When 1-year-old Ashes the cat escaped from Denise Cilley's home in 2015, her family feared the worst. They didn't believe that the domesticated indoor cat could survive in the western Maine wilderness.

So when Cilley got a call late last month from a Florida animal shelter about her missing cat, she was understandably confused.

While it's not clear how Ashes made the 1,400 mile trip to Florida, the female gray tabby cat will soon return to its home in Maine, thanks to an airline employee and an internet fundraiser.

According to Patch.com, Cilley adopted Ashes, then a kitten, in October 2014. The family took care to keep the cat inside, even though they owned other cats that would occasionally venture outdoors.

However, Ashes escaped the home in August 2015 — likely making its way out of the house with the other cats.

After several weeks of searching for the cat, the family finally gave up hope. According to UPI, the family believed the cat might have been taken by a fox or another predator native to the region.

But on Jan. 22, Cilley says she got a call from an animal shelter in Longwood, Florida, a suburb of Orlando.

While Cilley was initially confused when the shelter reported that they had found a microchipped cat registered to her, she eventually put the pieces together.

"I'm like, 'Well how old is this cat?' 'Pretty old,.' I'm like, 'I've been missing a cat for six and a half years,'" Cilley told WGME-TV in Portland, Maine. "Then my daughter heard me talking on the phone and was like, 'Is it Ashes, is she alive?' and yes, she is."

Patch.com reports the Ashes had a few medical problems, including a respiratory issue and missing teeth. However, veterinarians say the cat is recovering well.

However, the question of how to get Ashes back to Maine was still up in the air. Luckily, Cilley was able to connect with an animal advocate named Janet Williams, through a mutual friend.

Thanks to connection in the airline industry, Williams found a Southwest employee who offered to take Ashes back to Maine on a day off. In addition, a GoFundMe campaign raised more than $1,800 for the cat's medical expenses.

Cilley and her family are looking forward to having Ashes home soon. She encourages everyone to microchip their pets.

"They're not that expensive and can save so much heartache if your cat ever gets out," Cilley told Patch.

White House says $1,400 individual checks to begin arriving this weekend

Updated: 7:41 PM EST Mar 12, 2021

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got some dark ways. Yeah, Mhm. Thank you for coming in. In the the weeks this bill has been discussed and debated, it's clear that an overwhelming percentage of the American people Democrats, independents or Republican friends have made it clear the people out there made it clear they strongly support the American rescue plan. Yesterday, with the final passage of the plan and the House of Representatives, their voices were heard reflect, reflected and everything we have in this bill, and I believe this is and most people I think do as well. This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country and giving people in this nation working people, middle class folks, uh, people who built the country a fighting chance. That's what the essence of it is. And I'm going to have a lot more to say about that tonight in the next couple of days and be able to take your questions. But in the meantime, what I'm gonna do is sign this bill and make the presentation tonight. Then there's plenty of opportunities. We're going to be on the road. Not only talking about what I'm talking about tonight is the impact on the virus and how we're going to end this pandemic. And we're gonna talk all the elements of the bill beginning Friday, Saturday through the week. So thank you for being here. Mhm. Thank you all. Appreciate it, is it? Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Are you? Thank you. You guys got rougher and okay, okay.

White House says $1,400 individual checks to begin arriving this weekend

Updated: 7:41 PM EST Mar 12, 2021

The White House says the $1,400 direct payments for most Americans funded by the American Rescue Plan will start showing up in bank accounts as early as this weekend.Press secretary Jen Psaki says the government will make the first direct deposits this weekend. She says payments will continue throughout the next several weeks.President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan in the Oval Office on Thursday.Besides the $1,400 direct payments to individuals, the plan includes money to help distribute coronavirus vaccines, provide relief to homeowners and renters, help reopen schools, provide aid to state and local governments, and an expansion of the child tax credit, among other features.Officials at the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service said Friday that processing of the new round of stimulus payments has already begun, with the aim of having the first payments start showing up in bank accounts this weekend.

The White House says the $1,400 direct payments for most Americans funded by the American Rescue Plan will start showing up in bank accounts as early as this weekend.

Press secretary Jen Psaki says the government will make the first direct deposits this weekend. She says payments will continue throughout the next several weeks.

President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan in the Oval Office on Thursday.

Besides the $1,400 direct payments to individuals, the plan includes money to help distribute coronavirus vaccines, provide relief to homeowners and renters, help reopen schools, provide aid to state and local governments, and an expansion of the child tax credit, among other features.