It’s fair to say that 2017 was a tough year for many. That said, Californians, in particular, experienced a brunt of the misfortune in the form of devastating wildfires. The state endured its worst fire season in recorded history with over 650,000 acres burned and 44 lives claimed from October to December alone.

Some surviving residents that have been affected by the blazes have faced displacement, property loss, and the horrible fate of leaving their pets behind to fend for themselves. You see, California’s drought made for incredibly dry conditions—many of these fires were so fast-moving, some victims were left unable to secure their animals in a safe manner.

These residents were left wondering if their properties, as well as their beloved pets, would survive the blazes. One such family, the Stockhams, know this scenario all-too-well. The family was forced to evacuate their Santa Rosa home in the early morning hours of October 9th when a nearby fire was closing in the Skyfarm Drive residence.

The youngest Stockham, 15-year-old Lea, grabbed her cat, Thomas and headed for the car. Unfortunately, the feline was spooked by all of the commotion and he jumped out of the teen’s arms and ran into the darkness.

It goes without saying Lea was crushed by the incident. Three days later, when the family returned to their property to assess the damage, they were hit with yet another blow—the fire had completely destroyed their home. And still, something much sadder lay on the charred front porch—the remains of a cat.

Devastated Lea arranged a funeral and burial for her cherished pet, quite the heart-wrenching act considering this is a family that already lost their home and all of their belongings.

A missing cat’s second chance at life

The Stockhams spent the next month and a half picking up the pieces until they received quite the interesting phone call. It was from Avid, the animal microchip company that had chipped their cat. They said that Thomas was actually alive and he was waiting for his family to come retrieve him. Talk about a plot twist!

In an interview with local paper The Press Democrat, mom, Dani, said that she initially assumed the call was a “cruel joke,” but once they met Shannon Jay, the Good Samaritan who had secured the cat, the Stockhams soon realized that this was, in fact, their Thomas.

No one knows whose cat they buried, but we are just so happy to hear that the entire Stockham family is alive and well. To find out how Lea was reunited with her feline friend, be sure to watch the video below. This is one cat that sure does have nine lives!

Talk about an emotional reunion! We’d love to hear your thoughts on this story. Have you ever been affected by a wildfire? If so, what did you do to secure your pets? Have you ever had a pet that you feared to be dead later returned to you?