hours to really register that they really had her. They left me a voicemail like it was no big deal.”

After further investigation, it turned out that Lilly had been living outside the whole time, surviving on the Maryland streets in different weather conditions.

Thankfully, a kind stranger had been feeding her, thinking she was feral because her ear looked tipped. Alexis shared:

“I think she hurt it when she jumped, which made it look like she was tagged. I remember every time it rained or snowed, I would think of her like, ‘I hope she’s not outside. And she really was out there, through all of it.” 

Without hesitation, Alexis rushed to take her long-lost cat home.

Their reunion was nothing short of heartwarming, and Lilly instantly recognized her. Alexis added:

“She immediately smelled my hand and just fell right into it.”

Now, after two years of surviving on the streets, Lilly is reunited with Alexis and has perfectly adjusted to the new home and new family members.

It’s a miracle she appeared after all this time, but I’m overjoyed to see Lilly and Alexis together, because that’s where they both belong.