A beloved family pet has been found alive and well after spending more than six years missing.
Choupette, the cherished feline companion of Stéphanie and Mathieu Bernard, from
Parigné-sur-Braye in northwestern France, vanished into the night on May 26, 2017, leaving the couple devastated. However, fate had a remarkable twist in store for them, as they received an unexpected call on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, delivering news that would defy belief.
“It was an evening when it was very hot,” said Mathieu, recounting the circumstances of Choupette’s disappearance with French newspaper Le Courrier de la Mayenne.
“Choupette had gone out, and we had left the window open, but she never came back,” Mathieu said. Despite the couple’s best efforts, including posting flyers, canvassing neighbors, and scouring the area, Choupette remained elusive. Unable to find their cat, or any information about his fate, the family were left without any closure from losing their pet.
But on January 9, the family received a call out of the blue from a stranger: “We found your cat,” the voice on the other end of the line said.
Initially skeptical, Stéphanie cautiously inquired about Choupette’s appearance, seeking confirmation. The description matched, and with the arrival of photos and videos, their disbelief turned to euphoria.
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Choupette had been spotted more than 490 miles away in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Savoie, southeastern France. Thanks to a microchip, the finders were able to trace the cat back to her owners.
“This gentleman volunteers in an animal shelter, and he had the good instinct to have his microchip read,” Stéphanie said to the French paper. Despite being separated for so long, Choupette had somehow managed to survive and thrive, finding solace in the vicinity of her rescuer’s residence for over a year-and-a-half.
The impending reunion has stirred emotions within the household, especially for their daughter Soline, who was just 3 years old when Choupette went missing.
“Soline started crying when she heard the news,” Mathieu said.
In a post on Facebook on January 11, Mathieu wrote that their cat had been found: “It’s more than 850km [530 miles] from us (how? ).”
Newsweek illustration using Getty images, Lightspruch/Viacheslav Besputin
Thanks to a kind neighbor of the family who happened to be skiing in the area, Choupette and her family were reunited when he drove her back to them.
“She may have been lost to us for a while, but she was never far from our hearts. We’re grateful for this second chance to be reunited with our beloved furry friend,” said Stéphanie and Mathieu.
Newsweek reached out to Mathieau Bernard via Facebook for comment.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.