Tellus had been missing since September when she escaped from the family's temporary home while they were waiting to move into their new house.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Tellus, a feline friend that went missing almost three months ago, was united with her family just in time for Christmas thanks to the work of a compassionate community and the Berkshire Humane Society.
"If there's ever a story to show that you should never stop looking for a lost pet, this is it!" said the shelter's feline manager Erin Starsja, who reunited Tellus and her dad.
Back in September, Alicia and Chris Knowles were renting an Airbnb property while house hunting in Berkshire County. The couple and their two children, ages 3 and 9, were relocating from Maine. The Knowles brought their furry family members with them including two cats named Tellus and Nikka.
During their stay, the two cats got outside and Nikka returned, but Tellus did not. Heartbroken, the family searched everywhere and posted her picture on lost-pet Facebook pages to get the word out, such as Missing Pets of Berkshire County.
Monday, their hopes were answered when a resident posted that they had found Tellus settled under their house in Pittsfield. The Knowles responded to the post and did not get an instant reply, so Chris Knowles went knocking door to door to see if he could locate the person who found their missing kitty.
Upon meeting the patron who posted about Tellus, he was told that the cat was brought to the Berkshire Humane Society and was assumed to be a stray. Knowles said the Humane Society was not open, but he was able to contact shelter staff to be united with the beloved family member.
Tellus was only at the Humane Society for one night.
Knowles said he and his wife didn't want to tell their children about the situation until they were 100 percent sure Tellus had been found. When he arrived at the Humane Society, Tellus hopped right into his cat carrier, which was apparently something that had never happened before.
"I was really great how quickly we were able to go from seeing her picture," Knowles said. "and pretty much 24 hours later we have her here at home now."
Tellus has been a part of the Knowles family for about four years. She started life as a barn cat in Maine and carried her desire for the outdoors into her domesticated life.
This Christmas will be a special one for the Knowles family because they will be celebrating their first holiday in the Berkshires, and most importantly will have Tellus by their side.
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