A cat lost since last summer, was reunited with her family yesterday in Langley.

It鈥檚 one of those furry tail endings that LAPS has become synonymous for, confirmed Jayne Nelson, executive director of the Langley Animal Protection Society.

But this story had a few bizarre twists and turns along the way.

Nikko is a ginger cat that went missing at a rest stop near Hope back in June 2017.

She and her family, Irene and Brian Wade, were moving from Alberta to their new home on the Vancouver Island.

Nikko never liked car rides at the best of times, Irene said. On this long road trip, she was 鈥渢ruly terrified,鈥� huddled in a corner of her cat kennel 鈥� unwilling to eat, drink, and barely sleep during the two-day convoy from Calgary to Bowser.

Feeling guilty that the cat was so traumatized, Irene decided to use a recently gifted harness and leash to let Nikko out of the kennel to explore an inviting grassy knoll at the rest stop.

Suddenly, a deafening blast of noise came from passing semis and other vehicles on the adjacent freeway. The cat wiggled free of its harness 鈥渇aster than you could blink,鈥� and escaped into the woods nearby, recounted Irene.

The couple and their entourage searched for hours around the rest stop and the dense bushes that ran alongside the highway. But to no avail.

鈥淚 was just frantic,鈥� Irene said, noting that many area residents, as well as passersby who stopped at the rest stop during the next few hours, tried to help.

鈥淲e tried for hours to get her,鈥� Irene told the Langley Advance. 鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 find her.鈥�

Heartbroken and defeated, they reluctantly pushed on with their journey, but Irene wasn鈥檛 willing to give up.

She reached out online to several organizations and eventually connected with an animal rescue group in Hope. Several of their members continued the search and reported back.

鈥淚 was amazed. I couldn鈥檛 believe that all these people 鈥� total strangers 鈥� would do this,鈥� said a grateful Irene.

Turned out an orange cat was spotted in the evenings around the rest stop over the next several weeks. But all attempts to catch her failed, and two trips back by Irene and Brian proved futile.

鈥淲e gave up,鈥� she said, admitting she was 鈥渉eartbroken.鈥�

Turned out that some five months after Nikko went missing, with winter embracing the mountain pass community, the cat was discovered skinny and matted outside Hope.

.

Dropped off at Langley shelter

She was scooped up and subsequently dropped off to LAPS鈥� Patti Dale Animal Shelter in Aldergrove on Dec. 2, Nelson interjected.

And during a routine exam, it was discovered Nikko (not knowing their name the shelter staff had since renamed her Marigold) had a heart murmur.

鈥淪he was diagnosed by one of our community vet partners 鈥� through ultrasound 鈥� as having HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy),鈥� Nelson explained.

Because of the progressive heart disease 鈥� which can be managed but not cured 鈥� LAPS adoption counsellor Amy Parker was 鈥渆ven more determined鈥� to try to find the cat鈥檚 owner.

If she couldn鈥檛 find her family, Parker sought to at least the clinic where she was tattooed, so they could determine her age (vets thought due to the condition of her teeth that she was likely two to five years old), learn of any other pre-existing health issues, and determine the best course of treatment to manage her disease.

鈥淏y doing some extra sleuthing, Amy 鈥榮truck gold鈥� and managed to track her tattoo to a clinic in Alberta,鈥� Nelson elaborated.

Turns out Marigold鈥檚 real name was Nikko, and that she was about 14 years old.

But moreover, Parker learned the identity of her owners. Connecting with the cat鈥檚 family, LAPS staff were overjoyed to learn that the Wades were 鈥渢hrilled鈥� and shocked by the news that Nikko was alive and well, Nelson said.

They learned of the Nikko鈥檚 whereabouts on Tuesday and made a trip back to the mainland the very next day to retrieve her.

Now, a Langley animal shelter playing a key role in uniting an Alberta cat with its family on Vancouver Island is an odd set of circumstances, to be sure, Nelson said.

