Cat Missing for 2 Years Reappears During the Holidays and Reunites with Family in ‘Christmas Miracle’

What started as a heartbreaking disappearance has turned into the kind of holiday story you hope for but rarely expect.

A family in Greenville, N.C., has been reunited with their cat, Jinx — who vanished two years ago when she was still a kitten. The Bertie County Humane Society called the reunion a “Christmas miracle.”

According to local ABC station WCTI12, Jinx’s family searched tirelessly after she went missing in 2023 at six months old. “We did our best to try to find her, we printed flyers, and we called neighbors, and we searched every day for weeks,” the family said.

Jinx’s owner, Evan, told the station he eventually stopped actively searching. “I gave up after one year,” he said, adding that he never stopped hoping. “I still prayed for her, though. Day and night, for two years—even when I gave up, I still prayed.”

His mother, Hillary Corbett, kept looking in her own way — routinely checking missing-pet posts and animal shelter pages online. Incredibly, she was still doing it as recently as the night before Jinx turned up.

Unbeknownst to the family, Jinx had ended up at the Bertie County Humane Society after arriving as a stray in October. In a Facebook post shared on Dec. 21, the organization said they took in the “beautiful, sweet” cat and gave her a new name: Pumpkin Spice.

When the shelter began preparing the cat for a spay surgery in December, staff noticed something that changed everything: the cat had already been spayed — and she had a microchip. After scanning it, they discovered the truth.

“We learned today that her name was Jinx, her family lived an hour away, and SHE HAD BEEN MISSING FOR 2 YEARS!!!!!!” the humane society wrote in its post.

The organization said Jinx’s family was “ecstatic” to learn she was safe and ready to come home. When they arrived to pick her up, the moment was overwhelming. According to the shelter, “there were happy tears all around.”

The post ended on an emotional note: “Sleep well tonight, Jinx,” it read. “You were a blessing when you were with us, and I am still crying tears of joy for you and your family.”

Corbett later commented on the post and shared a photo of Jinx curled up at home near the family’s Christmas tree. “😊 She is so happy to be home! 🏠,” she wrote.