A lucky California family has been reunited with their cat after 475 days apart.
The Montecito mudslide destroyed the Strogoff family’s property and neighborhood in early 2018. They evacuated shortly before the natural disaster, leaving their two beloved cats behind.
“I had no idea what happened was going to happen, and assumed they would be fine. When we got back we couldn’t find them,” Noelle Strogoff stated in an interview with KEYT.
The Strogoffs finally moved back into their home a year later, but they weren’t counting on seeing their cats again.
One day, Noelle mentioned one of the family’s cats, Diamond, to a renovator working on her home. The worker asked her what Diamond looks like.
It turned out that the worker had been feeding Diamond, who was surviving on food donations from local residents.
Diamond, who turns three in July, is in good health, and the Strogoffs were thrilled to welcome her back into their home. Watch this video to see Diamond’s reunion with 10-year-old Alexander!
This is a very heartwarming story, but please remember to always take your animals when evacuating for a natural disaster — not all pets are this lucky.
