6 years after a car crash, a woman learns on her 62nd birthday that her missing cat is alive
Pandora the cat went missing while her owners were moving house and could not be found for 6 years. Following the serious road accident, Billy and Mary kept searching, and very recently received the news they had been longing for. They learnt that Pandora was alive on Mary's 62nd birthday.
“There were lots of very happy tears”, her owner said, still emotional after receiving the phone call she had secretly been hoping for. Pandora had been adopted in 2017 along with her sister from the same litter, Ziggy, who was found after the accident.
“We were absolutely distraught”
Billy and Mary were travelling towards Scotland when the van driven by Billy and carrying the 2 cats was involved in an accident. The striking images shared by the BBC give an idea of how serious the crash was. When firefighters, paramedics and police arrived at the scene, they reassured the couple about Ziggy's condition. Pandora, however, had run away.
Mary recalled the accident, saying: “When we realised Pandora was missing, we were absolutely distraught. We spent some time looking for her, but because Billy needed to rest and recover, we reluctantly had to continue our journey”.
“I knew straight away it was a stray cat”
After several trips to Errol (United Kingdom), the couple put their search on hold. 6 years later, a local woman contacted Cats Protection after spotting a stray cat in her garden. Fiona Morrisson, who was looking into the case, went to the property and was able to identify the cat thanks to her microchip. There was relief when contact details appeared on the screen.
Cat reunited with owners - six years after going missing in car crash https://t.co/NEtYThCIip
— BBC Scotland News (@BBCScotlandNews) 22 September 2026
“The best” birthday surprise
Fiona contacted Mary, who was overwhelmed with happiness on the day she turned 62. The couple went to collect Pandora, who apparently had never forgotten her family. A few hours later, she was beside the grandson of Mary and Billy, whom she had watched over while he was still in his mother's womb.
This story with a happy ending reminds us of the importance of microchipping, as well as road safety for our feline friends. Wherever possible, cats should be secured inside the vehicle and ideally placed in an approved carrier.
By Anthony Pruvost
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