Cat Goes Missing—10 Years Later, Family Discovers Where He Was Trapped
When black cat Magic vanished without a trace in 2015, his family were heartbroken. But a staggering ten years later they got a call revealing where he was trapped the entire time—before they were finally reunited.
Laura Wells, who lives in the U.K. was just nine years old when her cat Magic went missing. "He was always the sweetest boy," she told Newsweek. "He loved cuddles, playing with ribbon, and sunbathing in the garden. When he disappeared, we were devastated."
The family suspected he had been stolen, but lacked the proof to retrieve him. In the U.K., just like in the U.S., cats are legally considered property and any theft is covered by law in the same way as theft of any other property. Though in the U.K. the recently introduced Pet Abduction Act 2024 has created a specific criminal offence for the abduction of cats and dogs in England and Northern Ireland.
Similarly, some U.S. states do have laws that specifically address the theft of animals. For example, recent legislative changes in California (Assembly Bill 1290) expanded the definition of "theft of a companion animal" to include animals beyond just dogs including cats.
A picture of Magic before he went missing, left, and now he has returned home, right.
A picture of Magic before he went missing, left, and now he has returned home, right.
@whore4mybf/TikTok
According to Shelter Animals Count, in 2024 59 percent of dogs and 62 percent of cats that entered shelters were strays, which includes animals that were lost by owners.
Pet Radar estimates that there are 710,000 stray animals reunited with their owners each year—but the results for cats aren't as promising. Around 620,000 dogs were reunited with owners compared to just 90,000 cats.
Read more
Kitten rushed to $900 emergency vet visit—owner unprepared for diagnosis
Kitten rushed to $900 emergency vet visit—owner unprepared for diagnosis
The Wells family had been without Magic for a decade when earlier this year, something amazing happened. The family had a call from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) animal charity. Magic had been found with a number of other cats in poor health, and when they scanned his microchip, it led them to the Wells family.
"We never thought in a million years someone would steal him from a loving home to treat him so horribly," Wells said. "It didn't feel real when my mum got the call, they had scanned his microchip and called us right away. He had been missing for so long and due to us having other cats when they asked if we had a black cat we were confused thinking there was no way it was him."
It was then they got confirmation: "They said his name is Magic, it didn't feel real but I was so relieved," Wells said.
As soon as they could, the family rushed to pick him up, and were shocked by how he looked.
"The first time I saw him I was so consumed by anger because he looked so ill, he was covered in scabs, was clearly malnourished, had lots of fur loss and had black teeth due to not having the right nutrition for years," Wells said. "He was so scared when we first walked in and saw him but as soon as he sniffed my hand he calmed down and started purring—I was so shocked he remembered me after all this time."
Following a month of recovery filled with vet visits, nutritious meals, and cautious reintroduction to the home, Magic is thriving. His fur has grown back, he's gained healthy weight, and he's even returned to sunbathing—his favorite pastime.
"He spends all his time rolling in the sun but still comes in for cuddles," Wells said.
Wells shared a video of the incredible story to her TikTok account last week, explaining: "This is Magic, he went missing 10 years ago when he was 2 years old. He had been stolen and trapped in a house with 40 other cats."
It amassed nearly 50,000 likes, as she called him "my little miracle."
