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Struggling cat wouldn’t go near people at Indiana shelter — until she saw familiar face

Ariana peering up at her cat, November.
Ariana peering up at her cat, November. Video screen grab from IndyHumane's Facebook

After a yearlong absence , an owner walked into an Indiana shelter and had a warm reunion with the cat who went missing, video shows.

On the IndyHumane’s website, her name was Foxy and she was known to be withdrawn, thanks to suffering from shelter stress brought on from being in an unfamiliar place. But everything would suddenly shift after a woman named Ariana spied Foxy’s photo.

“Some stories are just meant to be. A patron walked into our shelter, believing that the cat named Foxy on our website was actually her missing cat, November, who had escaped over a year ago,” the shelter in Indianapolis said in a March 31 Facebook post.

“With photos to match and a timeline that lined up, she came in, and the moment Foxy saw her—it was so special!”

The video posted shows the shy cat peering at Ariana before coming right down to smell her outreached hand.

“Foxy had been struggling in the shelter, staying perched up high, shy and withdrawn. But the second she saw her owner, she came right down, tail shaking with excitement! Fate works in amazing ways, and we’re so happy to see this beautiful reunion happen right before our eyes,” the shelter said.

“Welcome home, Foxy (now November)!”

This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 11:26 AM with the headline "Struggling cat wouldn’t go near people at Indiana shelter — until she saw familiar face."

TJ Macias
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
TJ Macías is a Real-Time national sports reporter for McClatchy based out of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Formerly, TJ covered the Dallas Mavericks and Texas Rangers beat for numerous media outlets including 24/7 Sports and Mavs Maven (Sports Illustrated). Twitter: @TayloredSiren
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