Theron was heartbroken when he went to the Bangor Humane Society in Maine in late August.

His cat, Cutie Pie, had gone missing. There was no sign of the feline for a week and he had resigned himself to having lost his furry friend for good.

Everyone grieves differently – some people need years before they can think about getting a new pet while others choose to sate their loneliness and try to heal their sense of loss more quickly.

Of course, there’s no replacing a pet, but Theron thought that getting a new cat might help him recover from his loss more quickly.

That’s when he decided to visit the Humane Society.

That same day, they posted his story on their Facebook page, especially when he saw one of their cats.

The post began:

“Theron came into our shelter today looking for a cat to heal his heart after his kitty, Cutie Pie, disappeared about a week ago. As he perused the kennels, he stopped to examine one of our friends a little more closely…”

It’s got to be a mix of emotions to look at potential new pets while still thinking of your lost friend – especially when a cat goes missing and there’s no sense of closure.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that Theron did a double-take when he saw a grey and white cat that looked just like Cutie Pie.

What did manage to shock everyone is what came after.

“…when the cat turned to face him, Theron erupted with joy. THIS WAS HIS CUTIE PIE!!”

That’s right – the very cat Theron was missing turned up in the shelter where he went to adopt a new pet. It’s an amazing coincidence.

And while many cats look alike, the shelter workers were 100% certain that Cutie Pie was Theron’s lost cat.

“Theron’s camera roll was full of pictures of Cutie Pie, leaving no question that this reunion was the real deal!” they added in the post.

Everyone was thrilled – especially Cutie Pie! He virtually lept into his carrier.

“Cutie Pie found his way *back* to his forever home tonight. (Let me just say I’ve honestly never seen a cat so eager to be in a cat carrier! He was SO ready to go home!),” the shelter said.

There are lots of happy moments when animals get adopted, but this was something truly special for everyone involved.

The Humane Society concluded its Facebook post by saying:

“This is the good stuff. We want to reunite as many animals as possible with their owners, and it’s an honor to keep them safe until that can happen.”

It appears Theron chose not to answer more questions or speak to the press. He’s probably home lavishing his formerly lost cat with all the attention he so richly deserves.

And can you imagine how cranky a cat would be after spending up to a week in a crate? We’re not sure who Cutie Pie blames, but we hope it’s not Theron!

Plenty of commenters used the story to remind others about the importance of microchipping one’s pets. A lot of pain could have been avoided (we assume) if Cutie Pie had a chip!

The Facebook post of the sweet reunion has now gone viral with thousands of shares in just over a week.

Be sure to scroll down below to see it and the one thousand and counting comments and well wishes.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: PEOPLE, Facebook – Bangor Humane Society