Couple who lost their home to floods hoped their cat survived—26 days later, a Facebook post changed everything

The couple searched far and wide but in vain until their anxious hope was met with a kind community's gesture.

PUBLISHED 6 HOURS AGO

(L) Worried couple looking out of window in hopes to find something. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| skynesher), (R) Black and white cat sitting by itself outdoors. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images| krblokhin)

A couple lost their home in Juneau, Alaska, after a glacial outburst flooded the river, as stated by The Washington Post. The duo was away on a trip when they heard that their home and everything in it had collapsed into the river. Amongst losing their precious belongings and home, they feared that their cat Leo, too, met a devastating fate in the mishap. If there was anything Elizabeth Wilkins and her partner, Tom Schwartz, wanted, it was for their cat to be safe and find his way back to them. To their surprise, they were met with astonishing news 26 days later from a local Facebook page.

House completely destroyed by flood. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Mark Felix/Bloomberg) — House completely destroyed by flood. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Mark Felix/Bloomberg)

The dramatic event damaged several other homes and caught residents off guard. The duo had been constantly receiving messages and videos from locals and loved ones about the danger. They returned three days later and saw their home destroyed. “The day of the flooding, it was beautiful outside — gorgeous. Our house was 180 feet away from the river and it wasn’t in a flood zone. It’s amazing how quickly life can change in just a few hours,” Elizabeth remarked. They had hoped that their cat was at least alive. The pet parents called out to him, left him food, but in vain. For the next 26 days, they spent their time searching, worrying, asking questions and whatnot.

Middle-aged couple worried sick at home, trying to find comfort. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Deki art)

"I knew that he was pretty smart and so I felt pretty confident that he would escape and be okay somewhere," Elizabeth said of her black and white cat, per CBS News. However, if that was the case, she wanted to find him and be with him again. Having rescued the cat just three years before, during COVID, the feline bonded well with them over time. The couple, too, spared no effort in looking for the feline. They shared information and details with whoever they could in hopes of finding him. Their word spread, so much so that even the community was frantically looking for Leo.

After nearly a month’s anxious wait, Tonya Mead, a local, posted some news on the Juneau Community Collective Facebook page. She reportedly shared pictures of a black and white cat in her backyard. There he was, her Leo, alive and well, in a stranger’s care. A friend encouraged Elizabeth to look around the area, as the backyard seemed to be familiar. Taking her chances, the woman started walking around, calling her cat’s name aloud, hoping for the best. To her surprise, the feline came running after hearing her voice. “I could not stop laughing and smiling,” she recalled. It had been quite a while but Leo’s actions revealed that he was staying put only to be reunited with Elizabeth.

“He just ran out and was like, 'Oh, hey, here I am, where have you been?’” she said. The cat was fine and was delighted to be reunited with his pet parents. Elizabeth even shared a picture of herself with her cat. In a follow-up, she shared a newspaper article that said it out loud — Leo was home. She continued to share several updates as they looked for a home and eventually settled. Leo was with them through it all, just being his plain old self, happy to be with his family.