How a Kitty Walked 200 Miles Home: The Science of Your Cat’s Inner Compass

A house cat's long-distance journey raises new questions about how animals navigate

cat travel 1600 miles

When a battered, skinny tortoiseshell cat wandered into a yard in Florida earlier this year, she could have been any other stray, but she was nothing of the kind. She carried an implanted microchip—one put there by a loving owner—and it revealed an intriguing story: the cat belonged to a local family, had been lost on a trip two months earlier, and  had traveled 200 miles (322 km) in that time to arrive back in her hometown. Her journey inspired a spate of articles looking for an explanation for how this one cat, and a few others who’ve made similar trips, managed such impressive feats of navigation. The response from many eminent animal researchers was the same: “No idea.”

Cats’ long-distance travels are relatively rare in the scientific literature, which explains the dearth of answers—at least so far. But that’s not the case for the wanderings of sundry other creatures, especially those that migrate. Such extreme journeys—mapless, compassless, sometimes intercontinental, through places the animals have never seen before—seem nothing short of miraculous. That’s the kind of mystery that gets scientists moving, and move they have, conducting all manner of experiments over the years—locking animals in planetariums, carrying them around in dark boxes, putting them in wading pools wrapped in magnets, and destroying various bits of anatomy to see which piece was the important one. These experiments have yielded fascinating insights into the animal brain and into a world beyond human sensation.

( MORE :  Stewie, the World’s Longest Cat, Dies at Age 8 )

Part of what navigating animals do is not entirely surprising. Planetarium studies reveal that some animals steer by the stars, an approach that’s comfortingly familiar to Homo sapiens but practiced by organisms as distant as the nocturnal dung beetle, which, as one recent study revealed, can roll its precious gob of poo in a straight line only as long as the Milky Way is in view. One of the most accomplished animal navigation researchers of the twentieth century, naturalist Ronald Lockley, found that captured seabirds released far from their homes could make a beeline back so long as either the sun or the stars were visible; an overcast sky threw them off so much that many never made it back.

But plenty of other navigating animals are using something most humans regularly forget exists: the Earth’s magnetic field. In illustrations, the field is usually depicted as a series of loops that emerge from the south pole and reenter the planet at the north pole, and extend out to the edges of our atmosphere, sort of like a cosmic whisk. Our compass needles are designed to align with the field, and in the last few decades it’s become clear that numerous animals can find their way by feeling some of its various field.

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Sea turtles, for example, don’t use the field simply to tell north from south. According to experiments led by Kenneth Lohmann, a professor of biology at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, they are actually born knowing a magnetic map of the ocean. Newly hatched loggerhead turtles in the populations Lohmann studies journey 8,000 miles (12,900 km) from their hatching beaches around the Atlantic Ocean to reach feeding areas, and if they don’t keep right on track, they do not survive. Lohmann learned early on that the turtles could sense the Earth’s magnetism: he found that hatchlings from the Florida coast, which normally swim east in darkness to start their migration, swam the other way when they were put in a magnetic field that reversed north and south. That got Lohmann thinking that the turtles’ long-distance navigation might be linked to their being able to respond to whorls and quirks in the planetary field they encounter along the way.

To study this, he and colleagues collected baby sea turtles a few hours before they would have left the nest on their own and put them in pools surrounded by magnetic coils. The coils were designed to reproduce the Earth’s magnetic field at specific points along the turtles’ migration. Reliably, the young turtles oriented themselves and swam in the direction relative to the magnetic field that, had they been in the open ocean, would have kept them on course. Lohmann has tested this with 8 different locations along their route, and in each case the turtles head in just the direction required to get them to their destination. The turtles may not know where they are in any big-picture way—as Lohmann says, they may not see themselves as blinking spots on a map—but they have inherited a sense that should they feel a particular pull from the magnetic field, well, better take a right.

