A woman was left stunned when she came face-to-face with her missing cat — 12 years after he vanished without a trace.
In a viral TikTok video posted on October 2, owner Erin McCormick (@erinmccormick__) shared a video of her orange tabby named Sherlock lying at the top of the staircase.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she asks in the caption, showing the cat lounging calmly as if no time had passed.
The on-screen text reads: “Your cat ran away 12 years ago and the vet called to say he’s been handed in,” earning over 550,000 views and more than 130,000 likes.
The extraordinary reunion highlights a broader reality many pet owners face — losing a pet is far from rare. According to a 2012 national study of 1,015 U.S. households that had owned a dog or cat within the past five years, 14 percent of dogs and 15 percent of cats had gone missing during that time.
Researchers found that losing a pet didn’t depend on an owner’s age, income, or background, suggesting it’s something that can happen to anyone.
When it comes to being reunited, the study found that 93 percent of lost dogs were eventually found, compared to only 75 percent of cats. Most dogs were recovered because their owners searched the neighborhood or the animal returned home on its own, while 14 percent were found thanks to identification tags.
Cats were less likely than dogs to have ID, making them harder to locate, and most were found only after returning home by themselves. The research highlights how collars, microchips, and ID tags can make all the difference in reuniting lost pets with their owners. Since one in four lost cats is never recovered, these tools can greatly improve the odds of a happy ending.
TikTok Reacts
The internet was captivated by Sherlock’s return, with thousands of comments flooding the video.
“My indoor cat ran away for two months and I found him chilling with the street cats two blocks away,” one user wrote. Another commented: “Think of all the adventures he’s been on.”
A third added: “He realized the grass wasn’t greener on the other side.”
One viewer summed up what many were thinking: “He lived his life and now he’s ready to settle.”
Twelve years after vanishing without a trace, Sherlock’s return serves as a reminder to pet owners everywhere — never lose hope. Sometimes, miracles really do come true.
Newsweek reached out to @erinmccormick__ for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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