When a beloved pet goes missing without trace, it is heartbreaking for those left behind.
So you can imagine one family's joy when their cat returned home nine months after she was last seen.
Willow, who was presumed dead, shocked her owners when she reappeared during the Euro final on Sunday.
But there were more surprises in store for the family, who later realised Willow had been living nearby with an elderly neighbour - while they had been none the wiser.
Whether or not Willow was inspired by the Lionesses remains to be seen, but her owners were ecstatic she took the message "it's coming home" to heart.
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Iris Kaye-Smith, 24, told the Mirror the family pet went missing from her home in Bristol last year.
She explained the cat began staying away for increasing periods of time after she was attacked by a neighbour's cat in 2019. Then, when their older cat, Harry, died last Autumn, Willow stopped coming home altogether.
Iris said: "She'd gone away for a week or two at a time before and she always came back seeming perfectly fine, so we didn’t think much of it at first and thought she’d come home. After a month passed we were really worried."
Concerned, the family reached out to their neighbours and asked around but to no avail. Knowing Willow was microchipped, they hoped she might be found and returned.
But nobody ever called. "After a few months we lost hope that we would ever see her again. We put her food bowl away and got rid of the cat food," Iris continued.
Cut to last weekend, Iris, who now lives in London, was at a pub watching the Euros, when she was called by her mum, Jo Kaye, 55.
And she could not believe her eyes when she opened her phone to see Willow sat on the kitchen floor, snacking on tuna.
Iris explained: "It was quite surreal; we’d all dreamed about her showing up one day but we didn’t dare to hope she might.
"Apparently she’d just arrived in the kitchen like she’d never left and immediately made a beeline for the spot where her bowl used to be. Mum immediately opened a tin of tuna and she ate the whole thing while we were on the video call together.
"We were all crying with joy and relief that she was home, and she in classic cat fashion was just like 'yeah, what? Where’s my food?'"
Thankfully, Willow looked fit and well despite the many months since she has been home.
"She hasn’t lost weight, and her coat’s in perfect condition, so we thought she must have been staying somewhere else," said Iris.
And the mystery was soon solved. The next morning, Willow went for a walk, and Jo was able to trace where she went.
To their surprise, it turned out she had a second home in the street parallel to the family's.
Iris said: "It turns out that since the beginning of lockdown she’s been visiting an elderly neighbour called Jan who lives alone, who believes Willow is her cat and has even paid vet bills for her after the neighbours’ bengal attacked her again.
"After Harry died, Willow basically moved in with Jan and has been there ever since. Mum went to visit Jan and found Willow looking perfectly at home on Jan’s sofa. Jan says she suspected Willow wasn’t a stray and is relieved to find out who we are."
When quizzed about who will take care of Willow going forward, Iris said: "Since Sunday Willow’s been popping back and forth between our houses as she pleases. We’re talking about sharing custody, because Jan clearly adores Willow and Mum’s away a lot. I’m sure Willow will decide for herself though.
She added: "Losing her right after Harry’s death was devastating, but we’re incredibly relieved to know where she is and that she’s ok, and that she’s been keeping a lonely person company.
"My mum, brother and sister are giving her lots of care and attention and doing their best to make sure she’s safe and happy.
"We’re hugely indebted to Jan for looking after her so well, but for all cat lovers who find a ‘stray’ in their garden, if you’re able to, please try and find out if they’re someone’s lost pet before you adopt them."
Taking to Twitter to share the good news on the day of Willow's return, Iris summarised the events in a post to her account.
"WHAT A WEEKEND FOR ICONIC LADIES BRINGING IT HOME," she added, in capitals.
And people were quick to celebrate the homecoming story.
One commenter said: "So pleased she is back after all that time. I’m a wreck of I go a day without seeing one of mine. So I can’t imagine the pain you’ve been through."
A second added: "She obviously heard the song 'it's coming home' and thought yeah why not...."
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