A cat lost since last summer, was reunited with her family yesterday in Langley.
ItB次元官网网址檚 one of those furry tail endings that LAPS has become synonymous for, confirmed Jayne Nelson, executive director of the Langley Animal Protection Society.
But this story had a few bizarre twists and turns along the way.
Nikko is a ginger cat that went missing at a rest stop near Hope back in June 2017.
She and her family, Irene and Brian Wade, were moving from Alberta to their new home on the Vancouver Island.
Nikko never liked car rides at the best of times, Irene said. On this long road trip, she was B次元官网网址渢ruly terrified,B次元官网网址� huddled in a corner of her cat kennel B次元官网网址� unwilling to eat, drink, and barely sleep during the two-day convoy from Calgary to Bowser.
Feeling guilty that the cat was so traumatized, Irene decided to use a recently gifted harness and leash to let Nikko out of the kennel to explore an inviting grassy knoll at the rest stop.
Suddenly, a deafening blast of noise came from passing semis and other vehicles on the adjacent freeway. The cat wiggled free of its harness B次元官网网址渇aster than you could blink,B次元官网网址� and escaped into the woods nearby, recounted Irene.
The couple and their entourage searched for hours around the rest stop and the dense bushes that ran alongside the highway. But to no avail.
B次元官网网址淚 was just frantic,B次元官网网址� Irene said, noting that many area residents, as well as passersby who stopped at the rest stop during the next few hours, tried to help.
B次元官网网址淲e tried for hours to get her,B次元官网网址� Irene told the Langley Advance. B次元官网网址淲e couldnB次元官网网址檛 find her.B次元官网网址�
Heartbroken and defeated, they reluctantly pushed on with their journey, but Irene wasnB次元官网网址檛 willing to give up.
She reached out online to several organizations and eventually connected with an animal rescue group in Hope. Several of their members continued the search and reported back.
B次元官网网址淚 was amazed. I couldnB次元官网网址檛 believe that all these people B次元官网网址� total strangers B次元官网网址� would do this,B次元官网网址� said a grateful Irene.
Turned out an orange cat was spotted in the evenings around the rest stop over the next several weeks. But all attempts to catch her failed, and two trips back by Irene and Brian proved futile.
B次元官网网址淲e gave up,B次元官网网址� she said, admitting she was B次元官网网址渉eartbroken.B次元官网网址�
Turned out that some five months after Nikko went missing, with winter embracing the mountain pass community, the cat was discovered skinny and matted outside Hope.
.
Dropped off at Langley shelter
She was scooped up and subsequently dropped off to LAPSB次元官网网址� Patti Dale Animal Shelter in Aldergrove on Dec. 2, Nelson interjected.
And during a routine exam, it was discovered Nikko (not knowing their name the shelter staff had since renamed her Marigold) had a heart murmur.
B次元官网网址淪he was diagnosed by one of our community vet partners B次元官网网址� through ultrasound B次元官网网址� as having HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy),B次元官网网址� Nelson explained.
Because of the progressive heart disease B次元官网网址� which can be managed but not cured B次元官网网址� LAPS adoption counsellor Amy Parker was B次元官网网址渆ven more determinedB次元官网网址� to try to find the catB次元官网网址檚 owner.
If she couldnB次元官网网址檛 find her family, Parker sought to at least the clinic where she was tattooed, so they could determine her age (vets thought due to the condition of her teeth that she was likely two to five years old), learn of any other pre-existing health issues, and determine the best course of treatment to manage her disease.
B次元官网网址淏y doing some extra sleuthing, Amy B次元官网网址榮truck goldB次元官网网址� and managed to track her tattoo to a clinic in Alberta,B次元官网网址� Nelson elaborated.
Turns out MarigoldB次元官网网址檚 real name was Nikko, and that she was about 14 years old.
But moreover, Parker learned the identity of her owners. Connecting with the catB次元官网网址檚 family, LAPS staff were overjoyed to learn that the Wades were B次元官网网址渢hrilledB次元官网网址� and shocked by the news that Nikko was alive and well, Nelson said.
They learned of the NikkoB次元官网网址檚 whereabouts on Tuesday and made a trip back to the mainland the very next day to retrieve her.
Now, a Langley animal shelter playing a key role in uniting an Alberta cat with its family on Vancouver Island is an odd set of circumstances, to be sure, Nelson said.
