Lost Cat Reunited With Her NJ Family 10 Years Later

MONTCLAIR, NJ — “Microchips work.” That’s the lesson New Jersey pet owners should absorb when they hear about a heartwarming reunion that took place in Montclair, rescuers say.

The Montclair Township Animal Shelter recently shared the story of a kitten that disappeared a decade ago – and has finally been reunited with its family.

“Ten years ago, a family adopted two kittens from a shelter,” staff explained in a social media post. “Not long after, one of them slipped out through a window and disappeared.”

“This family looked and looked and looked,” the shelter continued. “They posted flyers, contacted every shelter, talked to neighbors — they did everything right.”

But their kitten never resurfaced.

“They were heartbroken and never stopped wondering what had happened to their girl,” the shelter said.

Last week, the shelter reported that a “Good Samaritan” brought a stray cat into the facility. As per routine, one of the first things that staff did was to scan the wayward kitty for a microchip.

Lo and behold: it was chipped and registered.

After discovering that the cat’s owners still had the same phone number, rescuers made a call that every shelter dreams of making – and reunited Asa with her long-lost family.

“Microchips matter … microchips work,” the shelter reported last Friday. “And sometimes, they bring a lost family member home — no matter how much time has passed.”

The Montclair Township Animal Shelter offers microchipping services for cats, dogs, ferrets or rabbits for a fee of $20. Call 973-744-1400, ext. 5313 to make an appointment.

Microchips have also been credited for other heartwarming pet-owner reunions in Essex County.

In 2022, the Associated Humane Society-Newark shelter shared the story of a senior Shih Tzu named Bandit, who was stolen in 2017. Thanks to a microchip, the beloved doggo finally made it back to his loved ones more than five years later.

• See Related: Essex County Family Reunited With Pet Dog Stolen 5 Years Ago

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