Cat and Owner Reunited After a Hurricane Separated Them 14 Years Ago
The reunion of a cat named T2 and his owner Perry Martin is both inspiring and serves as an incredible reminder to all pet parents to have their animals microchipped.
On March 14, Martin—a retired K-9 officer— received a call he was never expecting: the Humane Society of Treasure Coast (HSTC) in Palm City, Florida had his cat, Thomas Jr. (aka T2). The stray feline was brought into the facility and, after he was scanned for a mircochip, he was traced back to Martin. The pair, as it turns out, had been separated for 14 years.
Back in 2004, T2 accidentally escaped from Martin’s home during Hurricane Jeanne. According to a press release from HSTC, Perry had filed a missing animal report, and after countless fruitless searches for the cat, had assumed the worst. Perry thought his beloved T2 had passed on, but thanks his microchip and the efforts of the HSTC, their story is not over. Martin told the HSTC he “couldn’t believe it” when he got the news.
In an interview with local news affiliate WPTV, Martin said, “As soon as I looked at that face, I knew exactly who he was. A little bit older, kind of like me!” (T2 is estimated to be about 18 years old now.)
“T2’s in pretty rough shape, hardly eating at all and he sleeps 98 percent of the time,” Martin told the HSTC. “I wish I knew where he went … what he’s been doing all of this time.”
Still, the cat owner says he’s grateful for their reunion and hoping to make up for lost time by giving T2 some much-needed love and care. “He had an opportunity to come home, spend time with his family and be on a good note when he passes. Until that day, he’ll be spoiled like he was before he left,” Martin told WPTV.
HSTC adoption manager Deidre Huffman said in a statement that Martin and T2’s amazing reunion shows just how important it is to have pets microchipped, as well as having all your information up to date with your vet.
“There are lots of other cases where the owners can’t be found because the information was not kept current,” she says.
Image via Perry Martin
Read more: Website Tracks Where Cats Reside Around the World, Including Yours
On March 14, Martin—a retired K-9 officer— received a call he was never expecting: the Humane Society of Treasure Coast (HSTC) in Palm City, Florida had his cat, Thomas Jr. (aka T2). The stray feline was brought into the facility and, after he was scanned for a mircochip, he was traced back to Martin. The pair, as it turns out, had been separated for 14 years.
Back in 2004, T2 accidentally escaped from Martin’s home during Hurricane Jeanne. According to a press release from HSTC, Perry had filed a missing animal report, and after countless fruitless searches for the cat, had assumed the worst. Perry thought his beloved T2 had passed on, but thanks his microchip and the efforts of the HSTC, their story is not over. Martin told the HSTC he “couldn’t believe it” when he got the news.
In an interview with local news affiliate WPTV, Martin said, “As soon as I looked at that face, I knew exactly who he was. A little bit older, kind of like me!” (T2 is estimated to be about 18 years old now.)
“T2’s in pretty rough shape, hardly eating at all and he sleeps 98 percent of the time,” Martin told the HSTC. “I wish I knew where he went … what he’s been doing all of this time.”
Still, the cat owner says he’s grateful for their reunion and hoping to make up for lost time by giving T2 some much-needed love and care. “He had an opportunity to come home, spend time with his family and be on a good note when he passes. Until that day, he’ll be spoiled like he was before he left,” Martin told WPTV.
HSTC adoption manager Deidre Huffman said in a statement that Martin and T2’s amazing reunion shows just how important it is to have pets microchipped, as well as having all your information up to date with your vet.
“There are lots of other cases where the owners can’t be found because the information was not kept current,” she says.
Image via Perry Martin
Read more: Website Tracks Where Cats Reside Around the World, Including Yours