After the fire, the author was so depressed and dejected with all that had happened in his life he just wanted to curl up and die. He had also given up all hope of ever finding his cat. However, the kindness and generosity of all the people around him especially at school and the kind woman who returned his cat made him realise that things would be okay. He now had a new outlook to life. His cat was back and he too was ready to go on with his life. This is what he meant when he said “My cat was back and so was I”.
The author had not gone anywhere but felt – gratitude for his life for his new friends, their genuine outpouring of concern and the kindness of a stranger who had brought back his beloved cat. When he looked at his house being rebuilt he felt that the same thing was happening with his life. He had made new friends and his cat was back. All this had brought him back to life.
