FLORIDA – You probably have heard that every cat has nine lives.
Nicky is the perfect, living example of that.
Five years after the kitty went missing, it was reunited just this week with its owners, who love in Sarasota.
All thanks going to a Good Samaritan, the Cat Depot’s Rose Durham Cat Care Clinic staff and Sarasota County Animal Services, Nicky’s family is beyond thrilled to have him back.
However, before he can go home, Nicky has to recovery from some serious medical ailments, which are being tended to by staffers at the Rose Durham Clinic.
When Nicky first arrived at the cat care clinic this past Monday, he was severely emaciated and following an examination it was determined he also was suffering from kidney failure.
It took an Inspector Gadget-style investigation, conducted by Rose Durham Clinic staffers, to unravel Nicky’s five-year journey home.
It all began with the Good Samaritan, who also was a client at the Rose Durham Cat Care Clinic. Over the course of a two-month period, she saw Nicky sitting under a tree in her neighborhood and watched as he appeared to look more sickly, prompting her to bring him into her home.
She realized the cat needed so much more care than she could provide and took him to the Rose Durham Clinic for treatment.
Clinic staffers quickly located the microchip Nicky’s owners had placed in him after Nicky contracted Feline Immunodeficiency Virus at a very young age, according to a statement from the Rose Durham Clinic. The microchip did assist in updating his medical records and to track him.
They also got in contact with Sarasota County Animal Services to help them track down Nicky’s owners. During their search, clinic staffers then discovered Nicky had been found before and renamed Saxton.
It’s still unclear if he ran away or was released from his second home.
UPDATE: Nicky was indeed reunited with his family at the Cat Depot Thursday.
“After seeing how hard he fought to survive, we could not give up on him,” Cat Depot’s Clinic veterinarian Eva Ojolick stated. “His condition has improved since being brought to us on Monday, however, he is not out of the woods yet.”
Nicky does remain in critical condition. The veterinary staff will be reassessing Nicky’s condition this weekend, according to the clinic statement.
