When Arlo the cat went missing, Amy Tapia and her family, who live in Nashville, Tennessee, feared they would never see their beloved pet again, but an incredible 55 days later, they were reunited.

Arlo's journey began when he was rescued as a kitten by Tapia's daughter. "She named him Arlo because he found his way back to us then, and here he found his way back to us again," Tapia told Newsweek.

On the evening of July 4, Tapia and her family were on vacation in Florida while their two dogs and Arlo were being cared for by a friend. But when the friend decided to go out, she sent her sister over to let the dogs out, unaware of the impact this would have. "We were unaware of the sister and did not know her," Tapia explained. "Somehow, Arlo got out that night."

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As soon as they learned of Arlo's disappearance, Tapia's oldest daughter posted on their neighborhood Facebook page, seeking help from the community. "Sightings started coming in immediately and continued for the next 55 days," Tapia said. But Arlo, being very skittish, evaded any attempts to be caught.

What followed was weeks of emotion. "We would get our hopes up when he was seen, and then a few days would go by, and we would get very worried if it was very hot out or if we heard other animals in the distance such as coyotes," Tapia explained. Despite the uncertainty, they never lost hope, thanks in large part to the support of their caring neighbors.

With the help of a neighbor who lent them a trap, they set out to bring Arlo home. "We were setting up the trap like we always did at night and came across him near a storm drain," Tapia described. The storm drain, located in an area of new townhomes, offered a unique opportunity—there was only one entrance and exit.

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Baited with tuna, they covered the area with blankets and checked a few times, but had no luck. But the following morning, when Tapia went to check the trap before her daughters got ready for school, she found success. "Lo and behold, he was there," she recalled.

Arlo was found very skinny and dehydrated, and his family spent weeks nursing him back to health. "Having him home for a month now has left us all with a feeling of being complete," Tapia said.

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Now healthy, happy, and back where he belongs, Arlo and his family are incredibly pleased to be reunited. "He is healthy and happy to be home, and so are we," the owner said.