An unexpected phone call telling a guy named Robert that his pet cat Chebon was still alive shocked him earlier this month.
Robert had not seen Chebon for seven years; She disappeared just before their planned relocation from California to Ohio. Robert, who wished to remain anonymous, delayed his transfer so he could stay and search for his beloved pet, but after a year with no luck and no leads, he was forced to leave.
In a video posted to the Ventura County Animal Services Facebook page, Robert said, “I remember at one time I was praying and I said, ‘God, I’ll do anything, just bring my Chebon back.’”
Credit: VENTURA COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES
Then the impossible happened. A compassionate woman took a sickly-appearing cat she saw by the side of the road to a nearby veterinarian. The cat appeared to be in fairly good health, in addition to being a bit dehydrated and filthy from life on the streets. Robert’s name appeared when they ran a microchip scan on him. They also learned that the cat was actually 19 years old.
Robert said, “I was worried there was some sort of error.”
Robert drove up to the Camarillo Animal Shelter and immediately booked a trip to Los Angeles. His eyes softened when they opened a cardboard box as soon as they brought him into a private room.
Credit: VENTURA COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES
It seemed as though no time had gone when Robert and Chebon finally reunited after seven years. No one in the room could keep a dry eye.
Randy Friedman, the marketing manager for Ventura County Animal Services, told that “everyone in that room – there was another animal control officer and she was sobbing, I was tearing up.” “It was incredible from start to finish, and it was all because to a microchip.”
Chebon climbed out of the box and wrapped his paws around his dad’s shoulder as if he knew he was finally safe.
“At one point [Chebon] hugged him and Robert just started bawling,” Friedman said. “You don’t see that in cats too much … It was just so touching.”
Now that Chebon is finally back home, he can spend his golden years in comfort. And the two will never let each other go ever again.