Maryland - Hope the cat was almost lost forever. Then, after almost five years, her family has finally been reunited with their long-lost pet!

In 2021, Melissa Garci and her daughter Brooke Garci from Maryland lost their cat Artemis.

On that day, the four-legged friend, who was allowed to run free, simply stopped coming home.

"I posted [fliers] around the neighborhood, rolled them up, and put them in people's doors, knocked, and got nothing," Melissa told People.

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Then, after almost five years, they received an unexpected call from the non-profit organization "The Humane Society of Harford County."

A woman had found a cat in her basement. After checking the kitty's chip, it turned out to be the missing animal!

Melissa was overjoyed, but naturally also uncertain. After all, it had been years since she had last held her beloved pet in her arms. Would she be the same sweet cat, or had life in the wild changed her?

The mother-daughter duo quickly made their way to the organization.

"I was like, I couldn't cry yet because I was in disbelief, but when I saw her, I was like, 'Omg, she looks exactly the same,'" Melissa reported happily.

Shortly afterwards, the tears of joy flowed. She took her long-lost cat in her arms, and they cuddled extensively.

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Brooke added that while they don't know where Artemis – named for the Greek goddess of hunting and wildlife – had been all these years, it seems her survival instincts had seen her through.

After five long years, the family and their missing pet were reunited, and their joy couldn't be greater.