WATERFORD - Baby is back! Actually Shannon and Allen Maher’s 8-year-old cat was never gone. She’d been hiding when fire swept through their apartment building. Twenty-four hours after the blaze, Shannon found her beloved Baby.

“Sure enough, she was hiding underneath the bed,” Shannon said, her eyes visibly moist. “Took me a little coaxing to get her out of there, but I did get her out of there.”

Click on the link under related content to see an interview with Shannon Maher.

Shannon took the cat to the Waterford Veterinary Clinic where the elusive feline was declared healthy. But, the cat and another kitten, Tigger, remain under the watchful eye of the cat professionals as the Maher’s relocate.

Despite the fact that the family had no insurance, they are counting their blessings. Shannon was able to get her Great Dane, Annika, and cats Tigger and Loki out during the blaze. All the animals are fine.

The Mahers were initially concerned they wouldn’t be able to find permanent, pet-friendly accommodations. Fortunately, their current landlord had a house available to move into right away. Wednesday afternoon they were salvaging belongings and packing up a donated U-Haul for the move.

“Maybe I can actually sleep tonight,” Shannon said. “I’ve been worried about her. Hopefully we can get things going again.”