We have a good news story to report this week.

In early November the Hebron Journal-Register newspaper published a sad story about a missing cat named Simba.

Simba was described as a domestic short hair tabby cat that had become the Deshler community's pet.

Veterinarian Cindy Sasse told Nancy McGill, the editor of the Hebron paper, "We think he's between 15 and 20 (years old), we're not sure.

Witnesses said they saw the male cat affectionately named Simba scooped up by a woman and placed in her pickup truck.

Sasse said, "We asked her and she said he got away." Sasse distributed missing posters and nearly the entire community was looking for Simba.

The cat was described as smart but his age could prevent him from fending off coyotes. Sasse had been treating him for several months because of his failing kidneys. Although a stray, Simba made his home in Deshler and recognized the sound of Sasse's diesel truck engine.

Dr. Sasse had been taken care of Simba, treating him for flea and ticks, neutering him and even putting him up on cold nights and on Halloween. Eight months earlier, she did blood work and found his kidneys were failing.

"We did dialysis on him when he needed. We really miss him. If I walked to the post office or Deshler Electric, he'd walk with me, He'd come here and sit for a while and then go check things out in town. He knew who he could trust," Sasse said.

Simba could regularly been seen on the bench outside of Sasse's clinic, lying in the sun or being stroked. Sometimes he would go to the grocery store for meet and greets.

"When the kids were coming home from school, you could tell if they had a rough day, they'd sit down and give him a hug. He was therapy for the whole town. A lot of people are sick their cat is gone," Sasse said. "He was loved by so many. I've never know a cat could be so intelligent."

And now as Paul Harvey would say "the rest of the story." And it is good news.

The Dec. 6 edition of the Hebron Journal-Register reported Simba had been located in Davenport. He was skittish and couldn't be caught by the person who saw him, so Sasse, drove her diesel pickup to Davenport. The cat was familiar with the pickup and it was hoped he would recognize the truck and come out of hiding.

Sasse said, "I called out and miraculously, Simba came running toward me. As soon as he was picked up, he began purring."

"Once back in Deshler, I opened my truck door and Simba knew he was home."

The veterinarian said Simba had a terrible neck wound and was severely emancipated when found. He had weighted 12.5 pounds before going missing but only 6 pounds when recovered.

Onde back in Deshler he was tucked into his warm bed, fed and loved by the clinic workers. Sasse said, "This is our Christmas miracle, a little early."

And I have my own cat story to share.

The stray cat that hangs out around this editor's house had two litters of kittens in 2023 and there are miracles associated with both litters.

One kitten apparently became terrified by all the people and automobiles associated with an activity at the Superior Auditorium and climbed into a tree west of the auditorium and then couldn't get down. One of the auditorium visitors heard the kitten crying in the middle of the night, retrieved it, took it home and fed it. After seeing my Facebook post about the missing kitten, it was returned. It was heart warming to see the reaction between mother cat and her offspring when they were reunited.

When another kitten went missing, a Superior resident reported having found the injured kitten whimpering in the grass near the auditorium. She scooped it up and took it to a veterinarian who predicted with proper care it would recover. She was pleased to receive the kitten as a birthday gift.

But we have some sad news to report. Morris, the stray cat adopted by the residents of the New Horizons Manor, has been missing without a trace for a nearly a month.

Morris was a just a stray kitten hiding in the Ideal Market parking lot when adopted by the manor residents. He stole their hearts and they would like to know his fate.