A CAT which went missing in Scotland has stunned its owners by turning up more than 300 miles away in Coventry.
Beans, a ginger and white cat from Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, went missing from his home towards the end of October after going out “as normal”.
Owners Cara, 40, and Colin McBurnie, 51, searched the local area to no avail, but weeks later in November, they received a surprise call from Cats Protection saying thanks to his microchip he had been found in Coventry.
“Beans loves to be outside and in gardens,” said McBurnie.
“He went out as normal because he likes to go for a wander but always comes home for some food, usually after a few hours.
“We searched and searched, looking everywhere. I’ve been out every day looking but thought something must have happened to him.
“I didn’t really expect to see him again but joined lots of local lost and found Facebook pages, then further afield in Scotland.
“I didn’t think to look in England, I didn’t imagine he could have gone that far.”
Beans had ventured further than his owner thought possible, somehow making his way to the West Midlands, where he was spotted by Kelly Ryan, who said: “I have an outdoor cat box with some straw in it and started noticing a cat hanging round.
“I didn’t feed him straight away as I thought he was probably owned, then one night saw him sleeping in the cat box and he was still there the next day, then the one after that.
“I just gave him a few biscuits to start with but heard he was going to visit other neighbours too and it felt like he was around too much and that something wasn’t quite right.”
Ryan posted on Facebook about the feline and was contacted by Cats Protection, who sent someone out to scan Beans.
“I was so relieved when he had a chip and a loving family who had registered him as missing,” said Ryan.
“He really is a miracle and I’m so grateful to the volunteers for helping him find his way home.”
Wendy Harris at Cats Protection Coventry called McBurnie with the good news and the next day, November 12, Beans’ owners completed a 600-mile round trip to collect him.
“I couldn’t believe it when Wendy told me, I was shocked out of (my) mind that he was still alive, and how he travelled over 300 miles,” said McBurnie.
“When we got him back, we let him out in the car for a cuddle then put him back in his carrier for the long journey.
“We were all exhausted and he slept in the bed all night by my husband. Even my other cat, Missy, was happy to see him, they usually keep a bit of a distance but had a nice moment and a sniff together.
“I’m so glad we had him microchipped and updated his record. There’s no way he’d have come back to us otherwise.”
It is not known how Beans managed to travel such a distance.
Madison Rogers, Cats Protection associate director of advocacy, campaigns and external affairs, said: “It’s a real testament to the power of the microchip that Beans could be reunited with his owners just 24 hours after being scanned.
“Without a chip it’s unlikely Beans would ever have found his way back to the family who love him so much.”
To find out more about Cats Protection Coventry visit www.cats.org.uk/coventry and for information on what to do if you find a stray cat see www.cats.org.uk/stray-cats which includes a downloadable guide.
