A missing cat was reunited with her family in Long Island, New York after using the doorbell camera in her owners’ house and calling out for “mom.”
After two weeks of moving to Mastic Beach, Stefanie Whitley and her family lost the beloved cat they loved. Whitley said Lily is an indoor-outdoor cat and wasn’t familiar with her new surroundings yet and has been missing for nearly a week.
“It was very scary having her missing for days, especially knowing that she always responds,” Whitley said. “You can call her name and she comes out of nowhere. This time, it was different. It felt like forever when she was missing.”
Whitley believes Lilly is a straightforward person. “When she wants love, she wants it. And when she doesn’t, don’t touch her,” she explained.
Whitley and her family continued to search for Lily for several days but lost all hope of finding their missing cat. They were surprised to find their beloved cat back home on Sunday night.
She was busy cleaning up in the kitchen while her fiancé Efrain Leandry was watching TV with their 5 kids. All of them were stunned by the ringcam notification that appeared on all their gadgets, including the TV.
It turned out Lily was actually on their doorstep and meowing loudly to get attention. They all screamed “Oh my God, Lilly,” with immense disbelief. “The notification popped up, and it was Lily’s face. She reached up to touch the camera and yelled,” Whitley stated.
Another thing that was surprising was her meowing. It sounded like she was mimicking the kids saying “mom.”
“The kids thought it was hysterical because the way she meowed it sounded like, ‘Mom.’ You could tell the difference from a regular meow,” said Whitley.
They all laughed and ran to the front door to retrieve their cat. Lily was excited and ran into the house, looking relieved and secure.
“She comes back the same exact way. She hops up on the railing in front of the camera and starts meowing for me.”
Whitley is proud of Lilly’s return home. She is confident that Lilly has mastered the art of triggering the doorbell camera, as she has been using it since their reunion. “Every time the doorbell camera goes off, she goes to the door or goes to the window,”
Whitley shared that they are a blended family who all love animals. They hold Lilly in special regard as she was just a kitten at the time they adopted her.
Eight years ago, a firefighter rescued her and took her to a local veterinary clinic before she became a part of Whitley’s family.
Lilly’s video has gained a lot of attention online and amazed a lot of people, especially pet owners. Her video was shared for the first time on Ring Neighborhood.
In the video, the short-haired gray cat tries to activate her family’s doorbell camera outside the house. She will meow continuously until someone comes to her door.
“We’ve been watching the news airing her video. You have to see her face when she sees herself on TV,” Whitley said. “If it hadn’t been for that notification that night, we wouldn’t have known she was there,” she added.
This experience demonstrated that cats can be smart and that technology can be useful in many situations. They can save animals and people, and can be used in emergency situations.
Whitley also encouraged pet owners to set up a doorbell camera so they don’t have to give up on their pets if they go missing.
To see Lilly’s endearing effort to return home, watch this video:
