Editorial Standards

Latest News Today maintains rigorous editorial standards. Our team verifies information from trusted sources and provides context to help readers understand complex stories.

Last Updated: Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 07:06 PM
Category: Id

Editor's Note

Latest News Today provides comprehensive coverage and analysis of breaking news stories. This article is part of our ongoing coverage of wbna20951226, bringing you verified information from trusted sources with added context and expert perspective.

Why This Matters: Understanding the full context of this story helps readers make informed decisions and stay updated on developments that impact our community.

Smoky the cat found 3 months after tornado

More than three months after disappearing during a tornado, Smoky the cat has been reunited with his owner.

More than three months after disappearing during a tornado, Smoky the cat has been reunited with his owner.

Smoky was last seen June 7, before a tornado destroyed Wanda Ploeger's mobile home in rural Riverview, scattering her belongings.

Ploeger was at work that evening and couldn't find her kitty when she returned.

Ploeger, who has been staying with her ex-husband, said she knew Smoky was out there somewhere. She'd go out late at night to look for Smoky because that's when he liked to go out, she said.

"I kept telling my sister I never got a feeling about him," she said. "With other animals I'd always get a feeling. ... I always thought he'd come back."

And he did.

While driving about 2 1/2 miles from where her trailer used to be on Sept. 15, Ploeger saw a white streak and asked the driver to stop the truck along the highway.

The cat had gone over the hill so she crouched on the hill and called until it came to her.

Smoky dropped about three pounds and is now seven pounds. He also is taking antibiotics for an abscess, which he might have suffered while fighting, Ploeger said.

Ploeger said she plans to buy another mobile home and put it in the same place.

"It wouldn't be the same without him here," she said.