Dick Van Dyke has checked one birthday wish off his list – the safe return of his cat Bobo!

A friend of the entertainer’s family, Laura Johnson, revealed on Instagram that Bobo “escaped” while Van Dyke and his wife Arlene Silver evacuated their home in Malibu, California, due to wildfires nearby earlier this week.

“Our thoughts were with Dick, Arlene and their sweet animals this week as the Franklin Fire raged through their Malibu neighborhood and the Van Dykes had to evacuate, just days before Dick’s 99th birthday,” she wrote in the post alongside one old photo of Van Dyke and his wife happily “tapping their toes” during an interview for the 2021 Kennedy Center Honors.

She added that the couple were finally able to return “back home” and “be reunited with their cat Bobo (who had escaped during the evacuation! And was happily waiting for them upon their return).”

Van Dyke shared Johnson’s post on his own Instagram page.

He also confirmed Bobo’s safe return in a Facebook post on Thursday, December 12, writing that he and Silver found “Bobo” at their home “as soon as we got back home this morning.”

“There was so much interest in his disappearance that Animal Control was called to help,” Van Dyke said. “But luckily he was easy to find and uninjured.”

The actor and comedian previously shared in a Facebook post on Tuesday, Dec. 10, that he and Silver “were safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo” and were “praying” that the orange tabby would make it. “The community at Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires.”

Never miss a story again — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Several fans responded to the comments, assuring the actor and comedian that Bobo would be okay, including one person who wrote, “Animals have an incredible survival instinct. “Bobo will find safety and then find his way back to you.”

Van Dyke, who turns 99 on Friday, December 13, will also be able to celebrate his birthday at home with his loved ones after a hectic few days. He previously described his escape from the wildfires in Malibu, saying his neighbors “rescued” him and helped get him to safety after a fire broke out in a nearby guest house.

“(The wildfire) came from the hill, you could see it,” he said Mary Poppins Star recalled in an interview that aired on the Today show on Thursday, December 12. “And oh my God, and we got out of here. I tried to crawl to the car, I was exhausted, I couldn’t get up.”

“Three neighbors came and carried me out and came back and put out a small fire in the guest house and saved me,” he added.

Johnson also shared a message from the Van Dyke family in her Instagram post that said, “Dick and Arlene thank their neighbors for helping them evacuate and saving their home from further damage.” 🙏🙏 Never more grateful. 🙏❤️.”

Van Dyke was one of tens of thousands of people who had to be evacuated from the Malibu area following the Franklin Fire, which broke out on Monday, December 9th. Other famous faces who also had to leave their homes include legendary singer Cher and actress Mira Sorvino.