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Cat Lost In Camp Fire Found 102 Days Later, Will Reunite With Family In Missouri

March 7, 2019 / 10:54 PM PST / CBS Sacramento

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BUTTE COUNTY (CBS13) — A miraculous discovery in the burn zone. Months after going missing in the Camp Fire, a cat has been rescued and is now ready to reunite with his family, who has since relocated to Missouri.

The cat's owners say they never stopped thinking about their pet. At times they thought there was just no way he was still alive, but other times they still held out hope. They say this a very happy ending to what's been a very devastating time.

His home was destroyed in the Camp Fire, but 102 days later, Dexter the cat rose from the ashes alive, healthy and happy.

"I myself had horrible thoughts about him burning up in the fire," said Paul Ritchie, Dexter's owner.

Paul and Sandra Ritchie spoke with CBS13 over the phone from Missouri, where they moved after their home burned down in Paradise.

"We had like five minutes to get out of the house," they said.

The couple says they found three of their cats, but couldn't find Dexter in time before they had to evacuate. But last week the two-year-old cat was found in the fire zone by rescuers from the Field Haven Feline Center. Fortunately, he was microchipped.

Paul describes his feeling as he got the call.

"I said what? It was pretty emotional."

READ: Bobcat Burned In Camp Fire Nursed Back To Health, Released Back Into Wild

Dexter will board a flight to Missouri to be reunited with his family Friday.

Sandra said, "It's going to be unbelievable. I think I'm going to just stand there and cry and want to hug him."

Already living through hell on earth, Dexter the cat is now living out a feline fairytale.

Hundreds of cats have already been rescued from the fire zone by the Field Haven Feline Center. About 200 cats are still waiting to be reunited with their families and officials say it's possible there could be up to a thousand cats still out there who need to be rescued.

Swipe to see iconic images from the devastating Camp Fire.

PARADISE, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 11: An aerial view of homes destroyed by the Camp Fire on February 11, 2019 in Paradise, California. Three months after the deadly and destructive Camp Fire, the community is beginning the rebuilding process. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

PARADISE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 21: Stairs remains standing at a home that was destroyed by the Camp Fire on November 21, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity the Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise charring over 150,000 acres, killed at least 81 people and has destroyed over 18,000 homes and businesses. The fire is currently at 80 percent containment and hundreds of people still remain missing. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

PARADISE, CA - NOVEMBER 21: A view of a business that was destroyed by the Camp Fire on November 21, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity the Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise charring over 150,000 acres, killed at least 83 people and has destroyed over 18,000 homes and businesses. The fire is currently at 85 percent containment and hundreds of people still remain missing. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

PARADISE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 21: A statue of a bear remains in front of a restaurant that was destroyed by the Camp Fire on November 21, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity the Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise charring over 150,000 acres, killed at least 81 people and has destroyed over 18,000 homes and businesses. The fire is currently at 80 percent containment and hundreds of people still remain missing. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

PARADISE, CA - NOVEMBER 21: An American flag flies in front of a business that was destroyed by the Camp Fire on November 21, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity the Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise charring over 150,000 acres, killed at least 81 people and has destroyed over 18,000 homes and businesses. The fire is currently at 80 percent containment and hundreds of people still remain missing. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

OROVILLE, CA - NOVEMBER 11: The Camp Fire burns in the hills on November 11, 2018 near Oroville, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity the Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise charring over 105,000 acres, killed 23 people and has destroyed over 6,700 homes and businesses. The fire is currently at 25 percent containment. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

A burned out Jack In The Box restaurant is seen in downtown Paradise, California, after the Camp fire tore through on November 10, 2018. - Firefighters in California on November 10 battled raging blazes at both ends of the state that have left at least nine people dead and thousands of homes destroyed, but there was little hope of containing the flames anytime soon. So far, all nine fatalities were reported in the town of Paradise, in Butte County, where more than 6,700 buildings, most of them residences, have been consumed by the late-season inferno, which is now California's most destructive fire on record. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP) (Photo credit should read JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images)

TOPSHOT - Flames from the Camp fire burn near a home atop a ridge near Big Bend, California, on November 10, 2018. - The death toll from the most destructive fire to hit California rose to 23 on November 10 as rescue workers recovered more bodies of people killed by the devastating blaze. Ten of the bodies were found in the town of Paradise while four were discovered in the Concow area, both in Butte County. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP) (Photo credit should read JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images)

PARADISE, CA - NOVEMBER 09: A line of burned out abandoned cars sit on the road after the Camp Fire moved through the area on November 9, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise and has quickly charred 70,000 acres and has destroyed numerous homes and businesses in a matter of hours. The fire is currently at five percent containment. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

MAGALIA, CA - NOVEMBER 09: A Cal Fire firefighter monitors a burning home as the Camp Fire moves through the area on November 9, 2018 in Magalia, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise and has quickly charred 70,000 acres and has destroyed numerous homes and businesses in a matter of hours. The fire is currently at five percent containment. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

PARADISE, CA - NOVEMBER 08: A burned out van continues to smolder after the Camp Fire moved through the area on November 8, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading wildfire has ripped through the town of Paradise, charring 18,000 acres and destroying dozens of homes in a matter of hours. The fire is currently at zero containment. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

PARADISE, CA - NOVEMBER 08: A business burns as the Camp Fire moves through the area on November 8, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading Camp Fire has ripped through the town of Paradise and has quickly charred 18,000 acres and has destroyed dozens of homes in a matter of hours. The fire is currently at zero containment. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

PARADISE, CA - NOVEMBER 08: Hospital workers and first responders evacuate patients from the Feather River Hospital as the Camp Fire moves through the area on November 8, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading Camp Fire has ripped through the town of Paradise and has quickly charred 18,000 acres and has destroyed dozens of homes in a matter of hours. The fire is currently at zero containment. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

PARADISE, CA - NOVEMBER 08: A plume of smoke rises above the Camp Fire as it moves through the area on November 8, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading Camp Fire has ripped through the town of Paradise and has quickly charred 18,000 acres and has destroyed dozens of homes in a matter of hours. The fire is currently at zero containment. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)