( LIST :  Top 10 Heroic Animals )

The list of animals that navigate by magnetism, suspected and confirmed, is long, and includes a few mammals in addition to migrating birds and turtles. But our understanding of the mechanism behind that ability is sketchy: sea turtles tend to be threatened or endangered species, so scientists can study only their behavior, not their brains, and even in animals in which such work is possible, it’s hard to tell what parts of the brain and other physical structures are involved.

Pigeons, one of the most intensively studied animal navigators, show how complex a question this is. One leading theory holds that iron-containing cells in the beak send magnetic information to the brain, since destroying the nerve that carries sensation from beak to brain seems to disrupt pigeons’ navigation. However, last year it emerged that those beak cells are not neurons capable of sending messages, as had been supposed; they appear to be immune cells, throwing the beak theory into confusion. Another school of thought suggests that the magnetic field may be affecting chemical reactions in the birds’ eyes, literally changing the way the world looks when they are oriented in a particular direction. And David Dickmann, a professor at the Baylor College of Medicine whose primary work is on a magical ability we humans often forget we have—our ability to sense gravity and constantly adjust our position to keep our balance—has lately published work showing that pigeons may have a magnetic-field sensor in their inner ears. No one knows yet which of these mechanisms, or what combination of them, is at the root of the pigeon’s powers.

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And lest we forget, the magnetic field is far from the only thing out there that navigating animals can sense and humans cannot. The heads of sharks are threaded with jelly-filled tubes, called the ampullae of Lorenzini, that allow them to detect extremely faint electric currents and may help them with navigation. Scents in the air, at concentrations far below human perception, are perceivable to numerous creatures that may use them to steer (in fact, pigeons that cannot smell seem oddly lost, even with their magnetic abilities intact). Bees can see patterns in sunlight invisible to the naked human eye and can use them to find their way.

We can see only the outcomes, never the workings, of whatever evolved systems animals use to orient themselves across hundreds or thousands of miles. But that hasn’t stopped us from working to understand the feats of migrating reptiles, homing pigeons, and even lost pets. With reminders like the odyssey of the Florida housecat, how can we stop?

( MORE : In Britain, All Dogs Are To Be Implanted With Microchips by 2016 )

NBC New York

Willow the Cat Makes History

Willow wandered off five years ago and was found in manhattan., by gabe pressman • published september 16, 2011 • updated on september 16, 2011 at 2:49 pm.

It took Ulysses, the Greek hero, 10 years to travel an estimated 565 miles from Troy to Ithaca. Of course, he didn’t have any sophisticated nautical gear, so he may well have been sailing around in circles for thousands of miles. Willow the Cat has covered 1,600 miles in five years , traveling from Boulder, Colo., to New York City. She was found because of a microchip implanted in her body as a kitten that disclosed her owners' identities.   Even among cats, a heroic species, Willow is clearly a heroine. As Mayor Bloomberg commented, she may well have decided to give up one of her nine lives just so she could visit New York. The mayor couldn’t resist taking a slight poke at Willow for taking so long to visit the city. "I don’t know what he was waiting for!" But the mayor did get the feline's sex wrong. Willow’s owners, the Squires family, had given up hope of ever seeing her again. They feared she had been eaten by coyotes after she disappeared five years ago. But Willow turned up in Manhattan, near the National Arts Club, and she gave cat lovers the world over something to cheer about. Whether she is a particularly artsy cat is unknown but anyone who has ever witnessed a cat curling up, folding paws, head and tail neatly together, knows that this is a species that has an artistic bent.                 Willow is now a celebrity. She has appeared on News 4 New York at 5. Her puss (forgive me) adorns the front pages of tabloids. The New York Times, a bit stuffily, relegated her to an inside page, below the fold, but she still scored with the paper of record.                 Cats have made history for thousands of years. Feline goddesses were worshiped in ancient Egypt 5,000 years ago. Among some Egyptian royalty, cats were actually allowed to eat off their owners’ plates. And through the centuries poets and writers just couldn’t get enough of cats.  

