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| Loli (date of phot unknown) |
Most of us are weary of all the bad news about the COVID-19 and the Omicron variant. We are being bombarded 24 hours a day on television and social media. It's one story after another about how Omicron is so contagious and how it's spreading so rapidly. We hear how one event after another is being cancelled or postponed. Yes, of course I know we need to be informed. I know we need to protect ourselves as much as possible. Still, this is just too much, even for an inveterate news junkie like me. So, dear readers, I am going to give you some much-needed relief. I'm going to tell you a true story that will warm your hearts. It's the perfect tonic to make you feel better during these challenging times.
Come along with me and distract yourself from all the COVID news. You deserve a break from the constant doom and gloom. I am pleased to provide you with a harmless, temporary escape from the reality of a pandemic nightmare. The best part is that this is not a fairytale. It really happened.
Our story takes place in Ontario, Canada, where I live. It's about a tabby cat named Loli, who went missing for 11.5 years, according to a Global News report by Hannah Jackson. The cat's owner, Christine De Castro, told Global News that Loli went missing from the family's home in Vaughan, Ontario back in the summer of 2010. At the time of her disappearance, Loli was a mere two years old. (That makes her about 13 or 14 now, which is an old age for a cat. Cats have an average lifespan of 12 to 18 years, although domestic casts can live into their 20s).
Christine De Castro searched extensively for her pet, but to no avail. She finally resigned herself to the belief that the little feline was never going to return. However, on New Year's Day of this year, Christine received some unexpected news from Vaughan Animal Services. She was informed that Loli had been found and that someone had apparently trapped the cat in their garage. Christine surmises that Loli ended up in the garage in order to keep warm.
Vaughan Animal Services was able to identify Loli with the help of her microchip and Christine was told that she could come to the animal shelter and pick up her long lost pet. Although Christine had moved more than once, her phone number remained the same and she was able to be contacted with regard to Loli. As a result, she urges all pet owners to microchip their animal friends. She also encourages them to donate to their neighbourhood no-kill animal shelter.
Not surprisingly, Christine was astounded by the news that her cat had been found.. She describes her reunion with Loli after all this time as "surreal." What exactly happened to the cat remains a mystery and Christine reports that her pet is older and grumpier now. In every other respect, however, she says that Loli is much the same cat as before. Christine is still not certain whether the feline recognizes her after so long, but she believes that Loli is warming up to her.
What a way to begin a new year on the right note for Christine De Castro! As Christine puts it, "I think it's kind of fated that 2022 started with a cat that I really thought was a goner, reintroduced into my life."
- Joanne
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