Cat Stuck Inside Chair That Was Donated To Thrift Store Reunited With Owners

A family was reunited with their cat that was hidden inside a chair they donated to a thrift store in Denver, Colorado.

Local Denver station ABC7 reported that the owners were in the midst of moving and decided to make a donation to an Arc Thrift Store location. Store employees soon discovered that the donors' cat was inside the furniture.

Assistant Manager of Arc Thrift Store Alexandra Estrada told Newsweek her coworker found the cat and brought it to her attention.

"The cat was very scared and kind of confused, like, 'What am I doing here?'" Estrada recalled.

Store staff members initially tried to remove the cat, but ultimately decided to call in professionals from Denver Animal Protection.

"Sure enough, there's a recliner out front, and there's a little orange tabby stuck inside," Denver Animal Protection Officer Jenna Humphreys told ABC7. "Very friendly, couldn't get out. They said that they had noticed the meowing shortly after somebody had dropped it off."

Estrada told Newsweek that the officer took a soft approach with the cat and was able to calm it down in just a few minutes.

The chair did not need to be dissembled to remove the cat, and it crawled out on its own. Humphreys told Newsweek that a passerby helped pry open the base, which allowed the cat room to climb out of the chair.

She said the cat was not injured and estimated that it was inside of the chair for about 45 minutes.

After scanning the cat for a microchip and calling the phone number registered with it, animal protection officials were unable to reach them. However, the family reached out to the agency not long after and the cat was reunited with its family.

Humphreys told ABC7 that a stressful event like moving may cause a pet to hide.

VCA Animal Hospitals outlined a few tips for pet owners to note when moving to a new residence.

"If your cat is very nervous, it may be wise to board her for a few days before and after the move, leaving her at the facility until you are unpacked and have set up your new home," a piece published by VCA Animal Hospital reads. "This will avoid her being caught up in the commotion with the move."

A cat may have been the strangest accidental donation Estrada could remember, but she said the store received other items that were not intentionally donated, like sentimental items.

However, it isn't always easy to track that item down and return it to the owner.

"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack," Estrada told Newsweek.

Updated 01/06/2022, 6:02 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from Alexandra Estrada and additional information.