Man Uses 401k To Be Reunited With Missing Cat

A Houston man has made a hefty investment to be reunited with his lost cat, Dolly. When the exotic shorthair went missing after someone broke into his apartment on New Year's Eve, owner Keith Hardin did everything he could -- with everything he had -- to find his beloved cat. Withdrawing money from his 401k and taking a loan from one of his colleagues, Hardin decided to offer a huge reward for Dolly: $5,000 to whomever returned her.

"She's just like a child," Hardin told KHOU. "That's the simplest way I could put it ... My mom just thinks I'm absolutely nuts to spend that much money on a cat. She's not a cat person but I know she would have done it in a heartbeat for her dog."

Two months after his pet went missing, Hardin received a heartbreaking call from someone who claimed to have found the remains of a cat that looked like Dolly. Hardin picked up the remains and, believing they were Dolly's, had them cremated for $125. But then, two weeks after Hardin thought he had finally put his missing Dolly to rest, he received another call from a different stranger who claimed to have found his cat -- alive.

"I couldn't stop shaking," Hardin said. "My heart was completely in my throat."

The person who rescued Dolly sent several photos to Hardin, who was still in disbelief that his cat was alive. He and Dolly were reunited shortly thereafter. Then they promptly went to the vet, where Hardin shelled out a little additional cash to have his cat microchipped.