A cat who got lost in Yellowstone National Park somehow traveled more than 900 miles to return home after two months, with help from the pet’s microchip, an animal welfare organization said.
Rayne Beau is a 2-and-a-half-year-old seal point mitted siamese. His owners, Susanne and Benny Anguiano from Salinas, California, were visiting the park in Wyoming when he wandered off, Susanne told CNN.
The recently relocated cat, whose name is pronounced as “rainbow,” went missing on the first day of their trip to Fishing Bridge RV Park on June 4, Anguiano said.
“My husband is my hero because he went every day into the forest for hours looking for him,” Anguiano told CNN affiliate KSBW this week.
Rayne Beau ran off into the forest after getting startled, and the couple’s attempts to lure him back with his favorite treats and toys were unsuccessful, KSBW reported.
“We had to leave without him,” Anguiano told KSBW. “That was the hardest day because I felt like I was abandoning him.”
The heartbroken pet owner said she never lost hope of finding her missing pet, according to KSBW. However, they adopted another cat a month after Rayne Beau went missing to keep his sister company, Anguiano told CNN.
Then, 61 days after Rayne Beau went missing, the couple received a notification about a cat with Rayne Beau’s identification number being located, KSBW reported.
Rayne Beau was found in Roseville, California, around 190 miles away from his home in Salinas. He was then taken to the Placer Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Roseville, the society’s CEO, Leilani Fratis, confirmed in an email to CNN.
How Rayne Beau Found His Way Home
The cat was found in poor health by the woman who turned him in, KSBW reported. Anguiano told CNN, “We have been in contact with the woman who found him in Roseville and took him in for a couple of nights before she could get him to the SPCA.” In total, the cat somehow traveled more than 1,000 miles from Wyoming, to Roseville and onward home to Salinas, California.
The couple said they’re not sure how Rayne Beau made it all the way back to California, but they are thankful he’s back home. “We are ecstatic to have him back,” Anguiano said. “I look at him every day and am so grateful and tell him, ‘Do you know how many weeks I had been praying to see that face again?’”
Lessons Learned
The Anguianos learned a hard lesson from Rayne Beau’s disappearance. Fratis echoed the message about microchipping, saying, “We hope everyone will see the benefits to microchipping their pets.”
The couple said they’ve since taken extra precautions to ensure their pets are safe. Rayne Beau now wears a GPS global tracker. They’ve also added AirTags to two of their cats.
“It was a very ugly feeling after we lost him,” Benny Anguiano said. “We’ll have to practice camping at home and camp in the driveway to get him used to it.”
A Tale of Hope and Resilience
Rayne Beau’s story is a testament to the incredible resilience of animals. He’s a reminder of the importance of microchipping your pets and never giving up hope, even when the odds seem stacked against you. It’s also a story of human compassion, with many people playing a part in Rayne Beau’s safe return home.
While it is still a mystery how the cat traveled across the country, his story will undoubtedly continue to amaze and inspire people for years to come. And we can all learn something from this remarkable feline, who proves that no matter how far you stray, there’s always a way to find your way back home.
