A cat owner from Ashford, Kent, has been joyfully reunited with her missing pet after five long years.
Janine Yarnell spotted her cat, Bubba, in a photo shared on a local Facebook lost-and-found group. A visit to the vet later confirmed Bubba’s identity.
Ms. Yarnell shared with the BBC that Bubba “has always been incredibly special to me,” but admitted her hopes of a reunion had waned over the years.
Bubba had been microchipped when she joined the family, but unfortunately, the contact details linked to the chip were outdated.
The cat disappeared on October 8, 2019, and was only recently seen wandering on November 12, 2024. A passerby took a photo and posted it online, sparking Ms. Yarnell’s curiosity.
The image left her emotional, prompting her to wonder if the stray cat might truly be Bubba. Members of the Facebook group even used a digital facial recognition tool to compare Bubba’s features with the street cat’s, and the results showed a striking resemblance.
Confirmation came when vets scanned the cat’s microchip and linked it back to Ms. Yarnell’s old phone number. Bubba was finally back where she belonged.
Now safely home, Bubba is adjusting to life with her family again, receiving plenty of love and care.
“She’s been living on the streets for five years, so she’ll need some time to readjust,” said Ms. Yarnell. “But it already feels like she’s back to her old self.”
The family couldn’t be happier to have their beloved Bubba back.