Willow the Cat Found 5 Years Later and 1,600 Miles from Home

A cat named Willow was found on a Manhattan street and will soon be returned to a family in the Rocky Mountains.

How she ended up more than 1,600 miles away is a mystery.

Her owners had long given up hope, but because they impanted WIllow with a microchip at their veterinarian's when we she was a kitten, the Denver family and Willow are back together again.

"To be honest, there are tons of coyotes around here, and owls," said Jamie Squires, of Boulder. "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."

The Squires were "shocked and astounded" when they received the call from Animal Care & Control, New York City's animal rescue and shelter system.

Willow had been found on East 20th Street by a man who took her to a shelter.

The shelter, as most shelters and veterinary clinics do, have a microchip scanner that can detect every known brand of pet microchips. Once they scanned Willow, they were able to read her microchip's I.D. number and quickly look up her owner's information on a website.

Most people aren't aware that the #1 cause of death with pets is getting lost. If shelters can't find the owner or adoptive parents, the animal would have to be put down.

Make sure you're dog and cat is protected today by visiting one of our clinics inside a pet store near you. Our price for a HomeAgain® microchip, the best in the business, is only $44 and includes all the great services HomeAgain provides.

Learn more about microchips here and find the next clinic near you here.