Hundreds of miles of wilderness and the looming threat of predators couldn’t keep a California cat from returning to its family.

Rayne Beau — pronounced like “rainbow” — is a two-year-old feline that disappeared in June after he ran off into the woods during a family trip to Yellowstone National Park.

Now — three months and more than 800 miles later — the little cat has been reunited with his owners.

Benny and Susanne Anguiano, Rayne Beau’s owners, spent nearly their entire trip to the national park searching for their lost cat. Benny doused himself with bear spray and wandered the woods calling out for the cat, and the couple even used the calls of Rayne Beau’s twin sister, Starr Jasmine, to try to draw the feline out of the woods, USA Today reports.

None of their efforts were successful, and after days of searching their reservations at the park expired. Knowing they couldn’t stay indefinitely, the couple left the park devastated. Rangers assured them that if they spotted the cat they’d call, but they feared they would never see their pet again.

Adding to the despair was the fact that their other cat, Starr Jasmine, was struggling to cope with the loss of her sibling.

Despite the brutal sadness that comes with losing a pet, nature provided one apt sign suggesting that, perhaps, Rayne Beau was going to be ok: Susanne saw a double rainbow as they entered Idaho, and she knew that somewhere her cat was “being taken care of.”

That eventually turned out to be true. Three months later the family received a call from a shelter telling them they’d found Rayne Beau. The couple was skeptical at first, initially thinking it was a scam or a misidentification, and guarded themselves from getting their hopes up.

“I said, ‘take a picture. I want to make sure I don’t drive three-and-a-half hours and it’s not my cat,” Benny told USA Today. “So they did. About 20 minutes later, they sent a picture and yep, it was him.”

Even after seeing the photo, however, the family was still skeptical. They couldn’t bear the feeling of losing their cat for a second time, so they managed their expectations and prepared for the worst.

Upon arrival at the Placer SPCA animal shelter in Roseville, California, all of those reservations were washed away — when they saw the cat, they knew it was their Rayne Beau.

“When we for sure knew, we were in tears. We were all hugging and crying,” Susanne said.

Rayne Beau was microchipped, which aided the shelter in locating his owners, according to Susanne.

The cat had survived its long journey from Yellowstone to Roseville — approximately 834 miles — but not without complications. Rayne Beau had lost nearly half his body weight, his paws were dried and cracked, and he was malnourished due to a lack of proper nutrition during his time in the wilderness.

Susanne said his weight loss and lack of nutrition suggested to her that he had not been found or cared for during his time away and had been out in the woods for most of his journey.

After some time recovering, Rayne Beau is now at a healthy weight and is back to sleeping and playing with his sister and his new housemate Maxx, who the family adopted to keep Starr Jasmine company in her brother’s absence.

Rayne Beau's Amazing Journey

The mystery of how Rayne Beau travelled those 800 miles remains a mystery, but his journey is a testament to the resilience and determination of felines. Some speculate that Rayne Beau may have hitched a ride with a passing car or truck, while others believe that he may have followed the scent of familiar home, a journey that could have taken him weeks or even months to complete.

The Importance of Microchipping

Rayne Beau's miraculous return is a powerful reminder of the importance of microchipping pets. Microchipping is a safe and effective way to ensure that lost pets can be reunited with their families. Microchips are tiny electronic devices implanted under a pet's skin, containing a unique identification number that can be scanned by animal shelters and veterinarians. In Rayne Beau's case, his microchip was instrumental in his return home.

A Story of Hope and Resilience

The story of Rayne Beau is a heartwarming reminder that even in the face of overwhelming odds, hope and resilience can prevail. Rayne Beau's journey is a testament to the deep bond between pets and their owners, and a reminder of the incredible ability of animals to overcome adversity.

A Final Word on Rayne Beau

Rayne Beau's journey from the wilderness of Yellowstone to his home in California is a story that will be told for years to come. It's a story of determination, survival, and the incredible bond between humans and their pets. His story serves as a reminder to microchip our pets and never give up hope. Rayne Beau's return is a testament to the power of hope, perseverance, and the unbreakable bond between humans and their furry companions.