The Nanaimo cat came back but not the very next day

Every child who has ever lost a pet could only wish for a happy ending like Claudia Arnold got on Sunday night.

The five-year-old got the surprise of her life when her cat Cursor, who had been missing for three years, was returned to her by the BC SPCA Nanaimo branch.

The happy reunion between Claudia and Cursor was caught on video and posted to the organization’s Facebook page.

It’s no surprise when you hear Claudia gasp and cover her mouth in delight as she lays her eyes on Cursor that the video has been viewed more than 25,000 times since it was posted Sunday night.

As she’s hugging the stuffing out of Cursor you can hear her say, “I’ve missed you so much.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: As she's hugging the stuffing out of Cursor you can hear her say, "I've missed you so much."

It’s a video that quite possibly has the ability to turn even the most stoic person into goo.

While it would be great to chalk up their reunion to luck or fate, it was Claudia’s mother Kara that made it all happen.

“I’ve been posting on the Nanaimo Lost and Found Pets page and all sorts of things for the past three years because Claudia’s been really sad since he’s gone,” Kara told Global News. 

“… they posted a picture of Cursor on the SPCA page on August 16… I was pretty sure it was him at first but the picture wasn’t entirely clear.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I've been posting on the Nanaimo Lost and Found Pets page and all sorts of things for the past three years because Claudia's been really sad since he's gone," Kara told <em>Global News. </em></p><p>"… they posted a picture of Cursor on the SPCA page on August 16… I was pretty sure it was him at first but the picture wasn't entirely clear."

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It wasn’t until the SPCA posted a video of Cursor doing some of his signature moves like circling and bonking his head on everything that Kara knew she had her cat.

But instead of letting the proverbial cat out of the bag to her daughter, Kara arranged the surprise with the Nanaimo SPCA.

“I spoke with Lorraine from the SPCA on Facebook and we got in after hours on Sunday so we could surprise Claudia,” she said.

Needless to say, it worked.

And Kara said that although it’s been three years since Cursor went missing that it was good to see he was the “same old cat that he always was.”

WATCH: The Arnold family share the incredible story of Cursor the cat

5:35 The incredible story of the B.C. cat that came back

Of course there will be an adjustment period. Not only is Claudia a few years older but there’s been another child added to the family.

Kara said she is very grateful to everyone who helped her over the years to find Cursor.

“Thank you to everyone that shared my posts over these three years and kept their eyes open for them… and the SPCA for recognizing my cat and how accommodating they were to help us out and bring our cat home.”

PHOTOS: Claudia and Cursor in the beginning