A family cat, missing for more than a year after it was lost during Hurricane Helene, evoked one of its nine lives and was reunited with its family in North Carolina — with the help of a feline microchip.
The wayward cat, named Gabby, was turned over to the Avery Humane Society in North Carolina as a stray on December 13, leading workers to discover the kitty had been missing 443 days since the deadly storm ripped through the state last September.
The cat’s story was revealed when society workers discovered her microchip, allowing the long-lost cat to be traced and finally reunited with her overjoyed family.
“This is why microchipping your pets matters,” the society posted on its Facebook page. “Yesterday, a sweet cat was brought to us as a stray. When we scanned her, we discovered she had a microchip. With a little digging, we learned she had gone missing after Hurricane Helene — 443 days ago.”
“So glad to have our Gabby home!!” Payton Marie Hughes, the feline’s apparent owner, posted under the Humane Society announcement.
“Amazing!!” another woman posted. What a wonderful Christmas gift to the family.”
Helene, which made landfall on the coast of Florida on September 26, 2024, was the deadliest mainland U.S. hurricane since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Helene tracked through six states, with 250 deaths attributed to the storm, and 108 of them recorded in the Tar Heel State.
