Lost pet reunited with owner

For The Madera Tribune

Vicki Pratt, holding Chiquita, poses with Michael Israel, of High Country Humane. Chiquita was reunited with Pratt after having gone missing for six months.

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Chiquita, Vicki Pratt’s beloved cat went missing in October 2025. Vicki searched for Chiquita, but after several weeks, assumed the worst.

Chiquita is five years old and Vicki rescued her as a six-week-old kitten. Vicki missed Chiquita terribly and her older cat, Cuddles, was very lonely without her buddy.

On Wednesday, April 8, Vicki received a call that a cat was brought into High Country Humane, Flagstaff, AZ, as part of a trap/neuter/return program. When High Country Humane discovered the cat had already been spayed, they scanned her for Microchip and found Vicki’s contact information. It was Chiquita.

Chiquita was spayed and microchipped by Friends of Madera Animal Shelter, after finding homes for her kittens. Vicki was grateful to Friends of Madera Animal Shelter at the time, but even more grateful now.

The next challenge was getting Chiquita back home since Vicki does not drive. Michael Israel, of High Country Humane, drove Chiquita to Madera to reunite Chiquita with grateful Vicki. Michael’s travel expenses for the trip, more than 1,200 miles round trip were paid by High Country Humane.

How in the world did Chiquita end up more than 600 miles from home? Vicki suspects that she got into a neighbor’s motor home when he was packing to move and must have escaped from the motor home in Flagstaff.

Vicki is so grateful to High Country Humane for finding Chiquita and going to all the effort and expense to return Chiquita to Madera.

Cuddles is very happy to have her buddy back.