Missing London Cat Found 8 Years Later in Paris

— -- When Marna Gilligan's cat slipped out of her London home during a New Year's party eight years ago, she thought she'd never seen her again.

That was until she got a call, saying that her cat, known as Moon Unit, had been found thanks to her microchip. Moon Unit, a domestic short-hair, had traveled all the way to Paris and was rescued by animal shelter Aide et de Défense des Animaux en Détresse.

"I didn’t believe it at all actually," Gilligan, 39, told ABC News. "It wasn't until we had exchanged pictures and I saw that distinct marking on her nose that I actually believed it. I was amazed and thrilled and the next week I kept stopping strangers in the street [saying], 'Can I tell you a story about my cat?'"

Gilligan said she had "no idea" how her cat, whom she rescued as a kitten, got to the City of Love. "All we know is that she didn't get there legally because her microchip is part of a pet passport [needed to travel between countries,]" she added.

Last weekend, Gilligan and her ex-partner Sean Purdy traveled to Paris to pick up their long-lost cat.

"They handed us Moon Unit, we handed them some flowers and everybody was happy," Gilligan said.

The pack had to travel by train to get home, where Moon Unit, who was a bit malnourished, is now staying with Purdy.