Lost for ten months, 4-1/2-year-old Jack the Cat is finally back home with his owner, Vickie van Dyke.

“I think he’s an adventurer,” said van Dyke. “But he must have something missing when it comes to navigation.”

Last year, after returning from a few days at a cottage, van Dyke said she found Jack anxious to get outside. “I let him out thinking he would go out and come back,” she said. “That was it. He went out, and didn’t come back.”

She reported the lost cat to the Guelph (Ontario, Canada) Humane Society. Weeks, then months passed, but no Jack. “The humane society would call and ask if he was back every month,” van Dyke said. Each time, she told them she wanted to keep him on their lost pets list.

At the end of April, Jack was found, more than 10 kilometers from van Dyke’s home. A person who thought Jack looked sick brought him to the Guelph Humane Society. Despite appearances, the shelter gave Jack a clean bill of health.

Last Friday, van Dyke received a phone call from the cat kennel supervisor at the humane society. She told van Dyke, “We have a cat here. He’s orange, but we don’t think he’s yours.” The humane society first thought the cat was about 10 years old, but upon closer inspection, estimated him around five.

Three people who were missing male, orange, declawed, neutered cats were contacted, and two of those were eliminated over the phone. Having been through one false alarm with a different orange tabby, Van Dyke send the humane society a photo of Jack. Soon afterward, she got a call indicating that there might be a possible match. When van Dyke saw him, she “knew right away.” The Humane Society “was blown away because they didn’t believe that after 10 months I would get my cat back,” she said.

Along with having his shots updated, Jack is also going to have a microchip implanted for future identification. “He has taken off before, sometimes for a couple of days,” she said. Two years ago, he was found on the other side of a busy Expressway.

Jack is now settling back in at home. While he was away, van Dyke got a dog. “They’re best friends,” she said.

By the way, we’re happy Jack’s back home, but keep in mind you should never allow declawed cats outside. And if your cat, like Jack, is prone to wander, keep him indoors, or install cat fencing.