By HEATHER ROBERTS
CENTRAL OREGON DAILY NEWS
It was an emotional reunion over the weekend for Theresa Blanco and her cat, who’d been missing more than four years.
Schrodinger – Shredder or Shred – was discovered living under a La Pine deck for a couple of weeks.
A Good Samaritan trapped the animal Friday and turned over to the Humane Society of Central Oregon.
“We scanned it, like we scan all animals that arrive at the shelter, for a microchip and it had three phone numbers attached to it,” said Lynne Ouchida with the Humane Society. “We left a message, and we called back again and were able to speak with her. And, the conversation literally brought our staff member to tears.”
Ouchida said Shredder’s story began in 2015 when he arrived at the Bend shelter from an overcrowded facility in Southern California.
At two months old, “Cole” – as he was called then – was adopted by Steve, Blanco’s husband.
Shred kept Steve company during chemotherapy. And when he passed away from cancer in 2016, the entire household was devastated.
A couple of months later, Shredder disappeared.
For more than a year, Blanco walked their La Pine neighborhood looking for the cat, but he was gone.
Fast forward to last Friday when that Good Samaritan rescued a dark grey cat wearing a faded collar and a bell and shelter staff called the number listed on the microchip
“She said it felt like she fell off a building. She said, ‘You are telling me that something that I have put away in my mind that is dead, is now alive?'” Ouchida said.
Theresa, now living in northern California, reached out to a friend in Bend, who picked up Shred until Theresa could drive up.
On Sunday, the two long-lost friends were finally together.
Ouchida says Shredder’s appearance indicates he’s been cared for over the past four years.
“Sadly these two could have been reunited soon after he disappeared, or whenever somebody found the cat if they had checked for a microchip ID,” she said.
But, Ouchida says Blanco is focusing on the positive, thankful Shred is happy and healthy.
“It literally was a holiday miracle that just happened for her.”
