Five years after she slipped out of sight, a black cat is back in her owner's lap, in what her UK family is calling a "real Christmas miracle." Per the London Times, Bindi disappeared from her home in Haddenham, Cambridgeshire, in August 2020. Owner Jilly Fretwell, now 29, says the cat was in the habit back then of roaming for a couple of hours before returning, so when Bindi didn't return on that summer day, "it was really odd."
Fretwell searched local paths and posted online appeals for months, but by 2021, she'd resigned herself to the idea that Bindi was gone for good—especially after she eventually moved to a new home. Then, on Dec. 18, a vet called: Bindi had been brought in and identified via her microchip. Now around 10 years old, per the BBC, Bindi had a few minor scratches but was otherwise "in great shape," Fretwell says, per the Times. When the family arrived at the clinic, Fretwell says, "it's like she recognized us. She was instantly on our lap, giving us snuggles."
Where Bindi has been all this time remains a mystery. Fretwell suspects someone nearby may have taken her in, noting that the famously cuddly cat—who, she says, "puts her paws on either of your shoulders to give you a real cuddle"—looked well cared-for. Whatever the backstory, Fretwell says she's simply relieved the microchip did its job and that Bindi made it home in time for the holidays. The Sun, meanwhile, recalls a story of a cat who was reunited with its owner after being gone for 11 years.
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