NEW YORK — Mimi could be said to have feline luck.
The cat went missing 10 years ago on Long Island, and despite her family’s best efforts, they have lost her for the past decade. The Price family searched and searched, posting flyers around town and contacting local vets, but eventually gave up hope of ever seeing their beloved cat again.
Then, out of the blue, the family received a call last week that Mimi had been found and delivered to the City of Brookhaven Animal Shelter.
Mimi wasn’t in the best shape. Shelter supervisor Linda Klamplf said the cat hadn’t eaten enough and his fur was very matted.
“It looked like a shield of armor, that’s how bad it was,” Klampfl said.
Shelter staff groomed the cat and found she was microchipped, which led them to Spain. It turns out that its owner retired last year and moved across the ocean.
The news was hard to believe. Richard Price recalls her initial reaction: “My God, she’s alive, it’s amazing. And oh my God, we left her there.”
“We feel elated and horrified at the same time,” she said.
In July 2012, Mimi was staying at Price’s sister-in-law’s Miller Place home when the cat escaped. A thorough search yielded no results, and there was simply no sign of her.
“If only he could talk and tell us what he’s been through,” Price said.
Thankfully, at 13, Mimi is still in good health and, after putting on her makeup, she’s on her way to looking her best again. A family relative takes care of Mimi until Richard and his wife visit Long Island next month. They plan to take her back to Spain with them.
