Missing cat found 23 months after Camp Fire in Northern California

KABC logo
Thursday, October 8, 2020

A Northern California woman lost her home in the Camp Fire in 2018. Making matters worse, she also lost her beloved cat, who ran away the day she had to evacuate.

For 23 months, Lindsy Metz was left wondering what had happened to her 8-year-old cat Artemis.

MORE: Llamas survive Camp Fire, surprise owners with baby that will become therapy animal

"He was right there by the door and I went to go get him, and I ran up on him too quick, and he bolted," Metz told KRCR.

Metz searched and searched, but she could not track him down.

"I went and looked at every single cat picture. I've called on every black cat. I mean it really got to the point where my family said, 'you have to move on,'" she said.

MORE: Police bodycam video shows emergency evacuations during deadly Camp Fire

Police have released new video of officers helping people evacuate Paradise during last year's deadly Camp Fire.

Finally on Sept. 18 -- nearly 23 months after he went missing -- Metz saw Artemis -- or who she thought was Artemis -- on a friend's Facebook page."

After checking for a few tell-tale signs that only its owner would know, Metz determined she'd found Artemis!

"Oh, yeah, a piece of my heart is back where it belonged. I definitely felt like I had a huge hole in not knowing, in not having closure if he was alive or if he was gone," she said.

It seemed Artemis hadn't used the last of his nine lives - and hadn't even strayed but a few miles from their home for the last 23 months.

MORE: Deputy's bodycam captures terrifying early moments of Camp Fire in Paradise

Butte County Sheriff's Deputy Aaron Parmley thought he was capturing the last moments of his life.