Ashes is a well-travelled little kitty.
Together with his human Matthew B., he’s travelled across America in Matthew’s 18-wheeler.
The pair loves each other and have been near inseparable for years, but last July disaster struck; while Matthew was stopping at a truck stop in Springfield, Ohio, Ashes accidentally got out of the truck and vanished.
Matthew searched high and low for his friend and travel companion, but to no avail. Ashes was gone without a trace and a long way from home.
Matthew was devastated when he realized that he had to continue the journey without Ashes.
He finally drove off, but over the next few months, he planned his routes so that he would repeatedly come back to the same spot he lost Ashes and be able to look for him.
He refused to give up hope, and neither did Ashes.
While Matthew was holding out hope of finding Ashes again, Ashes was doing his part by keeping himself alive.
For months, the cold and hungry kitty scraped by, until a woman, Kimberley T., spotted a scrawny looking cat in the bushes.
Kimberley nicknamed the freezing and malnourished kitty “Smokey” and took him to the animal welfare organization Lollypop Farm in Newport, New York.
At Lollypop Farm, “Smokey” was checked for a microchip and they discovered that he wasn’t “Smokey” at all – he was Ashes!
When Matthew got the call, five months into Ashes disappearance, he couldn’t believe it. He rearranged his route one last time and headed for New York, where Ashes was waiting for him.
When they finally reunited, Matthew couldn’t keep the tears from his eyes and Ashes was overjoyed to finally see his cat-dad again.
Matthew’s and Ashes happy ending highlights the importance of microchipping our fur-babies.
“It’s that microchip – without it, I wouldn’t have ever gotten him back. The women that found him saved his life, but the microchip brought him home.” Matthew told Lollypop Farm.
Now, Ashes and Matthew are finally where they belong – together and on the road. Nothing will separate the pair ever again.
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Source: Los Angeles Times (edited)
