Cat 'returns from dead' and comes home after cremation
The cat returned home a few days after the cremation and shocked the family (RBC-Ukraine collage)
Ted the cat, who lived with his owners in North Yorkshire, UK, caused quite a stir for his family and their neighbors — and even startled an employee at a pet crematorium. The reason? He returned home four days after being cremated, according to BBC.
Nicci Knight, her husband, and their four children were on vacation in Türkiye when their neighbors called to inform them they had found their beloved cat, Ted, drowned in a pond. They even sent her a video of what appeared to be Ted’s lifeless body.
"I had to break the news to my husband and our four children and we were all absolutely devastated because Ted is a huge personality and a beloved member of the family," she said.
Nicci Knight with her beloved cat Ted (photo from the Knight family archive)
Not wanting to burden her neighbors with the task of keeping Ted’s body until they returned, Nicci contacted Heavenly Pets, a local crematorium, and arranged for them to collect and cremate the cat.
Four days passed, and while the family continued to grieve, they tried to move on with the help of their holiday distractions. However, Nicci began receiving repeated calls from the nanny who was caring for the family’s other cat.
When she finally spoke to the nanny, she was stunned to hear that Ted had just walked through the cat flap into the house.
"I didn't believe it at first. I had to get her to FaceTime me live so that I could see that Ted was actually alive," Knight said.
Gorgeous cat Ted (photo from the Knight family archive)
At that moment, she realized the truth: she had paid £130 for the cremation of an unknown, unrelated cat. When she went to collect the ashes, she found that the urn had been labeled "Not Dead Ted."
In addition to the urn, she was given a paw print in a frame, a nose print, a small jar of fur, a sympathy card, a packet of forget-me-not seeds, and an official cremation certificate.
Things to remember the cat from the crematorium (photo from the Knight family archive)
The family was unable to find the owner of the deceased cat and concluded that it was likely a stray, possibly a farm cat. But the stray had luckily received a proper send-off.
Naturally, the family was overjoyed that their Ted was still alive and part of their lives. However, Ted himself seemed completely unfazed by the commotion.
"He's completely oblivious. We still see him wandering over the road towards the neighbor's garden so we have to go and retrieve him because, you know, we don't actually want him going into the pond," Nicci remarked.
The pet crematorium’s director, who had expressed sympathy and offered support to the Knight family over Ted’s death, was equally surprised by the turn of events. She confirmed that the crematorium would donate the cremation fee to a local cat rescue center.
Earlier, we discussed 8 animals that are the best stress relievers.
