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“I was really starting to lose hope he was going to come back. He’s a very docile kitty, but he’s very curious and gets into things,” Jacqueline Lake told CBC.

“You could imagine their surprise when they received the call confirming that their missing cat was alive and well in Montreal,” Kapuscinska said.

Lake said she guessed that Baloo might have wound up in one of the boxes she had shipped off. She recalled thinking it was strange that one of the package weighed 10 lbs heavier than the others, but assumed it was due to a possible problem with the tire rims.

The hairy situation didn’t dampen Baloo’s spirits, and Kapuscinska said the fluffy tabby was very affectionate and a joy to have around.

She said Baloo will be home for the holidays: Freedom Drivers, a group of volunteers that transport shelter animals, left Montreal Friday evening to take him home.

According to CBC, Lake said she is “eternally grateful” to the SPCA and the volunteers with the organization Freedom Drivers who returned Baloo back to her family.

“I didn’t have money to travel to Montreal to get my cat back, but we got him. I didn’t have to pay anything. It was pretty amazing they did this for us,” Lake said.

Kapuscinska recommends that anyone with a cat double check any packages before sending them out.

“We all know that cats love boxes, so hopefully we’ll all be a little more vigilant when packing up boxes in the future,” she said.

She said Baloo has been microchipped to help his family find him more easily if he takes any more impromptu vacations.