A family mourning their cat couldn't believe the text they received that changed what they thought happened.

A December 6 TikTok video posted to the account @deegz804 explained to viewers that the family cat, Marshall, wouldn't leave their old house after they moved. The cat continued traveling back to their previous home. The family would visit their old house, trying to lure her with food and bring her with them, but nothing worked.

Their hearts stopped when they received a message with heartbreaking news that someone spotted a cat that looked like theirs who had been hit by a car. The husband went to where the incident occurred to confirm it was their beloved pet. He believed it was, so he wrapped her in a blanket and brought her home. The family decided to cremate her.

But their sadness immediately turned around when the homeowners of their old place shared that Marshall was, in fact, alive.

"I was just sitting watching TV with my daughter and her friend," the owner told Newsweek. "I opened the message and was like, 'Oh my God.'"

As it turns out, Marshall never left their old home. The new homeowners spotted her in the garden and reached out to the family to let them know she was still coming around. They couldn't believe the turn of events.

"We were so relieved and happy as we were devastated when we thought she was dead," the owner said.

"[My husband] went to the house and the couple who now live there had Marshall in the kitchen," she said. "She ran straight to my husband when he went in."

The lesson the family jokingly learned was to never send the husband to identify a body.

"We haven't been able to find the owner yet of the mystery cat," the owner said. "We plan to leave it a couple of months and keep searching. Then if still no luck we will scatter the ashes in parkland near our home."

Viewer Reactions

With more than 403,800 views, the video took users for a whirlwind as emotions swung back and forth. Like the family, people were thrilled they were reunited with their cat, but hearts broke for the cat they cremated.

"That was a rollercoaster of emotions. I'm glad your baby is okay. Thank you for giving that random cat a nice funeral," said a viewer.

Another added: "The other kitty was shown love and that's always a blessing."

A third person wrote: "Omg that took a turn. I am so sorry for the other beautiful cat but so glad you got yours back."