Moment Yorkshire woman reunites with missing cat she feared was dead goes viral across social media

Rodd the cat went missing in October from the family home of Amanda Appleyard.

Amanda had owned Rodd since April 2021 after their previous cat died from a congenital heart disease.

Rodd – a Siamese cat – “loves to roam” according to Amanda, from Fulford, and in October never came back.

Amanda spent 11 weeks praying she would see Rodd again and said she never gave up hope.

"These cats of mine are my everything, just like my kids, they mean the world”, Amanda told the Yorkshire Post.

"I could not sleep at night knowing he was not asleep inside with us.”

However, Rodd wasn’t to be seen.

"Nearly every few days he would go roaming quite far”, Amanda explained.

"He would bring us a fieldmouse or two sometimes!

"I assumed this is what he had done again as of the 13th October 2022 but by the 5th night I was worried with it coming up to Halloween and bonfire night he would get skittish and scared and possibly end up injured or freezing cold.

"I did the usual missing posters, facebook pages, leaflets, I searched every single night with a torch, took dreamies with me and had his covers/cat basket in the car.

"I searched all over.

"Some people would message me and tell me they were sure they had seen him in a different part of York about a couple of miles from our house so I would be searching all hours of the night in that area with no luck.

"I never gave up.”

That was until Boxing Day when Amanda and her family arrived home and she heard Rodd meowing somewhere in her garden.

The moment she sprinted down the driveway to find Rodd has been captured in emotional scenes from the family’s security cameras.

Mum-of-two Amanda was astonished to see Rodd again after more than eight weeks apart and he is now settled again.

She decided to post the video of the moment on social media to share the fact there is always hope for other owners in similar positions.

In just days, the video has been viewed more than 100,000 times and liked more than 20,000 on a prominent group.

Amanda explained: “On the morning of 26th December my husband and I were on our way back from spending Christmas at his mum and dads.

"We had just pulled down the drive.

"I got out the car first and as I am walking down the drive holding a hot chocolate I suddenly hear Rodd’s meowing coming from our garden.

"I thought I was hearing things! I could not believe the sound I was hearing.

"As soon as I realise it is him I shout to my husband who is getting our daughter out of the car ‘Rodds back!’

"I then drop my hot chocolate and run as quick as I can to the garden gate.

"As soon as I got through he came running towards me. I picked him up held him tight whilst my husband ran inside and opened the patio doors so I could get him straight in."

Amanda said she had been left in total shock by the reunion.

"I could not believe it was him. On boxing day. Inside our house”, she added.

“It was clear to me that he had been fed somewhere as he was a lot larger around his belly and much heavier to pick up. I don’t doubt he was taken in somewhere to survive the freezing cold days, bonfire night and rain."

Rodd has since been taken to the vets and is healthy, Amanda said.

"Rodd is grounded at the moment, we will see how long that lasts”, she said.

"I am still on cloud nine that he came back over Christmas, the best Christmas present I could of ever wished for.”