It's even more heartwarming than Homeward Bound. Willow, a Colorado-born calico feline, was lost five years ago from her Rocky Mountain home and discovered Wednesday in New York City, the Associated Press reports. Nobody knows how she managed to make the ambitious trek, but thanks to a microchip implanted on her when she was kitten, she'll be back in Boulder with her original owners, the Squires, shortly. “All our pets are microchipped,” Jamie Squires said. “If I could microchip my kids, I would.” Willow got picked up on East 20th Street in Manhattan by a man who handed her over to the local shelter:

Ms. Squires said she and her husband, Chris, were shocked when they received a call about Willow on Wednesday from Animal Care and Control, which runs New York City’s animal rescue and shelter system. Ms. Squires said that when they saw a picture of the cat, they knew it was Willow.

Willow was originally lost between 2006 and 2007 when workers renovating their house left the door open, so the story goes. In the meantime, the Squires and Animal Care are working on a game plan to get the cat transported back to Colorado. "The kids can’t wait to see her,” says Squires. Ain't that heartwarming.

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John Hudson