Here’s a story for pet lovers.

Recently I received a call from an old classmate, Graham Schadt, who lives in Arlington, Texas.

He said he was talking to our classmate Herb Teichman and told Herb about losing their cat Louie on their way to the summer place on Lake Michigan, June 21, 2010.

It seems their pet cat Louie “jumped ship” from his soft pet carrier while checking into a motel in Collinsville, Ill.

Poor Louie was not to be seen again in 2010.

Graham said he was to pick up his wife, Polly — “Louie’s mother” — the next day at the Grand Rapids airport, without Louie.

He had advised personnel at Collinsville Animal Control that without Louie, he could become “the late Graham Schadt.”

So, by phone and computer contacts, Louie’s photos were posted by the very helpful folks of the Collinsville community at three vet clinics, a favorite restaurant, motels and the animal control office.

Six months passed.

On Wednesday, Jan. 5, Graham’s wife, Polly, answered the phone in Arlington and the voice from Hillside Vet Clinic in Collinsville said, “We have your Louie here.”

So, on Saturday, Jan. 8, Graham made a round-trip ride to St. Louis and Collinsville, Ill., and back to Louie’s Arlington, Texas, home.

Graham said Louie, who had his first 30,000-foot-high in the air flight, is now home enjoying his daily meals after his six-month vacation (ha ha).

Graham also told me Louie had a microchip implanted several years ago, so Louie was saved by modern technology.

I remember in 1946 and ’47 when Graham lived on the corner of West and Center streets, where the house was that is now the funeral home parking lot.

On the garage was a basketball hoop and a nice paved driveway where we kids used to play a little basketball at noon on our way back to Central.

Dick Gebhard, who lived next door to Graham, used to play with us, as I remember.

Boy, I sure enjoy remembering those “good ol’ days!”

“Cardinal Charlie” Gill writes a nostalgic weekly column about growing up in the Grand Old City. E-mail him at cardinalcharlie@hotmail.com.