The 1400-Kilometer Adventure of a Cat That Lost Its Home

A cat named 'Rainbow' went on a mysterious and hundreds of kilometers long adventure after getting lost during a recreational trip with its owners in Yellowstone National Park, USA, and eventually returned home to California. Benny and Susan Anguiano traveled from their home in Salinas, California, on June 5 of this year for camping and fishing in a park in Wyoming, where they lost Rainbow on the very first day. The cat apparently fled into the woods after being frightened by something, and despite the couple's efforts to attract her attention with her favorite treats and toys, they were unable to bring her back. Susan Anguiano said, 'Rainbow got lost on the first day of our trip, and my husband went into the woods for hours every day to find her... We had to leave the park without her. That day was the hardest because I felt like I was abandoning her.' However, this was not the end of the story. After 61 days, the couple received astonishing news. An animal microchip manufacturing company informed them that 'Rainbow' was in the custody of the Animal Rescue Society in Roseville, California; over 1400 kilometers away from where she had gone missing and about 300 kilometers from their home. It is still unclear how this cat traveled such a long distance towards home. However, a woman first spotted her in the streets of Roseville, fed her, and eventually took her to the Animal Rescue Society on August 4. The next day, the Anguiano family went to Roseville and found their cat, who had lost nearly three kilograms of weight. Susan Anguiano told the Associated Press that their cat 'really made this journey on her own. Her paws were injured, and she had lost about 40% of her body weight.' This mysterious and perilous journey of the Siamese cat once again highlights the importance of using electronic chips for identifying pets and also using trackers for locating cats that go outside. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, it is estimated that 10 million dogs and cats go missing or are stolen in the United States each year. Only one out of every 50 cats in shelters returns to their owners. However, this number is higher for cats with microchips, with nearly two out of every five lost cats finding their families again.