After almost a month lost in New Mexico’s Gila National Forest, Margaret Page was found emaciated and malnourished but alive. And she may have her cat to thank for that.

With temperatures dropping below freezing most nights, the 41-year-old cuddled with her kitty for warmth during her ordeal. “Her cat was in better shape than she was,” said Marc Levesque, New Mexico State Police Search and Rescue incident commander. “Her cat was also hunting. [Page] ran out of food a while back.”

Nobody knows why Page, an experienced hiker with a history of mental illness, wandered off the Railroad Canyon Trail in New Mexico somewhere around February 10th. It is also unclear why search and rescue crews were only told to begin looking for Page last week, when her family had reported her missing in mid-February, and her vehicle had been spotted not far from the trail

Page lost 25 pounds during her time in the woods, but was alert and awake by the time she reached Gila Regional Medical Center.

The 41-year-old checked herself out of the hospital Wednesday, and was then able to reunite with her loyal feline. Learn more about this story below.

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