Current:Home > InvestA cat went missing in Wyoming. 2 months later, he was found in his home state, California. -TruePath Finance
A cat went missing in Wyoming. 2 months later, he was found in his home state, California.
View
Date:2025-04-23 18:13:24
This story was updated to add a photo.
The love between a pet and its owner knows no bounds nor state lines.
After going missing in Yellowstone National Park, a two-year-old cat traveled more than 800 miles toward its California home.
Siamese cat Rayne Beau, pronounced "rainbow," ran off into the trees during a trip to the Wyoming park in June, according his owners Benny and Susanne Anguiano. The couple, based out of Salinas in Monterey County, thought they had seen the last of their beloved pet.
However, two months later, they received a voicemail from an animal shelter in Roseville, about a 30 minutes northeast of Sacramento, informing them that Rayne Beau was ready for pick up.
The pair's five day trip at Yellowstone took a downturn after several days spent scouring the park, with Benny roaming the forest wearing bear repellant. Their relentless search ended June 8 when their park reservation ended, and the couple returned home devastated. Benny told Susanne they could not stay at the park forever, and park rangers said they would inform them if Rayne Beau was spotted.
"I understood that, but I just made him stay until the very last minute, that's for sure. And even as we were driving out, I had my window down. I'm still calling him and we're still scanning the road. It was pretty traumatic," Susanne told USA TODAY Thursday.
Rayne Beau's twin cat, Starr Jasmine, called out for her brother from a carrier. Susanne said she knew her twin was gone. The ride home was sorrowful for her as the cat grappled with being apart from her twin for the first time ever.
Couple initially skeptical of shelter's phone call
The Anguianos held onto hope despite mounting despair. Park officials said some pets are found months later, Benny said. As they crossed the state line into Idaho, the couple saw a double rainbow, assuring Susanne that Rayne Beau "is being taken care of."
Yet, the pair found themselves in complete disbelief when a voicemail Aug. 3 from the Placer SPCA shelter in Roseville said that their cat had been found. Skeptical of a potential scam, Susanne said it wasn't until her husband and daughter were also contacted that they began taking the message seriously.
"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 said. "So they did. About 20 minutes later, they sent a picture and yep, it was him."
The two reserved their emotions until they could see the cat, afraid of false hope. But the moment they laid eyes on Rayne Beau, they knew they had been reunited.
"When we for sure knew, we were in tears. We were all hugging and crying," Susanne said.
Rayne Beau and Starr Jasmine are back to sleeping, playing and jumping together after a brutal period apart. The couple now has three cats, including new addition Maxx, who they adopted as a companion for Starr while she was alone.
Cat lost nearly half his bodyweight while missing
While it's unclear how Rayne Beau made his way from Wyoming to California, his appearance shows the journey did not come without struggles. Susanne said his paws were calloused, dry and cracked.
Rayne Beau weighed between 7 and 8 pounds, down from his initial 13 pound weight, according to Susanne. Veterinarians said bloodwork showed low protein levels from inadequate nutrition, leading the family to believe no one cared for him during those 60 days.
"Poor thing looked like he was six months old, nine months old. He was really little, all skin and bones. He had lost half his body weight," Benny said. "He was in starvation mode. So now he's worked himself out of that."
Susanne said both Rayne Beau and Starr were microchipped as required by the local rescue shelter from where they had adopted the cats. However, she said she was grateful Starr wasn't the one who ran off, as her microchip had shortly fallen out when she was spayed as a kitten, according to a local shelter that performed procedure.
She urges all dog and cat owners to not only microchip their pets, but register their owners name and contact information because life can be unpredictable.
"If you love your pet you will," Susanne said. "You will do that if you ever want to see them again, because anything can happen. As careful as you can be, animals are animals and something can happen like with us, and they get away."
veryGood! (994)
Related
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- A man took a knife from the scene after a police shooting in New York City
- The new hard-right Dutch coalition pledges stricter limits on asylum
- Gilmore Girls' Kelly Bishop Reacts to Criticism of Rory Gilmore's Adult Storyline
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- Their relatives died after a Baltimore bridge collapsed. Here's who they blame
- Why Josh Gad Regrets Using His Voice for Frozen's Olaf
- Saquon Barkley takes blame for critical drop that opened door in Eagles' stunning collapse
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Jalen Hurts rushing yards: Eagles QB dominates with legs in 'Monday Night Football' loss
Ranking
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- Is Demi Moore as Obsessed With J.Crew's Barn Jacket as We Are?
- Fed rate decision will be big economic news this week. How much traders bet they'll cut
- North Carolina braces for more after 'historic' rainfall wreaks havoc across state
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano is erupting again in a remote part of a national park
- October Prime Day 2024: Everything We Know and Early Deals You Can Shop Now
- iPhone 16, new Watch and AirPods are coming: But is Apple thinking differently enough?
Recommendation
Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
Why RHOSLC's Heather Gay Feels Like She Can't Win After Losing Weight on Ozempic
23andMe agrees to $30 million settlement over data breach that affected 6.9 million users
Horoscopes Today, September 15, 2024
The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
Why Kelly Osbourne Says Rehab Is Like Learning “How to Be a Better Drug Addict”
23andMe agrees to $30 million settlement over data breach that affected 6.9 million users
The new hard-right Dutch coalition pledges stricter limits on asylum