Earlier this month, a guy named Robert got an unexpected phone call that stunned him: his pet cat, Chebon, was still alive and well.

Despite the fact that Chebon had gone missing just before they were supposed to travel from California to Ohio, Robert had not seen him in seven years. He asked to remain anonymous so that he could spend more time searching for his beloved pet, but after a year of searching without success and without any leads, he had no option but to continue.

According to Robert in a video posted on the Ventura County Animal Services Facebook page, he remembers asking and praying to God to return his Chebon. “I remember saying to God, ‘God, I’ll do anything, just give me my Chebon back,'” he said.

Then something unbelievable occurred. A kind lady came across a sickly-looking cat on the side of the road and brought him to a local veterinarian for treatment. Despite the fact that it was dehydrated and dirty from its existence on the streets, the cat was surprisingly healthy. When they scanned him for a microchip, Robert’s name came up on the screen. In addition, they discovered that the cat was 19 years old, which surprised them.

“I was worried there had been a genuine mistake,” Robert said.

Robert quickly booked a flight to Los Angeles and drove up to the Camarillo Animal Shelter to help the animals there. When they took him into an isolated room and opened a cardboard box, his expression became more sympathetic.

When Robert and Chebon reunited for the first time in seven years, it appeared as if no time had passed. It was as if nothing had happened. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when it happened.

As Randy Friedman, marketing manager for Ventura County Animal Services, said to The Dodo, “Everyone in the room was crying – there was another animal control officer in the room, and she was weeping, and I was crying as well.” “It was spectacular from beginning to end — and it was all made possible by a microchip,” says the author.

You can see the heartwarming reunion in its full here:

Chebon climbed out of the box and wrapped his paws around the back of his father’s neck, as if he had finally recognized he was in a safe place.

Took him into his arms at one point, and Robert just broke down and sobbed,” Friedman said. “It’s not something you see very frequently in cats… “It was sincere and genuine.”

Chebon can now rest and enjoy his golden years now that he has returned to his rightful place in the world. And they’re not going to let go of each other ever again.