A cat lost since last summer, was reunited with her family yesterday in Langley.

It91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频渢ruly terrified,91裸聊视频� huddled in a corner of her cat kennel 91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频渇aster than you could blink,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淚 was just frantic,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淲e tried for hours to get her,91裸聊视频� Irene told the Langley Advance. 91裸聊视频淲e couldn91裸聊视频檛 find her.91裸聊视频�

Heartbroken and defeated, they reluctantly pushed on with their journey, but Irene wasn91裸聊视频檛 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.

91裸聊视频淚 was amazed. I couldn91裸聊视频檛 believe that all these people 91裸聊视频� total strangers 91裸聊视频� would do this,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淲e gave up,91裸聊视频� she said, admitting she was 91裸聊视频渉eartbroken.91裸聊视频�

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 LAPS91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淪he was diagnosed by one of our community vet partners 91裸聊视频� through ultrasound 91裸聊视频� as having HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy),91裸聊视频� Nelson explained.

Because of the progressive heart disease 91裸聊视频� which can be managed but not cured 91裸聊视频� LAPS adoption counsellor Amy Parker was 91裸聊视频渆ven more determined91裸聊视频� to try to find the cat91裸聊视频檚 owner.

If she couldn91裸聊视频檛 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.

91裸聊视频淏y doing some extra sleuthing, Amy 91裸聊视频榮truck gold91裸聊视频� and managed to track her tattoo to a clinic in Alberta,91裸聊视频� Nelson elaborated.

Turns out Marigold91裸聊视频檚 real name was Nikko, and that she was about 14 years old.

But moreover, Parker learned the identity of her owners. Connecting with the cat91裸聊视频檚 family, LAPS staff were overjoyed to learn that the Wades were 91裸聊视频渢hrilled91裸聊视频� and shocked by the news that Nikko was alive and well, Nelson said.

They learned of the Nikko91裸聊视频檚 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 Nikko91裸聊视频檚 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 Wade91裸聊视频檚 quest to reunite with their cat, it didn91裸聊视频檛 take much effort to find them and share the good news of Nikko91裸聊视频檚 discovery.

The cat was in rough shape, tattered, and much lighter in weight and colour than when last they91裸聊视频檇 seen her.

91裸聊视频淚 was just thinking it91裸聊视频檚 because of the trauma,91裸聊视频� said Irene. But she admitted to being 91裸聊视频渙ver the moon91裸聊视频� about the reunion.

91裸聊视频淪he did look awful,91裸聊视频� 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. She91裸聊视频檇 become much more affectionate and much less skiddish than ever before, but she was 91裸聊视频渏ust fine91裸聊视频� and Irene was 91裸聊视频渁bsolutely convinced91裸聊视频� they had their furry baby back.

At least Irene thought it was Nikko until they received a call 91裸聊视频渙ut of the blue the other night91裸聊视频� telling them of the discovery of the real Nikko.

91裸聊视频淲e had the wrong cat?91裸聊视频�

They did, indeed.

It turned out the cat they retrieved in July was not the kitten they91裸聊视频檇 adopted from a prairie farmer 14 years ago for their young daughter.

In fact, it was an 91裸聊视频渋mposter.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频淚 just can91裸聊视频檛 believe it,91裸聊视频� Irene shared. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e been online with friends all day sharing Nikko91裸聊视频檚 story. And, like me, they91裸聊视频檙e flabbergasted by the news.91裸聊视频�

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.

There91裸聊视频檚 still a lot of hissing and posturing, and the two cat91裸聊视频檚 haven91裸聊视频檛 been quick to bond, but Irene holds out hope they will.

For now, she91裸聊视频檚 just content to have them both safe at home. But she will likely reach out to some of her new friends in Hope 91裸聊视频� those with the rescue group 91裸聊视频� to see if anyone else missing an orange tabby.

She91裸聊视频檚 kind of hoping there isn91裸聊视频檛, having grown attached to the imposter, as well.

.

Happy to help reunite

91裸聊视频淲e are always excited to see a cat go back home with their owners, but this one was especially remarkable,91裸聊视频� said Nelson.

91裸聊视频淲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,91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频� 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 Langley91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频渟uper shelter staff sleuthing91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淲e love happy endings!91裸聊视频� Nelson concluded, commenting on both of the recent bizarre reunions.