Willow the calico kitty was found in Manhattan, five years after her disappearance in Colorado. What she did in that time, and just how she got more than 1,600 miles from him, we can't understand. But she will soon be rejoined with her household. Source for this article: Willow the cat makes incredible journey from Colorado to Manhattan



Lost because of renovation


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. Since then, the family moved from Broomfield to Denver, which is a 10 mile move. The company that put the microchip under Willow’s skin when she was a kitten still had the updated information from the family.


'We could not believe it'


Chris and Jamie Squires were "shocked and astounded" when they were given a call Wednesday from Animal Care & Control in New York saying that Willow had been discovered on East 20th Street and taken to a shelter. "When we first heard the voice mail, we couldn't believe it," Squires said.


Microchips are essential



Julie Bank explained that she discovered the Squires with Willow’s microchip. Financial institution is the AC&C Executive Director. "This miracle story underscores the importance of having some kind of identification on your pet and the effectiveness of a microchip," said Banks.


Believed something bad occurred to her


"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."



'A pretty cat'


There are three children in the Squires family. They're 3, 10 and 17. The older kids were not surprised. They remembered when Willow was lost. The youngest said “She’s a pretty cat” when shown an image.



"The kids can't wait to see her," Squires said. "And we still have her little Christmas stocking."


Feline may have changed


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 wasn’t on the roads for the last five years without humans since she had a friendly disposition. But unless Willow learns to talk, it will remain only speculation.


Figuring out how the family can get the kitty back


Health certificates and transportation for the cat need to be in order before the Colorado trip can be made. It is something the Squires and AC&C are both working on. It might be a couple weeks before Willow is reunited with her family.



Citations

New York Daily News: http: //www.nydailynews. 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.huffingtonpost. 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