Missing Cat’s Mysterious Journey from Yellowstone to California

WASHINGTON — A remarkable story of hope and perseverance unfolded for a couple from Salinas, California, as they were reunited with their missing cat that astonishingly traveled nearly 1,000 miles from Yellowstone National Park to Roseville, California. The Anguiano family, heartbroken after losing their beloved tabby, Rayne Beau, during a June camping trip, never imagined they would see him again.

Rayne Beau disappeared into the wilderness of Yellowstone after being startled by an unknown entity, leaving the couple to search desperately for him every day of their trip. Unable to find him, Benny and Susanne Anguiano returned home, fearing the worst. “We had to leave without him,” Susanne Anguiano told KSBW, adding that it felt like abandoning their cherished pet.

Two months later, in a twist of fate, the Anguianos received unexpected news from Pet Watch, a pet-tracking service. Their cat had been located in Roseville, approximately 800 miles from where he disappeared. Initially skeptical, the couple was convinced of the cat’s identity after receiving a photograph of Rayne Beau from the Placer Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), where a good Samaritan had brought him.

“He was really depleted,” Susanne recalled, expressing relief mixed with disbelief at Rayne Beau’s condition upon his return. The couple is now hoping that someone familiar with their pet’s extraordinary journey might come forward with information.

This incident underscores the vital importance of microchipping pets, as emphasized during the Anguianos’ interview with KSBW. Statistically, only one in 50 cats that enter shelters are reunited with owners, but this number increases substantially when a pet is microchipped—nearly two out of five are returned to their families.

With an estimated 10 million dogs and cats lost or stolen annually in the United States, the Anguianos’ experience serves as both a cautionary tale and a beacon of hope for pet owners everywhere. They urged other pet owners to take preventive measures, such as pet trackers, to avoid the heartache of potentially losing their loved animals.