Photo: CBS Denver
Cats really do have nine lives!
The rescue’s efforts proved fruitful. On Tuesday, HSBV announced that the cat’s owner had been found and that the pet — named Boots — had recently reunited with his family.
“Boots is now home, safe and warm, where he belongs. This brave guy actually went missing a year before the fire, and his guardian searched far and wide for her beloved boy to no avail,“HSBV wrote on Facebook.
“When she saw photos as he recovered here at HSBV, and his signature orange and white markings became more identifiable, she couldn’t believe her eyes. She was overwhelmed to realize it was her long-lost companion,” the Colorado humane society added.
Boot’s owner Jules Lieb toldCBS4 Denvermore about the cat’s incredible journey home. The grateful pet parent said that Boots went missing around a year ago during a major snowstorm and that it was the Marshall Fire and HSBV’s hard work that brought the cat back into her life.
“What was going through his mind when he couldn’t find his way home, and it snowed four feet?” Lieb told the outlet of how she thought about Boots during his absence. “That makes me so sad.”
Even as the months passed following Boots' disappearance, Lieb stayed hopeful she would find the cat again.
“You prepare yourself for the worst because your heart is so involved in it,” she added.
On Dec. 30, the Marshall Fire ripped through Boulder County,forcing over 30,000 people to evacuate as the fire burned through about 1,600 acres. In the days that followed, crews sifted through what was left.
During the search on Jan. 4, an Xcel Energy worker found a charred cat hiding in a storm drain. He brought the badly burned animal to the HSBV, where the cat received weeks of treatment.
Humane Society of Boulder Valley
As the cat began to heal, the rescue shared pictures on social media in the hopes of finding his family. Luckily, one of Lieb’s friends saw the story on CBS4 and immediately told Lieb the furry face looked like Boots.
It took a couple of visits to HSBV for Lieb to be confident it was Boots, but in the end, she knew the miracle cat was her “silly boy.”
“I can’t believe he’s back,” she said.
source: people.com
