The New Book of Lists The Cat Came Back:
15 Cats Who Traveled Long Distances to Return Home NINJA—850 miles

MINOSCH—1,500 miles

RANULPH—300 miles

SILKY—1,472 miles

HOWIE—1,200 miles

ERNIE—600 miles

SUGAR—1,500 miles

SKITTLES—353 miles

Skittles, a two-year-old tomcat, disappeared on September 3, 2001, from the Dells area of Wisconsin, where Charmin Sampson and her son, Jason, were living in a trailer while working at a water park during the summer. Twenty weeks later, on January 14, Skittles appeared at the Sampsons’ home in Hibbing, Minnesota. “I knew it was Skittles,” said Jason. “The cat is orange, with white paws and he’s got a look to him—a unique look.”


MURKA—400 miles

In 1987, Murka, a stray tortoiseshell, was adopted by Vladimir Donsov in Moscow. Murka killed his canary; a year later, she unlocked the birdcage and killed another one. She was banished to live with Mr. Donsov’s mother in Voronezh but disappeared after two years. On October 19, 1989, Mr. Donsov found her in his Moscow apartment building, hungry, dirty, pregnant, and missing the tip of her tail. She ate a large meal and slept for three days.


GRINGO—480 miles

The Servoz family lost their pet tom, Gringo, from their home in Lamarche-sur-Seine, France, in December 1982. The following July, they learned that the cat had moved to the French Riviera. Wishing to escape the cold winter, he had made the journey south in a week and appeared at their summer home, where neighbors took care of him.


CHICHI—300 miles

The Reverend J. C. Cox of Blanchard, Louisiana, gave his 17-year-old cat to his granddaughter, who lived in a suburb of New Orleans. Chichi missed Reverend Cox and, to everyone’s astonishment, crossed the Mississippi and Red rivers in three weeks and arrived home in time for Christmas.


RUSTY—950 miles

Rusty distinguished himself by setting an American all-time speed record for a cat to return. In 1949, this ginger tom traveled from Boston to Chicago in 83 days. It is speculated that he hitched rides on cars, trucks, and trains.


POOH—200 miles

The Reverend and Mrs. James Daves moved from Long Island to Georgia in 1973. Because their daughter was allergic to animal fur, they gave her two-year-old white tom, Pooh, to a friend, but he soon ran away. In May, the family moved to South Carolina. On April 18, 1975, Pooh showed up at the home he had never been to before.


BORIS—8 miles

Boris trekked back twice in 1990 to his old home in Berkshire, England—a short trip but one that involved crossing two superhighways, the M4 and the A34.


MUDDY WATER WHITE—450 miles

On June 23 or 24, 1985, Muddy Water White jumped out of a van driven by his owner, Barbara Paule, in Dayton, Ohio. Almost exactly three years later, he returned to his home in Pennsylvania. “He came and just flopped down like he was home,” said Mrs. Paule. She fed him for three days before realizing who he was. His identification was later confirmed by the local vet.