NOVATO, Calif. — A cat that was missing for more than eight years has been reunited with her family thanks to a man who took her to an animal shelter.

Marin Humane Society spokeswoman Lisa Bloch said Sunday that Rick Benson had been feeding the orange tabby near his shop in Novato for about two months until he decided to take the stray feline for a checkup at the animal shelter.

Bloch says luckily the cat was micro-chipped and the shelter was able to contact her owners, Nancy and Stephen Payne, who reunited with Ginger on Wednesday.

Bloch says Ginger was just a kitten when she ran away from her Novato home.

She says reuniting a pet missing for eight years with their owners is a record for the organization.