Dani Taylor didn't believe in Christmas miracles. Until it happened to her.
The Taylor family cat Drake went missing 18 months ago, despite rarely venturing outside except when nature called, or to visit the neighbour.
"He's a cat that rarely goes anywhere," Ms Taylor said.
"He has just the most beautiful nature. He loves everyone, he walks on a lead.
"He actually was a blood donor, he saved three cats' lives donating blood.
"Everyone was destroyed."
The family put up flyers, scoured social media, rang into the radio station and called around to vets.
Days, weeks and months went on. Christmas came around, followed by New Years. A year passed. Hope started to fade, but the pain didn't.
And then just a few weeks before Christmas this year, Ms Taylor got a call from Greencross vets at Majura Park.
"They'd had a cat handed in who apparently had been hanging around a property in Pialligio for a couple of months," she said.
"The guy thought that this cat has been hanging around for too long, let's see if it's got an owner."
It was Drake.
The family believe he had got into the neighbour's ute, and hopped out somewhere around Fyshwick.
"We're very happy, it's an absolute miracle. We didn't think we were gonna ever see him again. It's amazing," Ms Taylor said.
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While he came back with a broken tooth, injured eye and mosquito bites, Ms Taylor is shocked Drake managed to survive on his own.
"He's not a cat that is used to being outside, he'd only go out to the toilet, or visit our neighbor. So I don't know how he survived in the wild," she said.
"He's not sort of a hearty cat that should be outside. But somehow, miracle, he survived."
Drake was a bit skittish for a while, but soon went back to his usual self.
"When we first went and we got to the vet to pick him up, he was sort of looking a bit confused. But after saying his name a couple of times, he jumped up and ran straight to us and meowed, so he remembered us," Ms Taylor said.
When he got back to the house, Ms Taylor said Drake went straight to the family dog, a staffy.
"They ran and embraced each other. I've never seen anything like it, it was amazing. They remembered each other straightaway," she said.
While the whole family is ecstatic to have Drake back at home, including the family dog, 11-year-old daughter Lily-Rose has received the best Christmas gift she could ask for.
"We've got very happy 11-year-old who has been distraught the entire year and a half without him. So she's over the moon that's he home," Ms Taylor said.
Only a few days after returning, Drake's spark has returned.
"[He's] sat on his usual spot with us on the couch and starting to be a pain jumping on the kitchen bench stealing food again," Ms Taylor said.
"He's back, and he's healthy. And he's extremely happy to be home."
Ms Taylor is also grateful the cat was microchipped, meaning the vet could easily scan him and contact her.
She wants every pet owner to microchip their animals, and not give up hope if they have gone missing.
"If he didn't have a microchip, then we wouldn't have known, because the man that actually bought him in said that he will adopt him if he's not claimed," Ms Taylor said.
"If it wasn't for a microchip, we never would have found him."
All dogs and cats in the ACT must be microchipped. This can be done by a vet, the RSPCA or Domestic Animal Services.
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