Kevin the Cat’s Cross Country Caper

Nov 8, 2015

Life can be tough for a cat. Sure, you’ve got all the toys and catnip you could ask for, but deep down you still yearn for adventure. You know, the freedom that comes from traveling across the U.S. with no worries about bath time or wondering when the vacuum will rear its terrifying head again. One can only imagine this is how Kevin the Cat felt as he ran away from his home in the fall of 2013.

After living with his new owner, Cheryl Walls, for only a few months, Kevin disappeared from his home in Anderson, South Carolina. Despite the family’s best search efforts, he was nowhere to be found. That is, until an unlikely call was received 18 months later.

Kevin The Cat

“And I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for that pesky border checkpoint!” -Kevin the Cat

Every day, thousands of cars pass the border between California and Arizona. Of those travelers, a few are randomly selected to undergo a routine inspection. For the most part, nothing too out of the ordinary is found. However, that wasn’t the case for the inspector who stopped a U-Haul trailer that just happened to be carrying none other than Kevin the Cat.

Somehow little Kevin had made it from South Carolina all the way to sunny California in a span of 18 months! Perhaps dreams of a dip in the Pacific guided him, or maybe he was on his way to Hollywood to become the next big feline in showbiz. Either way, the owner of the contents of the U-Haul trailer confirmed that Kevin did not belong to her, and he was taken to the Riverside County Department of Animal Services. Upon further inspection, the shelter realized he had a microchip and was able to track down Cheryl Walls.

When Cheryl received the call, she could not believe that Kevin had been found after such a long time, especially on the opposite side of the United States! A few good samaritans and local animal shelters put some money together and bought Kevin a plane ticket back home to South Carolina, where his family was waiting for him. There were even some new additions, including a couple dogs who he is still trying to get to know a little better!

Kevin the Cat

When asked about his new dog siblings, Kevin declined to comment and made this reaction.

Cheryl says Kevin has been settling in nicely, but still tries to dart through an open door when he gets the chance. It’s not surprising – when you’ve grown accustomed to the life of an adventurer, it’s tough to ignore the call of the open road… Or in Kevin’s case, the U-Haul trailer to California!

Do you know of an animal who went on an incredible adventure? Share their story in the comments!

Photo Credit: Riverside County Animal Services

More articles like this one…

What’s New

U-Haul Co. of Cleveland Performs Day of Service with Humble Design

U-Haul Co. of Cleveland Performs Day of Service with Humble Design

U-Haul Company of Cleveland volunteers recently teamed with Humble Design Cleveland to provide a mother and her three sons with a furnished home they will cherish forever. Humble Design is a nonprofit that brings dignity to individuals, families and veterans emerging...

U-Haul Offers Help to Tenants of Charlottetown Apartment Fire

U-Haul Offers Help to Tenants of Charlottetown Apartment Fire

U-Haul® is offering 30 days of free self-storage to tenants who were forced to evacuate their Charlottetown apartments due to a devastating fire. A 20-unit apartment building at 6 Elena Court was engulfed in flames on Monday night, triggering fire alarms and forcing...

Tornado Victims: Free Storage Offer in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas

Tornado Victims: Free Storage Offer in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas

U-Haul is making 30 days of free self-storage and U-Box container usage available to victims of the powerful tornadoes that left a path of destruction Saturday in Rogers and Bentonville, Ark., Claremore and Pryor, Okla., Valley View, Texas, and surrounding areas....

Temple Tornado: U-Haul Offers 30 Days Free Self-Storage in Texas

Temple Tornado: U-Haul Offers 30 Days Free Self-Storage in Texas

U-Haul Co. of North Austin is making 13 facilities available to provide 30 days of free self-storage and U-Box® container usage to families impacted by Wednesday night’s powerful tornado that struck Temple and wreaked havoc along Interstate 35. Many homes in and...

Tornado Recovery: U-Haul Offering 30 Days Free Storage in Iowa

Tornado Recovery: U-Haul Offering 30 Days Free Storage in Iowa

U-Haul® is offering recovery assistance to victims in Greenfield, Red Oak and other areas impacted by the devastating tornadoes that tore through central Iowa on Tuesday. Countless homes in these communities were damaged or destroyed, and a number of lives were...