Washington - Alyssa Nicole and her mother were forced to give their beloved cat, Gato, to a shelter because of a move. Two years later, the unthinkable happened when they stumbled upon their furry friend!

When Alyssa Nicole was five, she and her mother were evicted from their home, The Dodo reported. Unfortunately, they couldn't take their cat, Gato, with them.

Her mother tried her best to find a loving home with friends for Gato, but it didn't work out and they had to give Gato to an animal shelter.

Two years later, the little family returned to their old neighborhood. The mother and daughter decided getting a cat would make their new abode feel like home.

Cats Indoor cat jumps out onto the roof – and immediately regrets it!

Nicole's mother went on Craig's list and stumbled upon a photo that took her breath away. There was a cat that looked just like their beloved Gato. It even had the same distinctive black dot on its nose!

She couldn't believe her eyes: it was Gato! "We were all screaming," Nicole told The Dodo. "We were so excited and jumping up and down."

Nicole's mother immediately contacted the man who had placed the ad. That very evening, they picked up their beloved kitty.

"We could not believe it. We were like, 'Oh my God, is this a dream,'" Nicole said.

The reunion was magical: "He recognized us immediately. He was meowing and rubbing on our legs … he was ready to go home."

Nicole shared the story on TikTok, writing, "I'll always believe in fate. He recognized us immediately. He was meowing and rubbing on our legs … he was ready to go home."

Nicole and Gato were reunited 15 years ago and are still together.