  • Leonardo Da Vinci: "The smallest feline is a masterpiece."
  • Rosemary Nisbet: "Cats like doors left open, in case they change their minds." 
  • John R.F. Breen: "Cats pride themselves on their ability to do nothing."
  • Ann Taylor: "Dogs eat. Cats dine."                
  • Mark Twain: "If a man could be crossed with a cat, it would improve man but it would deteriorate the cat."
  • Dave Edwards: "Cats are absolute individuals, with their own ideas about everything including the people they own."    

Anyone who has never had a cat jump up on his chest and start purring has missed something important in life. Cats are a constant source of amusement and amazement to me and hundreds of millions of others. And they do own us. Notice how they always try to go to a piece of furniture that enables them to look down on us.                   Mark Twain said that cats are the most intelligent things he knows. "They are," he said, "the cleanest, cunningest and most intelligent things I know, outside of the girl you love, of course."                             T.S. Eliot wrote, "Cats are much like you and me and other people whom we find possessed of various types of mind --  for some are sane and some are mad -- and some are good and some are bad … "                           Willow was --  excuse the expression  --  catapulted into worldwide prominence by an act of fate. Clearly there is nothing, ahem, pusillanimous about this cat. Her life could have been a catastrophe. Instead, she is famous and justly so.  

cat travel 1600 miles

Cat Travels Miles To Reunite With Owner Who Had Reluctantly Given Him Away

Published on 3/27/2014 at 8:29 AM

cat travel 1600 miles

Before moving to a new home on a busy street, Jill Roberson made the difficult decision to find a better living situation for her pet , an outdoor cat named Mayhem. Jill found a couple on a farm six miles away who offered to adopt the cat, giving him plenty of room to safely roam without the dangers of traffic.

But Mayhem, on the other hand, apparently wasn't keen on parting ways.

About three weeks later, while sitting on the porch of her new house in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, Jill was surprised to hear a familiar meowing sound in the distance. And sure enough, it was the cat she had reluctantly given away.

"I walked over to the fence and called to him because I couldn't see anything, and he come bounding under the fence and I have been in shock ever since."

Amazingly, somehow Mayhem had found her, despite having never been to the home before.

"It is just a miracle to me," says Jill .

Jill then called the couple who had adopted Mayhem, only to discover that he hadn't been seen for a few days. The cat looked rather dirty and thin, suggesting that the six mile journey to reunite with his original owner was not an easy one -- but it was successful.

Cats have been known to find their way back home over long distances before, but the fact that Mayhem found her in an place unfamiliar to him has everyone involved scratching their heads.

"Given this particular situation, absolutely, it defies all logic," says veterinarian Kimberley Lednum to news station WBTW .

For all his efforts in finding her, Jill made the only sensible decision -- to welcome the cat she had given away back into her life, though now he'll be spending most of his time indoors together.

"It just confirms that pets have feelings," says Jill. "We loved him, but we didn't realize he loved us that much, that he would track us down."

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Cat Travels 280 Miles to Return to her Family

A chance facebook post 13 months after her disappearance reunites cocci with her owners..

cat travel 1600 miles

(Gansstock / Shutterstock.com)

When Laëtitia De Amicis moved from Ambly-sur-Meuse, in the Orne region of France, to Ginai in Normandy, with her family a year ago, the family tried to keep their three cats Felys, Crapaud, and Cocci, in the new house, as they were worried they’d become disoriented in their new surroundings. But somehow, Cocci, a sweet gray-and-white cat, left home and disappeared.

“We searched, we searched, we searched… I woke up the whole neighborhood,” De Amicis told Hellas news. “Unfortunately, no one had seen the cat.”

After searching for three months with no success, De Amicis suggested to her worried kids that Cocci was probably looking for them and had set out by herself to return to their old home in Ambly, not believing for a second it could be true, according to National World News.

