DAYTON — A Dayton-area woman was reunited with her missing 14-year-old cat, Booger, this month after six years apart.
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The reunion was made possible following seven months of medical rehabilitation at the Humane Society of Greater Dayton and a social media post.
The cat went missing in 2020 after being raised from a bottle baby by his owner.
He arrived at the shelter as a severely ill stray in February 2026, where staff named him Eugene and began intensive treatment to stabilize his condition.
When the cat first arrived at the shelter, veterinary staff found him severely underweight with muscle wasting, dehydration, open wounds, ear mites, hair loss, and anemia.
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He also tested positive for FIV and suffered from severe dental disease, which ultimately left him with 18 missing teeth, alongside a resistant ringworm infection and an upper respiratory infection that caused him to sneeze blood.
Caregivers adjusted his diet and administered repeated medicated baths, vaccinations, and antibiotic treatments.
The cat also spent several months recovering in a foster home environment while regaining his weight and coat.
Once the cat recovered, the Humane Society of Greater Dayton posted before-and-after photographs of his transformation on social media.
The owner saw the shared post and contacted the shelter after noticing several matching physical characteristics.
The cat’s estimated age of 14 years matched Booger’s age, and both cats had been neutered. The owner also noted a small notch in the ear and a characteristic “goopy” eye, both of which shelter veterinarians confirmed on the cat.
The owner then visited the shelter in person and identified him.
Before returning home, the cat was microchipped to provide permanent identification.