WOODRUFF — A cat missing from his Simpsonville home for eight years has been reunited with his family after a Woodruff resident found him and local animal advocates helped identify him through a microchip.
Theo, now 12, was found on West Georgia Street between Tap Three and The Yellow Butterfly by Owen Alexander, according to an October 25 post on a Woodruff community Facebook page.
Alexander said the cat was friendly and allowed him to pick him up and carry him three blocks. Alexander posted online seeking help.
The Kitty Krew responded and took the cat into its care. The group reported that he appeared to have an eye infection and received treatment, food, and a safe place to stay while volunteers tried to find his owner.
During a visit to the Pet Resource Center of Spartanburg County, staff discovered that the cat had a microchip. The scan led them to Theo’s family.
According to the resource center, Theo disappeared from the family’s Simpsonville home eight years ago. His family searched for him and hoped he would return, but that hope faded as the years passed.
Family members were stunned to learn he had been found, the center reported. The Kitty Krew said his owner was on his way to pick him up after being contacted.
The resource center described the reunion as filled with joy and disbelief. The family’s children had grown older during Theo’s absence, and he was returning home as a senior cat.
Staff provided food and supplies to help with his transition home.
Where Theo spent the past eight years and how he reached Woodruff remain unknown.
Both organizations pointed to his recovery as a reminder of the importance of microchipping pets and keeping the associated contact information current.
“We’ll likely never know where Theo spent those missing years or what his journey looked like,” the resource center wrote. “What we do know is a tiny microchip made this reunion possible.”
