This browser does not support the Video element.
Missing cat reunited with over after 5 years
A Central Texas cat is finally back home after five years on the run. She is a little older, and perhaps has spent a few of her nine lives.
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas - A Central Texas cat is finally back home after five years on the run. She is a little older, and perhaps has spent a few of her nine lives.
The backstory:
The feline, named KitKat, had been missing and adventuring around Williamson County for half a decade. Her owner says she is still in shock to have her best friend returned after all this time.
When animal control brought a stray cat into the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter, staff expected a routine intake. After scanning a microchip, they realized the cat likely had an owner looking for her. What they did not know was that the feline had not been home in five years.
"I've been doing this since 2013, and I have never seen a reunion after five years. That is incredible," said Leo Delgado of the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter.
KitKat went missing in 2021. Despite years of posting flyers and searching, her owner had nearly lost hope, until recently, when she received an unexpected email.
"My wife got an email saying the chip had been found, and then I got a text as well. That's when we checked the Williamson County lost and found page and saw her," said owner Angelique Wethereit. "It still doesn't feel real. I'm still in shock."
Now an older cat, KitKat was in surprisingly good shape and recognized her family immediately.
"She was in good spirits, very friendly to the staff, and cuddled up to us right away—of course, she was so happy to see her mom," Delgado said.
Delgado said the story highlights the importance of microchipping pets and the use of the shelter's reunion stations, which allow neighbors to scan found pets without having to bring them into a kennel. In this case, a simple scan led to a long-awaited trip home.
"We've been missing her for five years. We've posted flyers everywhere, and Williamson County helped us get her back," Wethereit said.
In March alone, the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter successfully returned more than 90 pets to their owners. There are currently four reunion stations in Round Rock, but officials hope to expand the program, so there is at least one in every ZIP code.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Katie Pratt