Holding Out ‘Hope’: Thanks to Microchip, Owner Reunited With Cat After House Fire

Following a devastating house fire in April, Wanda Humphries’ gray tabby cat, Hope, went missing. Humphries had lost a dog and another cat in the fire, so she began to think Hope may have died as well.

On Wednesday, five months after the fire, Pittsburgh Animal Care and Control officers found a stray cat and brought her to Humane Animal Rescue. Thankfully, Humphries had adopted Hope from Humane Animal Rescue in January 2019, and the rescue had given her a microchip.

After finding the microchip, staff confirmed that the cat was a grown-up Hope. They called Humphries who immediately came to the shelter.

RELATED: Why You Should Microchip Your Dog: Pup Found After Going Missing for Nearly 3 Years

In the video posted by Humane Animal Rescue, a staff member brings Hope out and Humphries repeatedly remarks on how big she has gotten. “She’s so big and she’s a little hyper right now, but once we get her back to the house and she sees the kids I’m sure she’ll be happy about it,” Humphries says. (We bet Hope’s reunion with her entire family was as heartwarming as her reunion with her mom.)

Humphries ends the video by expressing her gratitude to those involved in reuniting her with Hope and recommending that everyone get their cat microchipped. “I encourage everyone to get their cat chipped because without the cat being chipped I would’ve never known Hope was still alive,” she says.

The takeaway: Never give up on hope (and Hope)!