Missing for 12 years, “beloved” cat named Artie has finally found his family

An Englishman has found a family cat lost for 12 years.

Theo-Will McKenna, then just 17, was attending university near the family home in Connah's Quay, Wales, when their cat Artie went out and never came home.

McKenna remembers standing outside for hours with a bag of treats, but couldn't locate their beloved white and gray cat. McKenna visited him once a week for months to see more, but gradually lost hope of ever seeing Artie again.

“I reached the point where I thought that either, God forbid, something had happened to him or to someone else. [had] I welcomed him,” he said.

Then, in 2024, residents of a house in Connah's Quay called a local veterinarian after a gray and white cat appeared in their garden one day and stayed there for four days straight.

The respondent veterinarian discovered that the cat, who turned out to be missing Artie, had a microchip registered to Theo-Will McKenna's mother and a contact number for North Clwyd Animal Rescue (NCAR).

NCAR received the call and came to pick up Artie, but with the microchip registered to an old phone number, they turned to Facebook to try to find the McKennas. One of Theo-Will's friends apparently recognized Artie and sent him the message.

“They stabilized him, then posted it on their Facebook page, explaining that he had been found… My friend saw it and sent me the message. It took me a second to recognize it, because he looked so scruffy and skinny,” McKenna said. said.

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“It didn’t seem real. I thought there was no chance it was him,” he added. “It's been 12 years. He disappeared when I was 17. I thought no cat could survive 12 years on the street.”

Artie then received much-needed medical treatment, “removed a few teeth, treated his hyperthyroidism and removed a few precancerous bumps in his ears,” McKenna said, adding that even though Artie's days on the streets were behind him , new challenges remained, like getting used to McKenna's other cat.

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“We're still in the trial period, but he's doing absolutely fine. He purrs every time I go near him… My other cat was a little wary, but we followed introduction methods and got him used to his smell. It's a slow process, but I'm absolutely determined that he stays with me.

McKenna created a GoFundMe to ensure 16-year-old Artie gets all the medical care he needs in the twilight of a tumultuous life. Her veterinary care costs about $65 per month.

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