A cat lost since last summer, was reunited with her family yesterday in Langley.
It害羞草研究所檚 one of those furry tail endings that LAPS has become synonymous for, confirmed Jayne Nelson, executive director of the Langley Animal Protection Society.
But this story had a few bizarre twists and turns along the way.
Nikko is a ginger cat that went missing at a rest stop near Hope back in June 2017.
She and her family, Irene and Brian Wade, were moving from Alberta to their new home on the Vancouver Island.
Nikko never liked car rides at the best of times, Irene said. On this long road trip, she was 害羞草研究所渢ruly terrified,害羞草研究所� huddled in a corner of her cat kennel 害羞草研究所� unwilling to eat, drink, and barely sleep during the two-day convoy from Calgary to Bowser.
Feeling guilty that the cat was so traumatized, Irene decided to use a recently gifted harness and leash to let Nikko out of the kennel to explore an inviting grassy knoll at the rest stop.
Suddenly, a deafening blast of noise came from passing semis and other vehicles on the adjacent freeway. The cat wiggled free of its harness 害羞草研究所渇aster than you could blink,害羞草研究所� and escaped into the woods nearby, recounted Irene.
The couple and their entourage searched for hours around the rest stop and the dense bushes that ran alongside the highway. But to no avail.
害羞草研究所淚 was just frantic,害羞草研究所� Irene said, noting that many area residents, as well as passersby who stopped at the rest stop during the next few hours, tried to help.
害羞草研究所淲e tried for hours to get her,害羞草研究所� Irene told the Langley Advance. 害羞草研究所淲e couldn害羞草研究所檛 find her.害羞草研究所�
Heartbroken and defeated, they reluctantly pushed on with their journey, but Irene wasn害羞草研究所檛 willing to give up.
She reached out online to several organizations and eventually connected with an animal rescue group in Hope. Several of their members continued the search and reported back.
害羞草研究所淚 was amazed. I couldn害羞草研究所檛 believe that all these people 害羞草研究所� total strangers 害羞草研究所� would do this,害羞草研究所� said a grateful Irene.
Turned out an orange cat was spotted in the evenings around the rest stop over the next several weeks. But all attempts to catch her failed, and two trips back by Irene and Brian proved futile.
害羞草研究所淲e gave up,害羞草研究所� she said, admitting she was 害羞草研究所渉eartbroken.害羞草研究所�
Turned out that some five months after Nikko went missing, with winter embracing the mountain pass community, the cat was discovered skinny and matted outside Hope.
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Dropped off at Langley shelter
She was scooped up and subsequently dropped off to LAPS害羞草研究所� Patti Dale Animal Shelter in Aldergrove on Dec. 2, Nelson interjected.
And during a routine exam, it was discovered Nikko (not knowing their name the shelter staff had since renamed her Marigold) had a heart murmur.
害羞草研究所淪he was diagnosed by one of our community vet partners 害羞草研究所� through ultrasound 害羞草研究所� as having HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy),害羞草研究所� Nelson explained.
Because of the progressive heart disease 害羞草研究所� which can be managed but not cured 害羞草研究所� LAPS adoption counsellor Amy Parker was 害羞草研究所渆ven more determined害羞草研究所� to try to find the cat害羞草研究所檚 owner.
If she couldn害羞草研究所檛 find her family, Parker sought to at least the clinic where she was tattooed, so they could determine her age (vets thought due to the condition of her teeth that she was likely two to five years old), learn of any other pre-existing health issues, and determine the best course of treatment to manage her disease.
害羞草研究所淏y doing some extra sleuthing, Amy 害羞草研究所榮truck gold害羞草研究所� and managed to track her tattoo to a clinic in Alberta,害羞草研究所� Nelson elaborated.
Turns out Marigold害羞草研究所檚 real name was Nikko, and that she was about 14 years old.
But moreover, Parker learned the identity of her owners. Connecting with the cat害羞草研究所檚 family, LAPS staff were overjoyed to learn that the Wades were 害羞草研究所渢hrilled害羞草研究所� and shocked by the news that Nikko was alive and well, Nelson said.
They learned of the Nikko害羞草研究所檚 whereabouts on Tuesday and made a trip back to the mainland the very next day to retrieve her.
Now, a Langley animal shelter playing a key role in uniting an Alberta cat with its family on Vancouver Island is an odd set of circumstances, to be sure, Nelson said.
