Cat who travelled 280 miles from home reunited with owners over a year after going missing thanks to Facebook

A cat who travelled more than 280 miles from home has been reunited with her owners more than a year after going missing - after they saw a Facebook post by chance.

The cat, called Cocci, went missing in August 2021 after her owners moved house, but she has now been found more than 450 kilometres away from her new home 13 months later.

The pet was reunited with her family after her owner happened to see a post on social media site Facbook stating a stray cat had been found near her former home - and recognised the feline pictured as her long lost pet.

“I recognised her straight away”

Laëtitia De Amicis, aged 41, relocated with her family from Ambly-sur-Meuse, in the Orne region of France, to Ginai in Normandy, for work reasons a year ago. The family took great care to keep their three cats Felys, Crapaud, and Cocci, in the new house, as they were worried they’d get lost in different surroundings - but somehow curious Cocci got out and disappeared.

The worried family, including Laëtitia’s two children, had searched for Cocci for three months, but could not find her. To stop her children, Tom, aged 17, and Margot, age 13, from worrying, Laëtitia told them she thought Cocci had probably gone home to look for them in Ambly, not believing for a second it could be true - but they now know it was.

Incredibly, in October, Laëtitia saw a post shared on Facebook saying that a stray cat had been found in Souilly, a town located just 10 kilometres, or just over six miles, away from Ambly-sur-Meuse.

Laëtitia, a stay-at-home mum, said: "I recognised her straight away, although she looked completely different."

“She looked at her and burst into tears”

A couple found Cocci underneath a car and posted a picture of the adventurous feline on a local missing pets website called Pet Alert. They then took her to the local veterinarian in Souilly, who confirmed the missing animal was 10-years old-and had been spayed, just like Cocci.

After Laëtitia saw the Facebook post from Pet Alert completely by chance she contacted them to say she believed the pet was hers. Photos were exchanged and then Laëtitia sent her dad, Bernard De Amicis, to identify her.

Laëtitia said: "She looked completely different. She couldn’t have lasted more than 24 hours. I sent my dad, who knows my cats, I asked him to go and see."

Bernard, who was reluctant to go, said he couldn’t believe it was possible that the cat was actually Cocci and had travelled across the country.

Laëtitia added: "When he called me that day I understood straight away. I saw my dad cuddling my cat on the video call. I knew it was her. I recognised her straight away. He tried to call her different names and she only responded to Cocci.

“When my dad called me, I was with my daughter. She looked at her and recognised her and burst into tears. I was also crying. My son was very sceptical until we went to pick her up. But as soon as we got there, she recognised us straight away. It’s unbelievable. I still can’t believe it."

“She adapted again really well”

Cocci had to stay with the vet for an additional three weeks before the family was allowed to take her back to their house earlier this month due to her being in ill health - but she is now recovered and has settled in well back at home.

Laëtitia said: "She was less than one kilogram. She had fleas, worms and an infection in her face. Since we brought her home, all is going well. She adapted again really well. She’s very cuddly."