Friendly Barn Kitten Turns Out To Be Missing Family Pet

GRANBY, CT — A missing kitten has been reunited with her family months after she disappeared, thanks to a routine microchip scan at Salmon Brook Veterinary Hospital, according to the hospital.

The reunion began when one of the hospital’s employees spotted a friendly kitten hanging around his barn a few days ago. Because the kitten appeared social and well cared for, the employee safely placed her in a carrier and brought her to the veterinary hospital to be scanned for a microchip.

The scan revealed the kitten was microchipped — and even more surprising, she was already a patient of the practice. Records showed the cat, named Nola, had been missing since September.

Hospital staff then made the call many pet owners hope for: notifying Nola’s family that their cat had been found. According to the hospital, the reunion was emotional, especially for the family’s 3-year-old child, who was excited to have their kitten home again.

The veterinary hospital used the story to highlight the importance of microchipping pets. Nationally, nearly 10 million dogs and cats are reported missing each year in the United States. Microchips play a major role in reunifications, with about 52 percent of lost dogs and nearly 40 percent of lost cats returned to their families because of a registered microchip, according to industry data.

Microchips, which are about the size of a grain of rice, are implanted just under the skin between a pet’s shoulder blades. Each chip carries a unique identification number linked to an owner’s contact information, allowing veterinary hospitals and animal shelters to quickly identify and contact owners when a lost pet is found.

Staff said they were grateful to see Nola safely back where she belongs after months away and called the outcome a reminder of how effective microchipping can be in reuniting lost pets with their families.