Who says black cats are bad luck? In this case, Julie the black cat had very good luck. Keep reading to find out her miraculous story!
The Disappearance
Jon Gulla rescued two cats from the shelter: Jack and his sister Julie, who is the gorgeous black cat pictured.
When Jon went off to college, his mother, Lorinda Roberts, became the caretaker of the brother-sister pair.
Then, in 2012, something terrible happened. Julie the cat disappeared from her Carmel, Indiana home.
“She just ran, and I couldn’t find her,” Roberts said. “I was just beside myself, going up and down Keystone (looking for her).”
Even though it felt hopeless at times, Roberts kept looking for Julie. She knew the chances were slim, maybe even as low as 1%, that she would find Julie.
More Bad News
Shortly after Julie went missing, Roberts’ son, Jon Gulla, was diagnosed with lymphoma.
Though everyone missed Julie desperately, Jon’s cancer diagnosis took priority over the search for the missing Julie.
But the beautiful black kitty was never far from Jon and Lorinda’s hearts.
A Sprinkle of Hope
Then, in early October of 2018, that 1% chance became a reality. Roberts saw an online post from PawBoost Lost & Found Pets, describing a cat that sounded like Julie.
The post described the cat as older, small, black, and declawed.
The post went on to say that the cat appeared nervous and had been spotted living under a local family’s shed.
The cat didn’t want to interact with any people. It only came out for food and then went right back into hiding.
Even though the chances of that cat being Julie were slim, Gulla went to check it out and see if the stray mentioned in the poster was his long lost cat, Julie.
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A Miraculous Reunion
As soon as he saw the cat, Gulla noticed that the stray had a small, white spot on its belly, just like Julie.
“[He] called her name, and she came out and came right to him,” said Christine McKeon, a neighbor of the family who’s shed Julie was under.
McKeon was the person who originally posted online about the stray cat, and she had also been helping to care for Julie. “She wasn’t that friendly. She wouldn’t come running up to us.”
It was a miracle! Six years after he thought he lost her forever, John Gulla and his cat were reunited.
Gulla and Julie shared a purr-filled reunion before heading home.
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Initially, they kept Julie separated from Jack until the veterinarian cleared her. The two used to be inseparable and were always cuddling together, so Gulla was hopeful to reunite the pair.
When Julie was found, she wasn’t injured or emaciated, and her coat was fairly clean and soft.
The only thing “wrong” with Julie was a slightly bent tail, but it didn’t look like it had been broken. Thank goodness she was found healthy and safe!
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Happily Ever After
Since that time, Gulla is now married, cancer-free, and working in the transportation industry.
He couldn’t be more thrilled to have Julie back in his life, and he’s thankful to everyone who must have helped to care for Julie over the course of six years.
Gulla and his mom are sure that other people looked after her. Roberts said, “I’m wondering what angel cared for her at some point, because we’ve had some rough winters.”
Even when times were rough, Gulla and Roberts never gave up on Julie. Now Julie is happily reunited with her true family!
Cathy
Tuesday 27th of August 2019
That is such a wonderful story that Julie was found and reunited with her owner and I'm very happy that he is cancer free now! It is very lucky that she wasn't taken in by someone else then adopted and he never would have known just goes to show you the power of social media that can help people find their lost pets!!!???
Susan
Wednesday 21st of August 2019
I am so happy she is back with her family, safe and loved ❤️It’s good to hear about happy endings?
Evelyn Encarnacion
Thursday 8th of August 2019
A beautiful and heartwarming story, I'm so happy she's back with her family safe and unharmed! It's amazing that after all these years she was found ????
Lorinda
Monday 10th of June 2019
Thank you for sharing our story. Julie is doing so well. She is healthy and loving. She is still shy and likes to be more by herself, but she loves treats, cat nip, and chasing scarves and play mice!
Shadi
Monday 10th of June 2019
Lorinda, it's such an honor to hear from you! Thank you for the update on Julie. She's given so many cat owners hope of being reunited with their precious fur babies!