Raymond McNamara was vacationing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his cat, Lily, when the unthinkable happened.
McNamara and Lily were strolling along together on Feb. 11 when suddenly she disappeared near a construction site, according to WSVN TV. Usually, Lily would follow McNamara wherever he went.
Advertisement
McNamara contacted local authorities who helped search for her, but no one could find her.
It didn’t help that Lily is blind, deaf and 20 years old. Eventually, McNamara returned home to California, fearing he would never see his cat again.
Months later, there’s a happier tale: Lily has been found, and she and McNamara were reunited on May 19.
Amazingly, the cat wasn’t too far from where she had been lost, according to Kathy Bieniek of Saving Sage Animal Rescue in Miami, where Lily was taken after being found.
Amazingly, Lily survived Florida heat and rain for two months on her own before being found, but she may have used up a few of her nine lives in the process.
Not only was her fur terribly matted, but she was also dehydrated and very sick, according to Daniel Rayment of Pet Express Animal Hospital
While Lily was being nursed back to health, McNamara had to drive back cross-country in order to reunite with the companion he thought he’d lost forever.
The long-awaited reunion happened last Friday.
Bieniek told Inside Edition that Lily’s personality completely changed when her owner arrived.
“She’s not a lap cat, but she was finally able to relax,” she said. “All that stress went away. All her worries were lifted off. It was very sweet to see.”
Advertisement
As for McNamara, he was clearly overjoyed to be back with his beloved friend.
“She’s never going to get away from me again,” he said.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.