"SWAT Cat," beloved Boston Police SWAT mascot, found safe

ROXBURY, Mass. -- A stray cat that's become the Boston Police Department SWAT team's unofficial mascot has been found safe, according to the department.

"SWAT cat" went missing in late November. Last month, the department posted a note on its Facebook page seeking help finding their furry friend, and news of her disappearance spread quickly over social media.

Boston Police say the Calico cat returned to her home at the department's Special Operations Unit headquarters in Roxbury Thursday morning, exactly one month since they reported her missing.

Officers adopted "SWAT Cat" not long after she showed up there in 2013, and she has since become a beloved part of the team, reported the Boston Globe. The special operations unit reportedly houses officers from SWAT, the motorcycle unit, and the hazardous materials response team.

The two-year veteran would show up for chow time with the unit and roll over for belly rubs from officers.

The paper reports officers fed and cared for SWAT cat, providing her with a heated shelter outside their building. She was reportedly oftentimes found lounging on top of a large armored vehicle used in SWAT operations -- known fittingly as "Bearcat" -- or curled up on officers' motorcycles.

"You pull into the driveway and hope she will come running across the parking lot," Officer Evon Burroughs told the Globe shortly after the cat disappeared. "She had become part of the family. But it's sad, she's not there. It's like going to work and not seeing a well-liked coworker."

Many feared she had been killed or had left the unit for good, the Globe reported Thursday. Officers were overjoyed when she returned Thursday.

"The SWAT Team wants to thank the community for keeping an eye out for the feline and for all the calls and emails of support," the department said in a Facebook post Thursday. "The officers are just happy that she was safe all this time."