1,000 Miles and 10 Years Later: Missing Kansas Cat Found Safe in North Carolina

Imagine your fave feline somehow sneaking out of the comfort and safety of your house. You'd be devastated, distraught, and desperate to bring your pet back home. You'd place flyers and share posts to social media--anything to locate your little loved one.

Now imagine the uncertainty and anxiety you'd feel lasting for TEN YEARS. That's exactly what happened to a Kansas cat owner.

The Cat Mom

Carol Holmes, who lives in Wichita, Kansas, had several cats when she added a new lil' guy to the mix: a black and white tuxedo cat named Bob. Bob and his new companions were outdoor cats who often explored the neighborhood but always returned home. After about four months with the fam, Bob went missing.

The Search

"I searched high [and] low. Posted flyers on various sites [... with] no luck," she said. Holmes was devastated as her attempts to locate Bob were unsuccessful.

Holmes searched for Bob for a decade before she received a shocking email.

The Discovery

It was Aug. 19 and Holmes was thinking of another important Bob in her life--her late father. In a surprising twist of fate, Holmes received some incredible news that day.

[On what] would have been my Dad’s 94th Birthday. I was home thinking about my Dad and missing him. I happened to check my email and was absolutely stunned to find two emails instructing me to contact 5 Points Vet Hospital in Fuquay-Varino, N.C. They had found my missing cat Bob! [H]e was traced back to me via his micro chip!

The Distance

Wichita, Kansas is over 1,200 miles away from Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina--a journey that would take 19 hours to traverse in a car or, according to Google estimates, 16 days to walk on foot. No telling how long it takes to travel over 1,200 miles at cat speed.

The Reunion

Holmes started a GoFundMe to assist in bringing the well-traveled Bob back home, sharing her thoughts on the fundraiser page:

I’ve been working with Imagine Home Cat Transporter to make this a reality. There are initial upfront costs involved prior to transporting him. He’ll need a health certificate for interstate travel, current vaccines, FeLV test, and flea treatment. Also, travel supplies which include a cat carrier, food, litter, cat litter box, paper towels, and cleaning wipes, along with cat dishes. The kindhearted people transporting are all volunteers!

Holmes' initial fundraising goal of $800 has already been exceeded.