When natural disasters hit, they can destroy more than just nature. They can tear apart homes and families.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, they report that there have been 15 weather disasters exceeding $1 billion each in 2017 alone.
People are often displaced by wildfires, hurricanes, and tornados. But what about other members of their families, like their pets?
One family thought they’d lost their beloved cat after they had to evacuate their home due to a wildfire.
The Stockham family were forced to leave their home instantly when they were told to evacuate the Santa Ana area.
Dani Stockham had to tell her daughters to, “Get up get dressed, there’s a fire and it’s close,” as the fires raged close to their home.
In the process of evacuating, they lost Thomas, their 13-year-old cat that they’ve had since Lea, Dani’s daughter, was two.
The sudden evacuation must have spooked Thomas, as he escaped Lea’s arms in all the confusion.
“It was really devastating when I couldn’t grab him. He had just like started clawing at me and slipped right out of my arms,” Lea told CBS SF Bay Area.
Any cat owner knows that felines can be scared easily by loud noises. If anyone was screaming in the house, Thomas might have been very scared and just wanted to get to somewhere that he felt safe.
After the fires settled and the family was able to return to the rubble of their home, they were devastated to find the body of a gray and white cat.
Believing the cat was their Thomas, the family held a funeral for the pet.
But the cat that they buried wasn’t actually their cat! That might sound crazy, but it has happened to a few people I know too.
A neighbor found Thomas wandering nearby about six weeks after the wildfire. When they trapped Thomas, his microchip was checked and the Stockham family learned the kitty was still alive!
Miraculously, he’d managed to survive on his own for six weeks. It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, cats are pretty resourceful. But it was incredible news for the family.
“It was like honestly the best day I’ve had since the fire, like it was the greatest day ever,” Lea told CBS SF Bay Area.
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