This isn't the first time a cat has returned after going missing. Another cat that went missing a year earlier was amazingly found in a nearby park by his owner. While another pet owner had been without their cat for five weeks when they heard an unusual thump at the door, only to find Calliope the cat on the other side.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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Newsweek
21 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Trump Strikes on Mexico Cartels Could Backfire Disastrously, Experts Warn
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This aerial view shows the MexicoU.S. border wall extending into the Pacific Ocean at Playas de Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico on August 12, 2025. This aerial view shows the MexicoU.S. border wall extending into the Pacific Ocean at Playas de Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico on August 12, 2025. GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images Military Action Could Backfire on the Border When the FTO designation was first signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, policy experts raised concerns about the unintended consequences the move could have, particularly around immigration. While Trump has all but shut down the southern border with Mexico, one critic said branding cartels as terrorist organizations could lead to stronger claims for asylum – a concern echoed by Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, the head of the North American Observatory at Global Initiative Against Transational Organized Crime. "It is mutually exclusive from the border and migration objectives the administration has. 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Yahoo
an hour ago
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Street takeover party marred by violence was promoted by CPS aide who says he has been suspended
Jorge Sanchez was headed home from work on a Saturday night earlier this month when he encountered throngs of rideshares and pedestrians surrounding his home in Austin. Sanchez, 35, is used to people hanging out on his block, and found one of the guys he recognized from other weekends. 'I was like, 'You really outdid yourselves today,'' he said. 'And he said, 'Oh, this wasn't us.'' It was Club JROY: a massive end-of-summer party that had been all over Instagram and TikTok for days before people flooded blocks around the West Side neighborhood. It took place even after police had asked event promoter Jamal Williams to cancel, officials said. Police reports put the center of Club JROY at the intersection of La Crosse Avenue and Maypole Street, a few houses up from where Sanchez lives. Authorities responded to at least three instances of gunfire within six-blocks of the intersection in the early morning hours of Aug. 10 as they struggled to contain a crowd estimated to be in the thousands at its peak. Eight people were shot in the area, two fatally, and police arrested at least six others, according to public records and police sources. Those who were wounded and killed made up a quarter of the city's gunshot victims for the entire weekend, police said. The promoter, listed in CPS personnel records as a special education classroom assistant at Ellington Elementary School in Austin, has not been charged with any wrongdoing and strenuously denied that the shootings were connected with his party. He announced a few days later that he had been placed on paid suspension due to an investigation, which he said was meant to ensure his safety and that of the school following social media discussions of the shootings. 'The events that happened, I genuinely do feel bad,' Willams said in one post. 'But that didn't happen at the location I sent out. That was at different block parties that people decided to go to.' Asked to comment on Williams' announced suspension and the party, CPS representatives said in a statement that the district did not comment on personnel matters. Police met with promoter Jamal Williams at Ellington days before the event was scheduled to take place and asked him to call it off, Ald. Jason Ervin said. By the time Jorge Sanchez got home around 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 9, he found the street filled with people. They were still rolling up in droves around midnight, bringing people from as far away as suburbs including Lynwood and Plainfield. 'I was like, 'what the heck is going on?',' he said. 'Everyone was talking about getting to the party.' 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As police attempted to cordon off the crime scene, they arrested a 35-year-old man who allegedly wouldn't cooperate with their orders to disperse and shoved a cop. At the same time, a few blocks to the west, a different group of officers were headed toward the shooting at LaCrosse and Maypole when they heard a single shot in an alley on the 200 block of North Lamon Avenue. They saw a man running up the alley, records show, and arrested him minutes later. Police said Thursday no one was in custody in connection with the shooting that killed Blackhawk. One man was charged in a second shooting after the party that left a teenage boy dead. About two hours after the first shooting, Cook County prosecutors said 18-year-old Kaleb Williams and his friends — all high school classmates — were walking south down North Lavergne Avenue away from the party when they encountered Ortez Owens and a second person near the intersection of Lavergne and Maypole. Prosecutors alleged that 35-year-old Owens approached the teens and tried to talk to them about their car's broken sunroof. He then allegedly took out a gun, told them to drop their backpacks and fired along with his companion as the group of friends scattered, hitting Williams in the back and his friend in the shoulder. A few minutes later, prosecutors alleged that Owens returned to where Williams lay and took the backpack before he left again. After Owens was arrested, prosecutors alleged he told his wife that he had 'done a murder' and that he had been looking to retaliate over his sunroof having been shot out. He also allegedly admitted to taking the backpack from Williams and remarking that there was nothing of value inside. Cook County Judge Ankur Srivastava ordered Owens held while awaiting trial and said that his alleged actions showed 'a total lack of self-control (and) total disregard for human life.' 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Days before the gathering took place, Jamal Williams had posted a TikTok telling people who were discussing potential violence at the party to stay home. 'I just (saw) a post — it said 'I'm coming 30 deep to Club JROY, try me if you want,'' he said in the TikTok, dated Aug. 5. 'Who the (expletive) are you all into it with?… You can't come!' The next day, he posted another video. The party was still on.
Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Street takeover party marred by violence was promoted by CPS aide who says he has been suspended
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Authorities responded to at least three instances of gunfire within six-blocks of the intersection in the early morning hours of Aug. 10 as they struggled to contain a crowd estimated to be in the thousands at its peak. Eight people were shot in the area, two fatally, and police arrested at least six others, according to public records and police sources. Those who were wounded and killed made up a quarter of the city's gunshot victims for the entire weekend, police said. The promoter, listed in CPS personnel records as a special education classroom assistant at Ellington Elementary School in Austin, has not been charged with any wrongdoing and strenuously denied that the shootings were connected with his party. He announced a few days later that he had been placed on paid suspension due to an investigation, which he said was meant to ensure his safety and that of the school following social media discussions of the shootings. 'The events that happened, I genuinely do feel bad,' Willams said in one post. 'But that didn't happen at the location I sent out. That was at different block parties that people decided to go to.' Asked to comment on Williams' announced suspension and the party, CPS representatives said in a statement that the district did not comment on personnel matters. Police met with promoter Jamal Williams at Ellington days before the event was scheduled to take place and asked him to call it off, Ald. Jason Ervin said. By the time Jorge Sanchez got home around 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 9, he found the street filled with people. They were still rolling up in droves around midnight, bringing people from as far away as suburbs including Lynwood and Plainfield. 'I was like, 'what the heck is going on?',' he said. 'Everyone was talking about getting to the party.' 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As police attempted to cordon off the crime scene, they arrested a 35-year-old man who allegedly wouldn't cooperate with their orders to disperse and shoved a cop. At the same time, a few blocks to the west, a different group of officers were headed toward the shooting at LaCrosse and Maypole when they heard a single shot in an alley on the 200 block of North Lamon Avenue. They saw a man running up the alley, records show, and arrested him minutes later. Police said Thursday no one was in custody in connection with the shooting that killed Blackhawk. One man was charged in a second shooting after the party that left a teenage boy dead. About two hours after the first shooting, Cook County prosecutors said 18-year-old Kaleb Williams and his friends — all high school classmates — were walking south down North Lavergne Avenue away from the party when they encountered Ortez Owens and a second person near the intersection of Lavergne and Maypole. Prosecutors alleged that 35-year-old Owens approached the teens and tried to talk to them about their car's broken sunroof. He then allegedly took out a gun, told them to drop their backpacks and fired along with his companion as the group of friends scattered, hitting Williams in the back and his friend in the shoulder. A few minutes later, prosecutors alleged that Owens returned to where Williams lay and took the backpack before he left again. After Owens was arrested, prosecutors alleged he told his wife that he had 'done a murder' and that he had been looking to retaliate over his sunroof having been shot out. He also allegedly admitted to taking the backpack from Williams and remarking that there was nothing of value inside. Cook County Judge Ankur Srivastava ordered Owens held while awaiting trial and said that his alleged actions showed 'a total lack of self-control (and) total disregard for human life.' Public defenders said that Owens' friends and family had gotten social media threats in the days following the party and asked that Owens be placed into protective custody while awaiting trial. His next court date is set for Sept. 2. In a TikTok dated Aug. 12, promoter Jamal Williams said that there were multiple block parties being held around the area and that he had left his party when he saw people clashing with police. He didn't know about the shootings until the next morning, he said, and hadn't canceled the gathering because the person who had been making threats later messaged him to say they hadn't been serious. Ald. Chris Taliaferro, 29th, whose ward covers Ellington Elementary, pointed out that there are plenty of gatherings in the area that go smoothly and 'don't get the same kinds of attention a street takeover would get' — in part because something like the Taste of Austin food festival or a city-sponsored midnight basketball game doesn't draw the same attendance as street parties, but also because 'it doesn't sell papers (or) increase viewership.' But he added that young people in particular needed more sponsored, well-organized outlets to have fun and socialize in their neighborhoods. And he said people who organize parties that attract violence need to see clear consequences for their actions. 'Their conduct is a participating factor in why these people are harmed,' he said. 'Did they pull the trigger? Maybe not. But they called the party that brought out these people in the first place.' Days before the gathering took place, Jamal Williams had posted a TikTok telling people who were discussing potential violence at the party to stay home. 'I just (saw) a post — it said 'I'm coming 30 deep to Club JROY, try me if you want,'' he said in the TikTok, dated Aug. 5. 'Who the (expletive) are you all into it with?… You can't come!' The next day, he posted another video. The party was still on.
