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.
“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!
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
