Willow the kitty found across country after 5 years

Willow the calico feline was found in Manhattan, 5 years after her disappearance in Colorado. Not a soul knows how she ended up more than 1,600 miles from home. But the cat will soon be rejoined with her family in Colorado. Resource for this article: Willow the cat makes incredible journey from Colorado to Manhattan

Reconstruction causes feline to get out

Jamie Squires, of Colorado, the owner of the calico, said Willow escaped late in 2006 when, during a home renovation, a contractor left the door open. The family moved 10 miles since then. They went to Denver from Broomfield. But fortunately they kept their information current with the business that put a microchip under Willow's skin when she was a kitten.

Every person surprised

When Animal vehicle & Control in New York called Chris and Jamie Squires saying Willow was found and taken to a shelter on East 20th street on Wed, which left them “shocked and astounded,” they said. "When we first heard the voice mail, we couldn't believe it," Squires said.

Handling your pet

Julie Bank, the Executive Director of the AC&C, said she found the Squire family through Willow's microchip. "This miracle story underscores the importance of having some kind of identification on your pet and the effectiveness of a microchip," said Banks.

Only explanation was death

"To be honest, there are tons of coyotes around here, and owls," Squires said. "She was just a little thing, five and a half pounds. We put out the `Lost Cat' posters and the Craigslist thing, but we actually thought she'd been eaten by coyotes."

Children shown a picture

The Squires have three kids, ages 17, 10 and 3. The older kids weren’t surprised. They remembered when Willow was lost. When shown a picture, the youngest just said, "She's a pretty feline." "The kids can't wait to see her," Squires said. "And we still have her little Christmas stocking."

Family concerned about life changes

The Squires household was concerned that her pet could have changed in the intervening years. "She was a really cool cat, really sweet. ... I don't know what kind of life she's had, so I don't know what her personality will be like." Now, Willow is seven pounds. The AC&C believes she was not on the roads for the last five years without humans since she had a friendly disposition. It will only be speculation unless there is some way to confirm that.

Transportation for the kitty

To be able to get the animal back to Colorado, the AC&C and Squires household are working to get transportation and health certificates in order. Willow could get home in just the next two weeks.

Citations

New York Daily News: http: //www. nydaily news.com/ny_local/2011/09/14/2011-09-14_willow_the_cat_goes_missing_in_colorado_turns_up_in_manhattan_five_years_later.html?r=news/national

Huffington Post: http: //www.huffington post.com/2011/09/14/willow-missing-cat-nyc_n_963304.html?ir=Weird News

Daily Mail: http: //www. dailymail.co.uk/news/ article-2037609/Missing -cat-5-years-2k-miles-away-Willow-travels-Colorado-New-York.html