DENVER — Well, well, look what the chair dragged in.
Frantic owners reunited with their beloved cat last week after they dropped off a recliner at the Denver Arc Store at 255 S. Hooker Street, unaware that the feline had climbed underneath and inside the chair.
On New Year's Eve, Denver Animal Protection (DAP) received a call from a Denver Arc Thrift Store. The store reported that a person had dropped off a piece of furniture to donate. After the donors left, store staff found a cat stuck inside, according to the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE).
DAP Officer Jenna Humphreys responded to the call.
"Sure enough, there's a recliner out front, and there's a little orange tabby stuck inside," she said. "Very friendly, couldn't get out. They said that they had noticed the meowing shortly after somebody had dropped it off."
Humphreys was able to soothe the friendly cat out without a problem. She scanned it for a microchip in her truck and she tried to call the owners but could not reach them, DDPHE said.
The officer later received a call from the owners, who were frantically searching for their pet.
The owners told police they were moving and had donated a recliner to the thrift store without realizing their cat, named Montequlla, had climbed underneath. They searched all over the house, which was nearly empty, and couldn't find him. The owners drove back to the Denver Arc Thrift Store, and staff provided the contact information for the DAP officer who had responded to the store, DDPHE said.
"Oftentimes when we have a stressful event like that, we know that animals can can seek hiding spots. So, this one just happened to pick the recliner that they were going to donate to Arc," Humphreys said. "It's not uncommon for us to be called to help remove animals from those situations, but this was a new one."
The owners and cat were happily reunited afterward.
"The owners were absolutely thrilled to have their cat back," Humphreys said. "They were so relieved."
