A pet cat has defied the odds and returned home to his owners in California after getting lost in Yellowstone National Park two months ago.
The adventure-loving feline – called Rayne Beau – apparently made the 900-mile journey from Wyoming after getting spooked during a family camping trip.
His owners, Benny and Susanne Anguiano, took Rayne Beau and his twin sister to Yellowstone’s Fishing Bridge RV Park on 4 June for the cats’ first trip to the forest.
However, the holiday ended badly after Rayne Beau was startled and ran into nearby trees.
Despite searching for four days, the Anguianos were unable to find their lost pet, finally returning home to Salinas with heavy hearts.
Despite heading home, Ms Anguino said she never lost hope she would find him and took a double rainbow she saw on the drive home as “a sign” he would be OK.
In August, the Anguianos received a surprise phone call from Rayne Beau’s microchip company to tell them their pet was safe and well at the Society For The Prevention of Cruelty To Animals (SPCA) in Roseville, California.
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The animal shelter was nearly 900 miles (1,448 km) from Yellowstone, and just 200 miles (322 km) away from their home.
A woman who first saw Rayne Beau wandering the streets of the northern California city fed him and gave him water until she managed to catch him on 3 August, taking him to the local SPCA.
Rayne Beau’s owners picked him up the following day.
He’d lost 6lbs and had ‘beat up paws’
Ms Anguianos said he had lost six pounds, adding: “I believe truly that he made that trek mostly on his own. His paws were really beat up. Lost 40% of his body weight, had really low protein levels because of inadequate nutrition. So, he was not cared for.”
It remains a mystery how Rayne Beau got to Roseville, and his owners are hoping members of the public may be able to fill in the blanks.
Rayne Beau has now been fitted with a GPS global tracker in case of further misadventure.
His owners say they will practise “camping in their driveway to get him used to it,” before hitting the road again.
