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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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When black cat Magic vanished without a trace in 2015, his family were heartbroken. But a staggering ten years later they got a call revealing where he was trapped the entire time—before they were finally reunited.
Laura Wells, who lives in the U.K. was just nine years old when her cat Magic went missing. "He was always the sweetest boy," she told Newsweek. "He loved cuddles, playing with ribbon, and sunbathing in the garden. When he disappeared, we were devastated."
The family suspected he had been stolen, but lacked the proof to retrieve him. In the U.K., just like in the U.S., cats are legally considered property and any theft is covered by law in the same way as theft of any other property. Though in the U.K. the recently introduced Pet Abduction Act 2024 has created a specific criminal offence for the abduction of cats and dogs in England and Northern Ireland.
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Similarly, some U.S. states do have laws that specifically address the theft of animals. For example, recent legislative changes in California (Assembly Bill 1290) expanded the definition of "theft of a companion animal" to include animals beyond just dogs including cats.
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According to Shelter Animals Count, in 2024 59 percent of dogs and 62 percent of cats that entered shelters were strays, which includes animals that were lost by owners.
Pet Radar estimates that there are 710,000 stray animals reunited with their owners each year—but the results for cats aren't as promising. Around 620,000 dogs were reunited with owners compared to just 90,000 cats.
The Wells family had been without Magic for a decade when earlier this year, something amazing happened. The family had a call from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) animal charity. Magic had been found with a number of other cats in poor health, and when they scanned his microchip, it led them to the Wells family.
"We never thought in a million years someone would steal him from a loving home to treat him so horribly," Wells said. "It didn't feel real when my mum got the call, they had scanned his microchip and called us right away. He had been missing for so long and due to us having other cats when they asked if we had a black cat we were confused thinking there was no way it was him."
It was then they got confirmation: "They said his name is Magic, it didn't feel real but I was so relieved," Wells said.
As soon as they could, the family rushed to pick him up, and were shocked by how he looked.
"The first time I saw him I was so consumed by anger because he looked so ill, he was covered in scabs, was clearly malnourished, had lots of fur loss and had black teeth due to not having the right nutrition for years," Wells said. "He was so scared when we first walked in and saw him but as soon as he sniffed my hand he calmed down and started purring—I was so shocked he remembered me after all this time."
Following a month of recovery filled with vet visits, nutritious meals, and cautious reintroduction to the home, Magic is thriving. His fur has grown back, he's gained healthy weight, and he's even returned to sunbathing—his favorite pastime.
"He spends all his time rolling in the sun but still comes in for cuddles," Wells said.
Wells shared a video of the incredible story to her TikTok account last week, explaining: "This is Magic, he went missing 10 years ago when he was 2 years old. He had been stolen and trapped in a house with 40 other cats."
It amassed nearly 50,000 likes, as she called him "my little miracle."
This isn't the first time a cat has returned after going missing. Another cat that went missing a year earlier was amazingly found in a nearby park by his owner. While another pet owner had been without their cat for five weeks when they heard an unusual thump at the door, only to find Calliope the cat on the other side.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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