Woman returns a lost cat to his owner about 600 miles away: 'It was really good for my soul'

Pets are a crucial part of everyone's lives who has a love for animals. They treat them as a family member and celebrate their birthdays, take them on trips and love them unconditionally. So, when someone loses their pet, they suffer a great loss. Jamie McCall suffered through the same thing when her cat escaped, reports People. She was on a cross-country drive while preparing to move from Florida to Michigan. 

Her pet cat Tucker escaped from her room while she was grabbing something to eat at the Cleveland, Tennessee, motel where she was spending the night. McCall said, "My cat's an escape artist. He sits hunched at the door and waits for someone to open it, then he runs out." It happened somehow during McCall's brief excursion and when she came back, she was horrified to see Tucker missing. McCall said, "I could not find him. I looked everywhere, for hours."

McCall was forced to continue her drive to Michigan without Tucker even though it crushed her heart to do so when he still hadn't shown up. She posted Tucker on the Facebook group for lost pets in Cleveland, Tennessee, as instructed by a friend. Holly Lillard was working at a CBD dispensary close to McCall's hotel two days later. When she walked outside to clean, she noticed a cat come out from under a vehicle. The cat arrived when she called him over, which convinced Lillard that his owner was missing him. When no one came forward to claim him, she circulated a photo of Tucker on Facebook in the "Lost and Found Pets" group for her neighborhood.

She frequented the page not just because she loves animals and her own dogs are escape artists but also because her aunt and cousin run the page. Lillard said, "Before the day was even over, I'd found Jamie and her post." She sent images of him to McCall, who instantly recognized him. There was only one issue McCall was already in Michigan when they finally connected. McCall said, "I was trying to make arrangements to get him back to me, but I just couldn't afford it. I was not financially able to have him shipped back to me or anything like that."

Lillard, though, had a surprising answer. Her grandparents, who had a house in Michigan and lived close by in Tennessee, would be visiting in December. When they arrived at McCall's new residence, Lillard's grandfather would drop Tucker off. Naturally, she agreed to the arrangement, and over the course of the following month leading up to their meeting, Lillard kept her informed by calling and sharing details such as Tucker's fondness for snuggling with Lillard's decade-old pet dog. McCall said, "I would actually talk on the phone to my cat! Holly and I more or less became family during that time, because she was taking such good care of him. Even though he was away from me, I felt so comfortable that he was with her." McCall transferred funds to assist Lillard with Tucker's expenses, but Lillard gave back the money to her.

According to McCall, when Lillard's grandfather finished the more than 600-mile trip, bringing Tucker with him, her delight was beyond words. She said, "He was returned to me right before Christmas, and I was having a really hard time then. It was a wonderful thing." McCall not only recovered Tucker but also received a handmade Christmas sled from Lillard, which contained some money as well. 

McCall said, "It was enough that they brought my cat back to me, at no charge, all the way across the United States, but to offer me a Christmas gift too…I was so overwhelmed. When he handed that gift to me, I didn't want to put it down, but I was also trying to hold Tucker." The long-lasting connection between McCall and Lillard began with Tucker's cross-country excursions. McCall says that Liliard reminds her of her own children and she said, "I fell in love with her from the get-go." Lilliard said, "Jamie is amazing. I still talk to her about once a week. She's so funny. I'm so glad she found us." She added, "I've spent my whole life trying to help people. I mean, I would want someone to do it for me! It felt so great helping her. It was really good for my soul."