But Nikko鈥檚 story has a further twist, Nelson explained.

Turns out the Wades were also a little perplexed by the notification. They thought they had already been reunited with Nikko.

.

Two orange tabbies

A couple from Belgium were travelling through Hope, heading to catch their flight at the Vancouver International Airport, when the found a small, disheveled orange tabby at the rest stop.

This was literally one month after Nikko went missing.

In a hurry to catch their plane, the couple could do nothing more than drop the cat off at the narby Hope visitor centre.

Since many people in town had known of the Wade鈥檚 quest to reunite with their cat, it didn鈥檛 take much effort to find them and share the good news of Nikko鈥檚 discovery.

The cat was in rough shape, tattered, and much lighter in weight and colour than when last they鈥檇 seen her.

鈥淚 was just thinking it鈥檚 because of the trauma,鈥� said Irene. But she admitted to being 鈥渙ver the moon鈥� about the reunion.

鈥淪he did look awful,鈥� Irene said, noting she was pale and that the tattoo in her ear had faded to little more than spots.

Since bringing her home in July, however, Nikko had settled well into their new home. She鈥檇 become much more affectionate and much less skiddish than ever before, but she was 鈥渏ust fine鈥� and Irene was 鈥渁bsolutely convinced鈥� they had their furry baby back.

At least Irene thought it was Nikko until they received a call 鈥渙ut of the blue the other night鈥� telling them of the discovery of the real Nikko.

鈥淲e had the wrong cat?鈥�

They did, indeed.

It turned out the cat they retrieved in July was not the kitten they鈥檇 adopted from a prairie farmer 14 years ago for their young daughter.

In fact, it was an 鈥渋mposter.鈥�

Who would have thought that two orange tabbies would go missing and ultimately be rescued around the same time at the same freeway rest stop on the outskirts of Hope? queried a baffled Irene.

鈥淚 just can鈥檛 believe it,鈥� Irene shared. 鈥淚鈥檝e been online with friends all day sharing Nikko鈥檚 story. And, like me, they鈥檙e flabbergasted by the news.鈥�

So now, Nikko 1 (a.k.a. Marigold) and Nikko 2 (a.k.a. the imposter) are both settling into their new life together with the Wades.

There鈥檚 still a lot of hissing and posturing, and the two cat鈥檚 haven鈥檛 been quick to bond, but Irene holds out hope they will.

For now, she鈥檚 just content to have them both safe at home. But she will likely reach out to some of her new friends in Hope 鈥� those with the rescue group 鈥� to see if anyone else missing an orange tabby.

She鈥檚 kind of hoping there isn鈥檛, having grown attached to the imposter, as well.

.

Happy to help reunite

鈥淲e are always excited to see a cat go back home with their owners, but this one was especially remarkable,鈥� said Nelson.

鈥淲hat a great story and example of the importance of permanent ID like a tattoo or microchip. Three cheers for Marigold (Nikko) and her family,鈥� Nelson said.

This is the second time in the as many months that LAPS helped reunite a pet with an owner from out of town 鈥� and originally out of province.

Readers might recall the story of Frankie, a three-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier that went missing in Alberta and ended up in care at Langley鈥檚 Patti Dale Animal Shelter.

Frankie went missing while being cared for by a family friend in Alberta last July.

Five months later, again thanks to more 鈥渟uper shelter staff sleuthing鈥� by LAPS, he was reunited with Ashley Power and her family in Spruce Grove, Alta. just before Christmas.

It was revealed through Facebook after their reunion that the 1,100 kilometres of separation could be explained. A woman discovered the dog in Cold Lake about five days after he went missing. He was beaten and scratched up, and apparently alone, so she decided to take him along to her new home in Abbotsford.

He was later picked up and brought into care at , and eventually reunited.

鈥淲e love happy endings!鈥� Nelson concluded, commenting on both of the recent bizarre reunions.