Maine Cat Missing for Nearly 7 Years Found in Florida

A Maine cat named Ashes that went missing almost seven years ago is set to finally return home after being identified by a veterinarian 1,400 miles away in Longwood, Florida, on Jan. 22.

Ashes escaped from owner Denise Cilley's home in August 2015. After an extensive search of the surrounding area didn't turn up Ashes, Cilley believed that her beloved pet had been killed by a predator, according to Patch.

That all changed with one phone call. On Jan. 22, a veterinarian from the Franklin County Animal Shelter in Eastpoint, Florida, informed Cilley that someone recently brought the cat in as a stray. The veterinarian confirmed the feline belonged to Cilley through the contact info found on Ashes' microchip before calling the pet parent.

"I live in Maine. We don't have a cat in Florida," she recalled telling the vet in an interview with Patch.

The vet then told Cilley that the cat was a female gray tabby who had been spayed, and Cilley knew her long-lost beloved pet had been found, though she still wonders how the cat ever got to Florida.

"We have no idea," Cilley said. "Maybe somebody found her in Maine, thought she was a stray, took her in and moved to Florida, and she got out and couldn't find her way home. I wish she could talk."

Cilley knows that her upcoming reunion with Ashes is only possible because of "the miracle of microchips."

"They're not that expensive and can save so much heartache if your cat ever gets out," she explained.

The steps to make Cilley's reunion with Ashes a reality are in motion thanks in part to Janet Williams, a former Maine resident who had since moved to Florida and founded ADORE Pet Rescue.

"They called me because I do have connections in the rescue community," Williams told Patch. "And there's a fairly well-organized rescue network up, and down the East Coast I could tap into."

Ashes had an upper respiratory infection, dental disease, missing teeth, and a scabby coat when brought to the Franklin County Animal Shelter as a stray. A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds for Ashes' veterinary care and travel costs.

"I don't think she had vet care, or she would have been scanned for a microchip," Cilley said of the cat's past seven years.

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"She bounced back quickly, though. She has a good coat, a good body weight, and a good disposition," Williams added. "She is incredibly sweet. She wants to be brushed, which is unusual for cats, but she loves to be combed."

With the help of a social media post, a Southwest employee has volunteered to fly Ashes back to New England once she is healthy enough for the trip.

"Kitty still has some traveling in her future," Cilley shared.

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