ODESSA, Fla. — A volunteer with the Ladybug Farm Sanctuary in Odessa discovered a nightly visitor who was often hungry.
Ronda Lang set up a trap on the porch, which is used to trap, neuter, and release feral cats.
"I had a trap on the porch and was trying to get a specific cat and in the meantime, this girl kept showing up and going to the trap and eating off and on for six hours, every single night from 9pm to 3am and she had a collar on," said Ronda Lang, a volunteer with Ladybug Farm Sanctuary.
She noticed the female cat was wearing a collar. Once she trapped the cat, she scanned her for a microchip.
The chip connected her with Tripe R Pets, an all-volunteer-staff, non-profit organization based in south and southwest Chicago, Illinois.
"I was shocked. I’m like how did she get down here in Tampa and they said let me find out, that’s when they started making phone calls and found out the path that she was on," said Lang.
Lang said she learned the cat was named "Marble." She originally belonged to a woman who lived on a farm in Illinois.
In 2022, the woman gave away Marble as a kitten. A young man who often traveled for work had adopted Marble.
"She was adopted by a young guy and it’s a race horsing area. They traveled to different tracks and stuff and he took her to Minnesota and then brought her down to Florida and then went back to Chicago and left her behind with someone else to care for her," said Lang.
Lang said she has no idea how far the cat traveled or how she got to Ladybug Farm Sanctuary in Odessa.
She believes the cat had been alone for about seven months. Lang will reunite Marble with her original owner, a woman who lives on an Illinois farm.
"She was very excited, she's had her since she was a kitten. She was born on her farm, born to a feral mom so all the kittens were adopted out. She was very exited to have her back and she said I will bring her into my home and I will keep her forever," said Lang.
ABC Action News reached out to the original owner of Marble. She told ABC Action News, "I was disappointed to hear she had been left behind in Florida, greatly looking forward to seeing her again. I appreciate all of Ronda's efforts to trap her and help her get back home."
Lang hopes this story encourages all pet owners to microchip their animals.
She said Marble was treated for fleas but was otherwise healthy.
"She's sweet, she loves attention. She loves to sit on your lap, curl up and purr and talk to you and she wants to be loved and not roaming out in the fields looking for a meal," said Lang.
"I rather she got a home. She's sweet and I rather her go back to people that love her."
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