But Nikko害羞草研究所檚 story has a further twist, Nelson explained.
Turns out the Wades were also a little perplexed by the notification. They thought they had already been reunited with Nikko.
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Two orange tabbies
A couple from Belgium were travelling through Hope, heading to catch their flight at the Vancouver International Airport, when the found a small, disheveled orange tabby at the rest stop.
This was literally one month after Nikko went missing.
In a hurry to catch their plane, the couple could do nothing more than drop the cat off at the narby Hope visitor centre.
Since many people in town had known of the Wade害羞草研究所檚 quest to reunite with their cat, it didn害羞草研究所檛 take much effort to find them and share the good news of Nikko害羞草研究所檚 discovery.
The cat was in rough shape, tattered, and much lighter in weight and colour than when last they害羞草研究所檇 seen her.
害羞草研究所淚 was just thinking it害羞草研究所檚 because of the trauma,害羞草研究所� said Irene. But she admitted to being 害羞草研究所渙ver the moon害羞草研究所� about the reunion.
害羞草研究所淪he did look awful,害羞草研究所� Irene said, noting she was pale and that the tattoo in her ear had faded to little more than spots.
Since bringing her home in July, however, Nikko had settled well into their new home. She害羞草研究所檇 become much more affectionate and much less skiddish than ever before, but she was 害羞草研究所渏ust fine害羞草研究所� and Irene was 害羞草研究所渁bsolutely convinced害羞草研究所� they had their furry baby back.
At least Irene thought it was Nikko until they received a call 害羞草研究所渙ut of the blue the other night害羞草研究所� telling them of the discovery of the real Nikko.
害羞草研究所淲e had the wrong cat?害羞草研究所�
They did, indeed.
It turned out the cat they retrieved in July was not the kitten they害羞草研究所檇 adopted from a prairie farmer 14 years ago for their young daughter.
In fact, it was an 害羞草研究所渋mposter.害羞草研究所�
Who would have thought that two orange tabbies would go missing and ultimately be rescued around the same time at the same freeway rest stop on the outskirts of Hope? queried a baffled Irene.
害羞草研究所淚 just can害羞草研究所檛 believe it,害羞草研究所� Irene shared. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e been online with friends all day sharing Nikko害羞草研究所檚 story. And, like me, they害羞草研究所檙e flabbergasted by the news.害羞草研究所�
So now, Nikko 1 (a.k.a. Marigold) and Nikko 2 (a.k.a. the imposter) are both settling into their new life together with the Wades.
There害羞草研究所檚 still a lot of hissing and posturing, and the two cat害羞草研究所檚 haven害羞草研究所檛 been quick to bond, but Irene holds out hope they will.
For now, she害羞草研究所檚 just content to have them both safe at home. But she will likely reach out to some of her new friends in Hope 害羞草研究所� those with the rescue group 害羞草研究所� to see if anyone else missing an orange tabby.
She害羞草研究所檚 kind of hoping there isn害羞草研究所檛, having grown attached to the imposter, as well.
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Happy to help reunite
害羞草研究所淲e are always excited to see a cat go back home with their owners, but this one was especially remarkable,害羞草研究所� said Nelson.
害羞草研究所淲hat a great story and example of the importance of permanent ID like a tattoo or microchip. Three cheers for Marigold (Nikko) and her family,害羞草研究所� Nelson said.
This is the second time in the as many months that LAPS helped reunite a pet with an owner from out of town 害羞草研究所� and originally out of province.
Readers might recall the story of Frankie, a three-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier that went missing in Alberta and ended up in care at Langley害羞草研究所檚 Patti Dale Animal Shelter.
Frankie went missing while being cared for by a family friend in Alberta last July.
Five months later, again thanks to more 害羞草研究所渟uper shelter staff sleuthing害羞草研究所� by LAPS, he was reunited with Ashley Power and her family in Spruce Grove, Alta. just before Christmas.
It was revealed through Facebook after their reunion that the 1,100 kilometres of separation could be explained. A woman discovered the dog in Cold Lake about five days after he went missing. He was beaten and scratched up, and apparently alone, so she decided to take him along to her new home in Abbotsford.
He was later picked up and brought into care at , and eventually reunited.
害羞草研究所淲e love happy endings!害羞草研究所� Nelson concluded, commenting on both of the recent bizarre reunions.
