A teenager and his mother had been searching for their cat for six years when they saw a photo of a senior cat on a shelter’s Facebook page. The animal resembled theirs, but the family could only be sure by going to see for themselves.
Owen Tucker and his cat Jess had always been extremely close, the feline was gifted to the boy when he was four years old.
In a sense, Owen and Jess grew up together. When he lost Jess, the teenager was profoundly distraught. Likewise, the feline’s return six years later felt like a miracle.
According to the Shropshire Star, Owen Tucker, his mother Clare, and their puss Jess had moved to Berriew in Wales several years before. Later, the family had to relocate again to the adjacent town of Welshpool.
When they arrived in the small town, Jess disappeared. Owen, then eight years old, was crushed and wanted nothing more than to find his companion.
Since then, her young owner had not given up seeking Jess. As time passed, he continued his search for the black cat by posting missing posters and sifting through shelter websites and pages.
Even after relocating to the community of Cleobury North in Shropshire’s western region, he didn’t stop looking. In his spare time, he maintained contact with the local branch of the RSPCA, an animal rescue organization.
Speaking of those years without his cat, Owen said:
“It was horrible living without her, when we moved to Welshpool and she went missing, we walked the streets looking but couldn’t find her. Then when we moved to Shropshire, we checked all the cat rescues in the Shropshire and Wales area.
Owen spots an interesting picture
The boy’s determination ultimately paid off. Shropshire RSPCA had recently taken in an 11-year-old senior cat and posted her images on their Facebook page.
Both Owen and Clare found that the animal looked very familiar and they were intrigued. Following her intuition, Clare went to the shelter to see the animal. Convinced she found the right cat, she brought it home, where Owen patiently awaited.
He recognized Jess immediately, saying:
“I knew straight away because she did all the things she used to do before we lost her, like purring when I rubbed her neck and coming to me for treats,”
Jess has been constantly with Owen since her return, she follows him around and sleeps next to him every night.
RSPCA volunteer Anne Wignall expressed her happiness regarding the unexpected reunion. However, the volunteer stressed that shelter cats do not always get a happy ending, so she found Jess and Owen’s story incredibly uplifting.