But NikkoB次元官网网址檚 story has a further twist, Nelson explained.
Turns out the Wades were also a little perplexed by the notification. They thought they had already been reunited with Nikko.
.
Two orange tabbies
A couple from Belgium were travelling through Hope, heading to catch their flight at the Vancouver International Airport, when the found a small, disheveled orange tabby at the rest stop.
This was literally one month after Nikko went missing.
In a hurry to catch their plane, the couple could do nothing more than drop the cat off at the narby Hope visitor centre.
Since many people in town had known of the WadeB次元官网网址檚 quest to reunite with their cat, it didnB次元官网网址檛 take much effort to find them and share the good news of NikkoB次元官网网址檚 discovery.
The cat was in rough shape, tattered, and much lighter in weight and colour than when last theyB次元官网网址檇 seen her.
B次元官网网址淚 was just thinking itB次元官网网址檚 because of the trauma,B次元官网网址� said Irene. But she admitted to being B次元官网网址渙ver the moonB次元官网网址� about the reunion.
B次元官网网址淪he did look awful,B次元官网网址� Irene said, noting she was pale and that the tattoo in her ear had faded to little more than spots.
Since bringing her home in July, however, Nikko had settled well into their new home. SheB次元官网网址檇 become much more affectionate and much less skiddish than ever before, but she was B次元官网网址渏ust fineB次元官网网址� and Irene was B次元官网网址渁bsolutely convincedB次元官网网址� they had their furry baby back.
At least Irene thought it was Nikko until they received a call B次元官网网址渙ut of the blue the other nightB次元官网网址� telling them of the discovery of the real Nikko.
B次元官网网址淲e had the wrong cat?B次元官网网址�
They did, indeed.
It turned out the cat they retrieved in July was not the kitten theyB次元官网网址檇 adopted from a prairie farmer 14 years ago for their young daughter.
In fact, it was an B次元官网网址渋mposter.B次元官网网址�
Who would have thought that two orange tabbies would go missing and ultimately be rescued around the same time at the same freeway rest stop on the outskirts of Hope? queried a baffled Irene.
B次元官网网址淚 just canB次元官网网址檛 believe it,B次元官网网址� Irene shared. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been online with friends all day sharing NikkoB次元官网网址檚 story. And, like me, theyB次元官网网址檙e flabbergasted by the news.B次元官网网址�
So now, Nikko 1 (a.k.a. Marigold) and Nikko 2 (a.k.a. the imposter) are both settling into their new life together with the Wades.
ThereB次元官网网址檚 still a lot of hissing and posturing, and the two catB次元官网网址檚 havenB次元官网网址檛 been quick to bond, but Irene holds out hope they will.
For now, sheB次元官网网址檚 just content to have them both safe at home. But she will likely reach out to some of her new friends in Hope B次元官网网址� those with the rescue group B次元官网网址� to see if anyone else missing an orange tabby.
SheB次元官网网址檚 kind of hoping there isnB次元官网网址檛, having grown attached to the imposter, as well.
.
Happy to help reunite
B次元官网网址淲e are always excited to see a cat go back home with their owners, but this one was especially remarkable,B次元官网网址� said Nelson.
B次元官网网址淲hat a great story and example of the importance of permanent ID like a tattoo or microchip. Three cheers for Marigold (Nikko) and her family,B次元官网网址� Nelson said.
This is the second time in the as many months that LAPS helped reunite a pet with an owner from out of town B次元官网网址� and originally out of province.
Readers might recall the story of Frankie, a three-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier that went missing in Alberta and ended up in care at LangleyB次元官网网址檚 Patti Dale Animal Shelter.
Frankie went missing while being cared for by a family friend in Alberta last July.
Five months later, again thanks to more B次元官网网址渟uper shelter staff sleuthingB次元官网网址� by LAPS, he was reunited with Ashley Power and her family in Spruce Grove, Alta. just before Christmas.
It was revealed through Facebook after their reunion that the 1,100 kilometres of separation could be explained. A woman discovered the dog in Cold Lake about five days after he went missing. He was beaten and scratched up, and apparently alone, so she decided to take him along to her new home in Abbotsford.
He was later picked up and brought into care at , and eventually reunited.
B次元官网网址淲e love happy endings!B次元官网网址� Nelson concluded, commenting on both of the recent bizarre reunions.