Cocci went missing in August 2021. Incredibly, in October 2022, De Amicis saw a post shared on Facebook saying that a stray cat had been found in Souilly. Thirteen months and 280 miles later, Cocci was reunited with her family just 6 miles from their old home.

Unbelievable Circumstances Cocci was found under a car by a couple who posted her photo on a missing pet forum. Then they took Cocci to the vet. After months on her own, Cocci was hungry and exhausted and weighed only 2 lbs.

“I recognized her straight away, although she looked completely different,” De Amicis told National World News. The vet confirmed that this cat was about 10 years old and had been neutered, as had Cocci.

De Amicis sent her father Bernard to check on the found cat . Bernard, who was reluctant to go, said he couldn’t believe it was possible that the cat was actually Cocci and had traveled across the country. But when he called his daughter from the vet on video call, Bernard confirmed that the cat was indeed Cocci.

“When he called me that day I…saw my dad cuddling my cat on the video call. I knew it was her,” De Amicis added. “It’s unbelievable. I still can’t believe it.”

“We cannot scientifically explain how this cat was able to travel 600 kilometers. By chance and coincidence, it’s possible that she gradually got closer to the place she wanted to get to and after a while she started to recognize smells and noises that eventually led her closer to the house,” Joana Lagarrigue, who specializes in feline behavior, told Hellas.

True Incredible Journeys Cocci’s story is similar to one portrayed in a 1993 movie, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey¸ a remake of the 1963 film, The Incredible Journey , which was based on the 1961 novel of the same name.

The movie is actually based on a true story, according to a blog on the Oakland Veterinary Referral Service website. Other accounts involve similarly unfathomable distances and obstacles that most humans would not be able to overcome. This includes Bucky the Labrador who traveled 500 miles after he was relocated; Hank the German Shepherd who made it 11 miles back to his foster mom; Georgia May, the dog who journeyed home 35 miles away after becoming lost on a hike; and Prince the Irish Terrier who mysteriously made it across the English Channel to find his British owner in northern France.

Though she had to stay with the vet for three weeks while healing from her travails, the De Amicis family is thrilled to have Cocci back home and is happy to be showering their cuddly cat with love.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: This Stray Cat Walked Into Hospital 'Asking' Doctors for Help! This Man and His Dog are Walking Around the World This Forlorn Cat Found his Forever Family Thanks to a Tweet

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Scientists Don’t Quite Know How This Cat Managed Her 200-Mile Trek Home

Holly the cat’s 200 mile journey home has scientists wondering just how animals navigate

Rose Eveleth

Rose Eveleth

Contributor

What do you mean “go outside?” Eddy Van 3000

When Holly, a 4-year-old housecat, disappeared in November, everyone thought she was a goner. The cat lost the family in Daytona Beach, Florida. But the family lived in West Palm Beach, nearly 200 miles away. After some searching, they gave up and drove home. They certainly didn’t expect for Holly to stagger into their neighborhood two months later. But there she was, found not a mile from their house. Which makes scientists wonder: how did she do it?

The New York Times’ Well Blog writes :

There is, in fact, little scientific dogma on cat navigation. Migratory animals like birds, turtles and insects have been studied more closely, and use magnetic fields, olfactory cues, or orientation by the sun. Scientists say it is more common, although still rare, to hear of dogs returning home, perhaps suggesting, Dr. Bradshaw said, that they have inherited wolves’ ability to navigate using magnetic clues. But it’s also possible that dogs get taken on more family trips, and that lost dogs are more easily noticed or helped by people along the way.

The experiment is difficult to do, really. “Nobody’s going to do an experiment and take a bunch of cats in different directions and see which ones get home,” animal behaviorist Peter Borchelt told the Times .

