FUZHOU, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Clutching her mobile phone, Qi Gaohong tossed and turned in bed late at night while gazing at the pictures of her beloved pet cat Xiaomi, which was unexpectedly trapped in a dormitory thousands of miles away.

A 26-year-old teacher at a training school in Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province, Qi had returned to her hometown in north China's Hebei Province days before the Spring Festival to spend the holiday with her family.

She found two temporary adopters for her dog and cat, one of which is a friend with two cats, during her absence.

Everything seemed perfect until the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

On Jan. 23, two days before the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, China implemented traffic restrictions in Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic, to curb the spread of the virus. Many places followed suit, including Dongzhai Village in Xiamen, where her cat was staying with the two others.

Qi's friend called her on Feb. 11, saying that the village was shut down and he was unable to get in as he lacked the special pass handed out to local residents.

His request to enter the village and bring out the cats was denied by the community workers who were already on the move to prevent the spread of the virus.

Qi was worried that her cat would die of thirst and hunger and couldn't help but keep imagining the cruel fate that may have befallen Xiaomi.

For Qi, the two-and-half-year-old Xiaomi is not only a pet cat, but also a companion that makes her feel at home and supports her as she pursues her career away from home.

Xiaomi has accompanied her day and night over the past year. "Every day after work, when I come home at around 10 p.m., I will always be greeted by my cat and dog," she recalled, adding that Xiaomi always sits on the shoe cabinet.

Qi has been devoted to rescuing more than 50 stray cats and dogs, and helped find them caring homes.

"I usually take my pets for beauty treatments at pet stores, and bring them with me on self-driving tours," she said.

When 10 p.m. rolled around a day later, Qi posted a notice online seeking help.

"More than 200 people reposted my notice, including my colleagues, students, relatives and even strangers. Some of them added me on WeChat," she said, "however, most of them couldn't offer more than words of comfort."

The helplessness of the situation came crashing down on her. Her pictures of Xiaomi helped ease her nervousness and anxiety.

"Some suggested that I should try to contact the owners of shops near the village, they may find a way to ask their acquaintances who can enter the village and bring Xiaomi out," she recalled, noting that although it seemed futile, she'd still give it a try.

At around 6 a.m. on Feb. 13, a female stranger called and told Qi that she had an acquaintance living in the village and was willing to help, Qi recollected.

Thanks to the timely help, her friend finally made it to the village, but was still blocked by the locked door to the dorm of the studio.

But thankfully, a villager managed to reach the landlord. The cats were saved before they ran out of food and water.

"Seeing Xiaomi safe and sound reassured me the most," she said, after receiving a video clip her friend took of Xiaomi after the cat was rescued.

The entire "adventure" took three days and two nights, a period in which she was unable to sleep.

"You never know which will come first, an accident or tomorrow," said Qi, adding that the experience of rescuing Xiaomi reassures her that kind-hearted people are always right there ready to give a hand.

She tried to thank those who helped her by offering them a cash reward, but all of them declined.

Qi got back to Xiamen on Sunday. She hopes that the epidemic will end as soon as possible so that she can bring her pets to the seashore and fly a kite, and most importantly, visit the warm-hearted people who saved the day.