Family Reunited with Lost Cat in Time for Thanksgiving After It Disappeared Months Ago

A cat that had been missing for six months was finally reunited with his family just in time for Thanksgiving.

Amy O’Shea, her family, and their 11-year-old cat named Berkeley were moving from Wisconsin to their new home in Washington State earlier this year, NBC 15 reports.

The family opted to use their RV for the journey and stopped at the Lake County Park campgrounds in Madison, Wisconsin, where, on May 16, Berkeley jumped out of the RV and disappeared.

The incident happened late at night, and family members scoured the area looking for their lost cat to no avail, per Newsweek.

Hoping that he would turn up, Amy left Berkeley’s carrier and some of his personal belongings with family friend Kirsten Johnson, NBC 15 reports.

“He’s a pretty good outdoor cat and he’s a fighter, but we still weren’t sure if we would see him again,” Johnson told WKOW. 

After months, Berkeley was discovered in early November. He “was found in the compartment of an RV that had been at the park when it stopped at a DeForest truck stop.”

“He stayed around the RV park all summer and then, true to himself, when it got cold, he found a place to hide,” Johnson told WKOW. 

He was brought to the Dane County Humane Society, where his microchip was scanned, allowing the animal shelter to find his family’s contact information and notify them he had been found. 

While fending for himself in the wild, Berkeley lost nearly half of his weight and needed to gain some pounds back before he received the all-clear to fly home, NBC 15 reports. The cat eventually met his weight requirement and flew home with Johnson on Wednesday.

“There is a little girl in Washington state who is very excited that her cat is coming home,” Johnson said. 

She joyfully imagined what the reunion would be like between Berkeley and his family. 

“Oh my gosh, so many tears, so many snuggles, and just a lot of happiness,” she told WKOW.