Little girl with cerebral palsy finds her missing cat after a year and a half: “I couldn’t believe it”

BETTENDORF, Iowa (KWQC/Gray News) – A cross-country trip, an auto repair shop and a loving family all helped reunite a girl with cerebral palsy with her beloved cat, who had been missing for a year and half. .

The story begins in June 2023 when a couple traveling across the country stopped in Bettendorf, Iowa. They heard a faint meowing sound coming from their truck but could not locate the source of the sound. So they took the truck to Ace Auto Doctor & Repair, KWQC reports.

“They knew something was happening. They couldn’t find the cat, so that’s what brought them here. They just Googled us and found us,” said Niki Dahl, the store’s lead service advisor.

Dustin Goff, store manager and owner, discovered the cat trapped in the undercarriage of the truck.

“She was in the rear passenger corner of the car, a little bit on the fuel tank, and she wouldn’t get off. It took us a few to get her out of there,” Goff said.

Neji beams with joy on Sunday evening after finding his long-lost cat.(Neji’s family)

After freeing the cat, Goff couldn’t bear to send it to a shelter.

“It was so nice. I just didn’t want to send him to the Humane Society because once he got out of there he snuggled up to me and wouldn’t leave me alone… I decided to take him to my farm , and he was going to live with me,” Goff said.

A few months later, during a visit to the veterinarian, a microchip revealed the cat’s connection to a family in Montana.

The cat belongs to the family’s little girl, Neji, who lives with cerebral palsy and has been without her best friend for over a year and a half. Her cat had gone missing from her grandfather’s house in Nebraska, where he was staying while the family took a short trip to New York.

“It’s a bit special to me because of the bond my granddaughter has with the cat. When I found out after so long, I was just beside myself. I couldn’t believe it and I couldn’t get in the car fast enough,” said Neji’s grandfather, Richard Tolsted.

Tolsted drove to Bettendorf to pick up the cat from the auto store on Friday. At first, he didn’t tell his granddaughter about his discovery, wanting to surprise her.

In the photos, Neji can be seen beaming with joy on Sunday evening after being reunited with his long-lost cat.

“Being able to give the cat back to the little girl, I think that’s my favorite part,” Goff said.

“It brings tears to my eyes,” Dahl said. “I love it. It’s so cute.

Neji’s family adopted the cat at an event in Salt Lake City, where nearly 400 other animals also found shelter. They named it Utah in honor of the state.