A California couple who thought their cat was gone forever got the shock of their lives last month when it turned up more than 900 miles from where it went missing.
Benny and Suzanne Anguiano and their two cats arrived at Yellowstone National Park on June 4. The couple always travels with their pets, but their Siamese cat, Rainbow, was frightened and ran off into the woods.
The couple searched for him for four days, trying to entice him to return with his favorite treats and toys, according to the Associated Press.
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Rainbow was nowhere to be seen.
Finally, on June 8, the Anguiano family began their journey home to their home in Salinas, California. Salinas is located south of San Francisco.
This photo provided by Suzanne Anguiano shows her cat, Rainbow, looking out the window of a camper in July 2023. Rainbow escaped from the camper in June 2024 and was missing for two months before being found 900 miles away. (Suzanne Anguiano via The Associated Press)
Susan told the Associated Press she was “devastated” but remained hopeful, despite all odds, that her cat would be found safe.
“We were going into the Nevada desert and all of a sudden we saw a double rainbow. We took a picture and we thought it was a sign, a sign to our rainbow that he was OK,” she said.
As it turns out, little Rainbow was tougher than anyone thought.
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In August, the Anguianos received word that Rain Bow had been found: thin, with rough legs, but otherwise in good health.
Rainbow was found in Roseville, California, about 900 miles from Yellowstone and 200 miles from Salinas, where she escaped, according to the Associated Press.
Rainbow, pictured above, was found in Roseville, California, two months after running away from her owners in Yellowstone National Park. She was reunited with her family after being scanned for a microchip. (Alexandra Betts via The Associated Press)
A woman noticed the Siamese cat on the street and gave it food and water before successfully capturing it on August 3. The woman then took it to her local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to be scanned for a microchip.
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According to the Associated Press, Rainbow lost six pounds during her two-month journey back to California.
The Anguiano believe that Rain Bow was somehow able to return to California on her own.
His leg was badly injured.
“I truly believe he made that journey pretty much on his own. His leg was badly injured. He had lost 40 percent of his body weight and was malnourished with very low protein levels, so he wasn't getting any care,” Suzanne Anguiano told The Associated Press.
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The couple contacted media to see if anyone had spotted the cat during their journey.
For now, the Anguianos have decided to put travelling with their cat on hold.
Since then, the Anguianos have fitted their cats (Rainbow is in the foreground) with air tags and GPS trackers. (Suzanne Anguiano via The Associated Press)
“I felt so bad after we lost him,” Benny Anguiano told The Associated Press. “I have to do practice camping at home, camping in our driveway, to get him used to it.”
And they took extra measures to ensure the cats' safety and health.
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The cats were already microchipped, but they were later fitted with air tags and, in Rainbow's case, a GPS global tracker, the Aguainos said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
