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Wow: Missing Colorado Cat Found In NYC... Five Years Later
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 15, 2011
Modified Sep 15, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 15, 2011
Modified Sep 15, 2011
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The feline good story of the week: Willow, a cat that went missing from a Boulder, Colorado family, was found on the mean streets of New York—five years after her disappearance! One of her humans, Jamie Squires, told the Post, "To be honest, there are tons of coyotes around here, and owls. She was just a little thing, five and a half pounds. We put out the 'Lost Cat' posters and the Craigslist thing, but we actually thought she'd been eaten by coyotes." But, luckily, they microchipped her!
Animal Care & Control called the Squireses after a man found Willow on East 20th Street and brought her to a shelter. When the staff checked to see if the calico cat was microchipped, they got the family's information. Jamie Squires said, "When we first heard the voicemail, we couldn't believe it. My husband and I didn't want to tell the kids until we knew it was definitely her. They emailed the photo and it was her. The kids are so excited."
The family says that Willow went missing during a home renovation project, and it's unclear how Willow made it to NYC. ACC is touting the importance of microchipping your pets (yes, do it!!!) and Jamie Squires said, "It just makes sense. If I could, I would microchip my children."
ACC is working on getting Willow back to Colorado; in the meantime, she is staying with a foster family. Awww.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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