Woman Reunites With Missing Cat After 11 Years Apart: Watch the Viral Video That Has Viewers Crying

For many of us, our pets grow to become almost like our children. You nurture them, feed them, keep them safe and give them a loving home — but losing them hits you like a freight train. For South Carolina woman Jennifer Ravenel, she only had a short two years with her cat Sam before he took off, presumably never to be seen again. She never expected to be reunited with her lost cat Sam — until a microchip made the emotional reunion possible after 11 long years.

She first adopted him back in 2011 after finding him near a tree, and soon enough, the two were inseparable. While Ravenel was attached to Sam, Sam was equally attached to her, as he would often follow her around their farm and sit in her lap. However, one day, Sam was spooked by a visiting dog, fled and never returned.

“ I searched and searched and asked everyone , but nobody saw him,” Ravenel told CBS’ Count On 2 News . After 11 years apart, Jennifer Ravenel received a surprising phone call — her lost cat had been found, thanks to the power of pet microchipping. When Sam was reported as a stray and brought to the Charleston Animal Society, his microchip allowed him to be reconnected with his mom.

In a video shared to the News 2 Charleston TikTok account, courtesy of the Charleston Animal Society, we get to see the moment when Ravenel and Sam reunite — and it’s hard not to get teary-eyed!

Ravenel is led into a room, and she quickly identifies Sam despite over a decade having gone by. “ Sam, Sam, the kitty cat man! ,” she lovingly exclaims with tears in her eyes upon seeing her long-lost fur baby. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“He was my lap kitty,” she explained. “He was the one that was always in the house and just followed me everywhere I went around the yard. We live on a little farm, so he was always at the barn, he went everywhere I went.”

Not surprisingly, the video shared on social media tugged on people’s heartstrings, as they understood how meaningful this reunion was. “After 11 years, fighting & living life as a stray, I’m glad they get to spend Sam’s hard-earned golden years together. I’m glad his person doesn’t have to wonder anymore & she’ll get proper closure,” said one user. “You can hear her love through the nickname!” shared another.

Should you microchip your cat? Benefits of pet microchipping explained

This heartwarming reunion was only possible because of Sam’s microchip, a small device that helps track and identify lost pets. If you're considering microchipping your own cat for added safety, it's a highly effective way to ensure a reunion like this is possible. Microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and are implanted beneath your cat’s skin, according to VCA Animal Hospitals. Once your cat is microchipped, it’s essential to register them with the proper database, or the tracking efforts won’t work.

If your cat goes missing, a microchip can increase the chances of a happy reunion. Animal shelters and humane societies regularly scan lost pets for microchips, making pet reunion stories like Jennifer and Sam’s possible.

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