Alfie, a spirited four-year-old cat in 2009, was known for his adventurous streak, often climbing into open car windows, according to his mom, Shelley Brockbank. His penchant for exploration led to his disappearance, leaving Shelley to suspect he might have embarked on an unintended journey from their Jersey home in the British Isles. At that moment, Shelley could not have predicted the lengthy odyssey that would keep Alfie away for 12 years, nor could she know if her beloved cat would ever find his way back to her.
She was heartbroken and did everything she could think of to find her boy, sharing with the Jersey Evening Post, “I put posters through letterboxes and contacted the animal shelter, to no avail.”
That Cat Looks Familiar
After time passed and Alfie never returned, Shelley expected he was gone forever. But seeing pictures of a white and orange cat posted on the JSPCA Animals’ Shelter’s Facebook page, the cat mom felt old memories stir.
“To my surprise, there he was on the JSPCA’s Facebook page. He had been picked up as a stray. There was no mistaking, that was Alfie.”
The cat was certainly older and very thin, but there was no mistaking it was Shelley’s missing cat. When she brought him home from the JSPCA, Shelley shared, “He came out of his carrier and started rubbing up against my legs, my back – as close as he possibly could.”
“Twelve years after he left, I was finally reunited.”
Home With Family and A Little Sister
Since Alife’s disappearance, Shelley’s family has grown with the addition of both a daughter and son her cat never got to know. Coming home to meet his new human siblings, Alfie quickly found a best friend in sister Amelia.
As Shelley shared with the JSPCA, “He’s a new friend in my daughter who loves him so much already despite never meeting him.”
At the beautiful age of 16, Alfie is happy to be forever home again after an adventure that saw him rehomed one time for certain in 2014 and probably a few other times along the way. But no matter where he’d been, he settled right in once back in Shelley’s arms. She was happy to say, “I like to think he remembers me!”
“I am so so glad he is finally home,” Shelley said. “Whatever time he has left, I am glad that we get to spend it with him.”
Shelley hopes “Alfie’s retirement will be a peaceful and restful one.”
We do too. Welcome home, Alfie!
H/T: www.republicworld.com
Feature Image: JSPCA Animals’ Shelter/Facebook