But one research group is doing something somewhat similar, according to the blog. The Kitty Cams project has outfitted 55 cats with cameras to examine just what they’re doing out there. They collected 37 hours of footage per cat and found:

Results indicate that a minority of roaming cats in Athens (44%) hunt wildlife and that reptiles, mammals and invertebrates constitute the majority of suburban prey. Hunting cats captured an average of 2 items during seven days of roaming. Carolina anoles (small lizards) were the most common prey species followed by Woodland Voles (small mammals). Only one of the vertebrates captured was a non-native species (a House Mouse). Eighty-five percent of wildlife captures were witnessed during the warm season (March-November in the southern US). Cats roaming during warmer seasons were more likely to exhibit hunting behavior and the number of captures per hunting cat is expected to decrease with increasing cat age. Cat age, sex, and time spent outside did not significantly influence hunting behavior.

Holly isn’t the first cat to travel a long way to get home (“Homeward Bound” excluded). Howie, a Persian cat, wandered 1,000 miles across the Australian outback to find his family. It took him twelve months. A family that moved from Illinois to Michigan once found their former dog (they have given poor Tony away for adoption) at their doorstep. Animal Planet writes about Troubles, a dog who navigated the hostile Vietnamese jungle:

Troubles, a scout dog, and his handler, William Richardson, were taken via helicopter deep into the war zone in South Vietnam in the late 1960s. When Richardso­n was wounded by enemy fire and taken to a hospital, Troubles was abandoned by the rest of the unit. Three weeks later, Troubles showed up at his home at the First Air Cavalry Division Headquarters in An Khe, South Vietnam. But he wouldn’t let anyone near him — he was on a mission! Troubles searched the tents and eventually curled up for a nap after he found a pile of Richardson’s clothes to use for a bed.

But how these animals actually do this is still a total mystery.

More from Smithsonian.com:

World’s Coolest Animal Bridges How Do Animals Perceive the World?

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Rose Eveleth

Rose Eveleth | | READ MORE

Rose Eveleth was a writer for Smart News and a producer/designer/ science writer/ animator based in Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in the New York Times , Scientific American , Story Collider , TED-Ed and OnEarth .

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Independent TV

Showing now | lifestyle.

Cat reunites with owners after travelling 280 miles to old home

Oliver Browning | Monday 14 November 2022 22:50 GMT

Cat reunites with owners 13 months after travelling 280 miles to old home

A cat travelled more than 280 miles to its old home before being reunited with her relocated owners 13 months later.

Laetitia De Amicis and her family moved from Ambly-sur-Meuse, in the Orne region of France , to Ginai in Normandy , in 2021.

Their cat Cocci went missing in August last year - shortly after the move - only to be found by a stranger nearly 300 miles away in September.

She was found in Souilly, a town just six miles away from their old home.

“I still can’t believe it,” Laetitia said of the incredible story.

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Anthony Joshua reveals why he still lives at home with his mother

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Northern California blizzard brings 10ft of snow and 100mph winds

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Cyclists brave wintry Gloucestershire as snow hits west England

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Rescuers fight to save dolphin stranded in shallow water in Cornwall

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Toppled tree falls on roof of California house as state battles floods

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‘Naked’ campaigner accompanied to Home Office meeting by Zac Goldsmith

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Greta Thunberg protests at museum event hours after court appearance

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Spice Girls release unseen audition video marking 30th anniversary

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Who Wants to be a Millionaire contestant gets shock after calling wife

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cat travel 1600 miles

Saudi Cup: ‘A true display of horsemanship’, says Prince Bandar

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Galaxy the ripple effect.

cat travel 1600 miles

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cat travel 1600 miles

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cat travel 1600 miles

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cat travel 1600 miles

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Celebrity Cats of Colorado History

A Goodwill delivery man holds kittens and a bag in Denver, Colorado; his bag lists items acceptable for donation. Letters on his truck read: "Rehabilitation and Employment of Handicapped Persons."

From the opening of the Denver Cat Company , to the debut of the  Kitten Pavilion at the Denver County Fair, to the advent of feline wine created by a Colorado company, there is no doubt that Colorado is in the throes of feline frenzy. 

But cat lovers in Colorado are nothing new – in fact, they have been around longer than the Centennial State itself.

