01:41 PM CDT on Thursday, May 4, 2006

Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sneakers the cat is being reunited with his owner, hundreds of miles away from where he disappeared in 1996.

The long-haired black cat was given to Sacramento's Animal Care Services last week, where an employee scanned him for a microchip, a routine procedure.

The number on the chip was used to track down Allison MacEwan of Seattle, who said she placed newspaper ads and went door-to-door with fliers in a futile search for her lost cat a decade ago.

"It was very surreal," said MacEwan about first hearing the news. "I was completely surprised. I mean, completely."

Officials on Wednesday said they aren't sure how the cat wound up in Sacramento.

MacEwan's daughter was 4 years old when her cat disappeared, and officials said she is now looking forward to being reunited with her childhood pet.