Cats are known for being very independent, and sometimes they'll just make their own rules. But not all cats can survive in the wild. One can only imagine what a young cat would face outdoors in a congested area on an everyday basis.

One family in New York had probably given up all hope after their cat escaped from a relatives home back in July 2012. Now, after an extensive search, which NBC says involved putting up flyers around town and contacting local veterinarians, one missing cat has finally returned home,

Cat Escapes in New York and Goes Missing For 10 Years

UPI says Richard Price's cat Mimi was being cared for by his sister-in-law in 2012, when she got out. After searching all over the area, the family had probably given up hope. But just the other week, Price's family received a phone that Mimi had been found and turned in to the Town of Brookhaven Animal Shelter, according to NBC. 

As astounding as the news was, poor Mimi was not in the best of shape when she was found. In fact, the supervisor for Brookhaven said Mimi was so badly matted that she "felt like a shield of armor". NBC says that Mimi was microchipped and the shelter was able to find Price, who had now retired and was living in Spain.

NBC says that Mimi is now 13-years-old and is being watched by a relative until Price and his wife come back to the U.S. next month to bring her with them back to Spain.

Horse Rescued From Pool

You don't expect to wake up one morning and look outside to find a horse stuck in your backyard pool.

That was exactly what happened though, as rescuers were called to a home one morning in March after reports of a horse who accidentally got herself trapped in the pool. It was a team effort between agencies to free the 3-year-old horse, however, they were luckily able to lead the horse safely up through the shallow end of the pool to freedom.

The New York Post says the horse got stuck in the backyard pool at her owners' house and was entangled in the pool cover. Suffolk County Police said on their Facebook page, that Fifth Precinct police officers, Emergency Service Section officers, and members of the Bohemia Fire Department assisted in rescuing the horse. The horse was not injured.

Once the horse was rescued, officials even posed for a picture:

Suffolk County Police Dept. Facebook
Suffolk County Police Dept. Facebook
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LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

LOOK: 30 fascinating facts about sleep in the animal kingdom

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