Family lost hopes of reuniting their missing cat after moving cities — until a stranger noticed a detail in an old flyer
Every pet owner dreads the thought of their animal going missing, especially during major life changes. For one family, that fear became reality when their rescue cat, Bowie, known as Bo, vanished just before they left Los Angeles for Boston, Newsweek reported. With no sign of their one-eyed cat, they moved, unsure if they’d see him again. Then, months later, one message made all the difference.
"Bo got out back in April. His family was packing and mid-move from Los Angeles to Boston," Angela Trotti shared with the outlet. "They put up flyers all around the neighborhood and stayed a few extra weeks in LA, hoping to find Bo, but never did." Months passed, and it seemed Bo was gone. Then, while settling into a sublet in LA, Trotti came across old flyers. "I had just recently moved into a sublet in Los Angeles as I am staying here for a month to host some art workshops in SoCal," she said. While settling in, she noticed several missing pet signs still posted.
Among the flyers, one stood out. "It was for a one-eyed cat named Bo, or so I would come to find out, 'Bowie.' He looked awfully similar to this cat I had noticed sitting outside the apartment I was staying in." Unsure if it was him, Trotti hesitated. "I figured this cat must have been found already since I had just seen him," she said. Still, she decided to reach out. "But, just to be safe, I texted the number and let them know I had seen Bo outside my unit and sent them a picture." The reply was immediate, and it was indeed Bo. The family had been fearing the worst, that he had "gotten by a coyote." "They would fly back immediately and bring him back home to Boston," Trotti further shared about the family's predecided plan.
The next step was to actually catch Bo, which proved difficult. "He was extra skittish, given being outside for the past four months and having gotten in a few neighborhood catfights," Trotti said. To help, the family contacted the rescue group Nela Cats. "So, along with a couple of lovely girls at Nela Cats, a can of cat food, and Churu treats, which are his favorite, we were able to get Bo in a carrier," she explained. Two days later, Bo’s dad flew to LA and took him back. After four months apart, their family was whole again.
@jellyseashells Bo is home 🫶🏼 an honor to find you, and I have a big feeling my angel Buddy had something to do with it all the reward was donated to Bowies rescue, Luxe Paws LA ***had to delete and repost because my original post had their cell phone number in it ahhhhh!!! just doxxed this sweet family oops!!!!! they are so sweet and do not deserve that**** #goodnews #missingcat #animals #pet ♬ original sound - angela
The family gave Trotti a $500 reward, which she decided not to keep. "I was honored to be a part of it all," she said. "I had the reward donated to the rescue from which they got Bowie, Luxe Paws LA." She also posted Bo’s story to TikTok under the name @jellyseashells, where the now-unavailable video gained millions of views. Trotti later shared another clip about Bo. He is one of the few lucky cats lost and later found by their owners. According to a statistical report by Pet911, more than 1.7 million pets were reported lost nationwide in 2024. Of those, 63% of lost dogs and 52% of lost cats were successfully found and reclaimed.