Elderly cat is reunited with his owners and brother after being lost for three YEARS when he was rescued by Connecticut animal hospital

  • Noah's Ark Animal Hospital in Connecticut was tipped off about a hurt cat
  • They rescued the feline and named him Billy as they nursed him to health
  • The 16-year-old cat became a staple of the office where he now lived
  • Roberto Sicconi and his daughter saw Billy and thought he looked familiar 
  • They realized it was their missing cat Tuffo and reunited him with his twin 

By Kalhan Rosenblatt For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

When Noah's Ark Animal Hospital in Connecticut took in Billy the cat he was emaciated, weighing only seven pounds, his paw was infected and he was suffering from liver disease. 

He was fortunate just to be alive.

But soon Billy would prove being rescued was just the beginning of his luck.

An anonymous tip alerted Noah's Ark to Billy's whereabouts and they quickly took him in and nursed him back to health. 

Noah's Ark Animal Hospital rescued Billy the cat after an anonymous tip mentioned the sickly cat needed help

Noah's Ark Animal Hospital rescued Billy the cat after an anonymous tip mentioned the sickly cat needed help

Billy became the 'office cat' roaming around as he pleased and keeping the staff company as they grew attached to the orange kitty 

Billy became the 'office cat' roaming around as he pleased and keeping the staff company as they grew attached to the orange kitty 

'We ran a bunch of tests on him so we could do a full exam and help bring him back to health,' Rachel Keyes, an assistant at Noah's Ark told the Dodo.

As the pet hospital rehabilitated the elderly cat, they also began to feel he was part of the office family and grew increasingly attached. 

At 13 pounds and 16 years old, Billy became the 'office cat' roaming the halls as he pleased, greeting patients and keeping staff company.

At the end of March, Roberto Sicconi came in to the pet hospital and noticed Billy looked an awful lot like his cat Batuffolo, known as Tuffo, who had run away three years earlier.

When Roberto Sicconi (left) and daughter Alice (right) came in to the pet hospital they thought the cat looked like their pet Batuffolo, known as Tuffo, who had run away three years earlier 

When Roberto Sicconi (left) and daughter Alice (right) came in to the pet hospital they thought the cat looked like their pet Batuffolo, known as Tuffo, who had run away three years earlier 

He asked his daughter Alice Sicconi if she agreed and she, too, felt the cat had an uncanny resemblance to their lost pet.  

'Billy recognized them and jumped up on the very top of the counter, which he doesn't do. 

'Then, he jumped right into their arms. Billy lets people pet him, but he never jumped into anybody's arms,' Keyes said.

After asking Roberto and Alice some questions about the cat's behavior, especially about the unique way the cat scooped water up with his paw, they realized it must be Tuffo.

The match was solidified when the Siconnis brought in their other cat - Tuffo's brother Cotone. 

'The two cats recognized each other immediately,' Keyes said. 

When Billy, once again called Tuffo, was reunited with his brother Cotone, it was clear the cat was a part of the Sicconi family 

When Billy, once again called Tuffo, was reunited with his brother Cotone, it was clear the cat was a part of the Sicconi family 

Tuffo and Cotone as kittens
Tuffo and Cotone today

Tuffo had wandered away from the Sicconis after they moved in 2013 and never found his way home to them 

Tuffo had wandered away from the Sicconis after they moved in the summer of 2013 and never found his way home. 

Just days after they recognized him, Tuffo went home with the Sicconis.

Noah's Ark still stays in touch with the Sicconi family and the cat the helped save and return to them. 

'While we're very sad that Billy is gone, we're very happy that Billy is back with his rightful owners and appears to be very happy and well-adjusted,' Keyes said. 

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