You could call it the purr-fect ending to a sad story.
Calgarian Krista Sylvester was reunited with her pet cat on Thursday after it went missing over 10 years ago.
Sylvester found out her cat was alive and well after receiving a call from the Britannia Kingsland Veterinary Clinic on Wednesday.
“I was actually in Ontario for the last nine days and I had just got off the plane, and within an hour the vet called me – they left a message because I was doing laundry – and they said they had my cat.”
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Sylvester said she was confused, because both of her pet cats were at home with her.
The vet told her they had a black and white cat with a tattoo they were able to trace back to her from when it was neutered in 2003.
Sylvester realized the cat they were describing was her tuxedo cat Phoenix, which she had while living in the community of Mayland Heights.
“I was kind of confused,” she admitted. “That guy ran away or got lost in probably 2004 or 2005.”
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“I was a little bit shocked …. I never thought I’d see him again.”
“They don’t know a whole lot about where he was, but they said he’s been well fed,” she said.
“I guess he’s been walking around Britannia or Kingsland for the last few weeks so somebody brought him in.”
Initially, Sylvester – who currently owns two cats and two dogs – was ready to give Phoenix back to whoever had lived with him for the past 10 years.
Sylvester retrieved Phoneix from a Calgary vet on Thursday afternoon, taking him home to live with her once again.
“I want to keep him if it works out,” she said. “But at the same time, if someone recognizes him and they raised him, for the last 10 years then they can let me know and we can work it out.”