A pet owner was left stunned after being reunited with their cat—seven years after he went missing.
The Reddit user, u/CatsandGats57, shared a photo of their orange cat alongside the unbelievable update, which quickly captured attention on Reddit. The post received more than 44,000 upvotes in the subreddit “cats.”
“He got out and ran away seven years ago, I got a message today that the local shelter scanned his chip. Welcome home Mufasa,” they wrote.
In the comments, the original poster (OP) shared more details about Mufasa’s condition and personality following his long absence. According to OP, the cat has changed in noticeable ways since returning home.
“He’s way more affectionate now, I don’t know if he remembers us or not. He’s not too sure about his new brother though,” they explained.
OP revealed that Mufasa had been surviving as part of a cat colony for several months before he was found. “He was part of a cat colony for the past nine months, before that nobody knows what he was up to,” they wrote.
The shelter where Mufasa was brought in was overwhelmed with interest once he was posted online. “The shelter posted him on fb before they called me and said like 50 people called wanting to adopt him,” OP said.
Mufasa was only three years old when he disappeared, making the reunion even harder to believe. “He was 3 when he took off, I thought it couldn’t be right when I got a call from the shelter. I’m happy but still in complete shock,” OP added.
Thankfully, the shelter ensured Mufasa received medical care before returning home. “The shelter did have a vet check him out and they got him caught up on shots and dealt with the ear mites he had,” OP wrote. They also noted that while they weren’t previously aware of a nearby colony, the signs were there. “I didn’t know there was a colony close by but should have figured there was since a lot of people around here do feed strays.”
According to International Cat Care (iCatCare), owners should act quickly when a cat goes missing. Recommended steps include thoroughly searching the immediate area, notifying neighbors, contacting local shelters and veterinary clinics, and posting clear photos on social media and community boards. iCatCare also emphasizes the importance of microchipping and keeping contact details up to date, as microchips are often the key to reunions—even many years later.
Reddit users were deeply moved by Mufasa’s story and flooded the comments with their own experiences and reactions.
“Seven years? Wow that’s incredible! I’d be crying tears of joy. Did his personality change? Does he remember you?” asked one user.
“I once had a feral cat I was tryina get to trust me and he disappeared and was gone for like three years I opened the door one day and he was sitting there like I didn’t cry a thousand rivers for the mfer. I really wished he could talk to about where he was,” shared another user.
“Feral cats are the most loyal. Luna purs so loud and is so grateful I chose her five years ago,” shared another user.
“They have a very good scent memory. Prob. remembers,” shared another user.
“There was a feral I was feeding a few years ago. I named him Pete, after the show, cause he was ginger cat. I took him inside to chill in my bathroom during the worst of winter. He legit would give me those mirin eyes. And then one day he just never came back. I hope someone recognized what a sweet baby he was and just adopted him, but I’ll never know,” shared another viewer.
Newsweek reached out to u/CatsandGats57 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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