Even the first arrival of cats into Colorado is the stuff of legend.

After the discovery of gold at Pike’s Peak, small settlements grew into full-fledged towns almost overnight. This rapid expansion brought wealth, trade, and…rats. Unfortunately, Colorado was devoid of cats, giving the rodents free reign.

Legend has it that a Denver miner, home to visit his Kansas family, encountered a friend named Moses Friedman who had plans to go to Colorado. When Friedman asked what he could sell in the mining camps to turn a profit, the miner jokingly exclaimed “Take a load of cats!”

Friedman took the advice to heart and did just that – buying cats off neighborhood children for ten cents apiece. One hundred and fifty cats later, Friedman loaded them into a wagon and ventured out West. Although Friedman never found gold, he struck it rich as his alley cats were bought by eager Denverites at the staggering price of $10 each – almost $300 in today’s money!

Similar stories of enterprising cat peddlers can be found throughout Colorado - J.C. Dexter, the man who brought cats to Pike's Peak, even had a specially designed three story wagon to house his whiskered wares.

One imagines eager Coloradans gathering to meet itinerant cat salesmen in towns throughout the territory. By the time Colorado achieved statehood in 1876, most households could boast at least one cat companion - and more than one feline dealer made a fortune not in gold, but in tiny predators. 

With such an illustrious origin, it is no wonder that Colorado boasts a number of homegrown celebri-cats. While it would be impossible to do them all justice, we have selected some highlights of legendary local felines. 

cat travel 1600 miles

Catrobats and Piano Cats

1948 was a banner year for Colorado in the feline performing arts.

In Denver, nine-year-old Retha Lindquist spent three months training a pair of alley cats, Puff and Tough, to perform a series of rigorous athletic feats.

Retha's efforts were well rewarded, and she dubbed Puff and Tough the Catrobats. They delighted Denverites with their performances, clothed in outfits from Retha's dolls.

The Catrobats garnered enough attention that they landed a front-page story in The Rocky Mountain News . The News noted that despite their new celebrity lifestyle and fashionable wardrobe, Puff and Tough still liked to “hold a good old-fashioned alley wrestling or boxing match.”

In Ramah, Colorado, a tomcat named Baby gained acclaim for his music, before his career was abruptly ended by tragedy.

Baby’s instrument of choice was the piano, which he initially learned to play to alert his owner, a rancher’s wife named Mrs. Rice, that it was time for breakfast. “If she didn’t get up right away,” Mrs. Rice’s mother recalled, “Baby would go down to middle C and stare at her.”

Baby seemed poised to take the music world by storm, with a series of articles scheduled to run in The Denver Post . But when the Post crew arrived in Ramah to see Baby in action for the first time, a tearful Mrs. Rice informed them Baby had been killed in a fight with a neighbor’s cat.

Shocked by this act of violence from a jealous rival, the Post ran a touching eulogy to the budding celebrity:

“For an artistic soul, he must have had courage and a will of iron. He went to his death with his boots on.”

cat travel 1600 miles

Cross-Country Cats

Perhaps Colorado’s best known cat celebrity is Clementine Jones, thought to be the inspiration for the 1960 novel The Incredible Journey and the 1993 Disney film Homeward Bound . While we were unable to prove a definitive connection between Miss Jones and The Incredible Journey,  the stories bear many similarities. 

In late 1949, the Lundmark family relocated from Dunkirk, New York to Denver, Colorado. Their beloved family cat, Clementine Jones, had just given birth to a litter of kittens and was in no position to travel.

The Lundmarks left Clementine and her kittens with a neighbor, and were saddened to learn that Clementine had gotten out one night, not to be seen again.

Four months later, the Lundmarks were shocked when a bedraggled black cat arrived on the doorstop of their Denver home. Mrs. Lundmark recognized the cat instantly as Clementine Jones – easily identified by a small white mark on her chest, an extra toe on one paw, and a burn mark from where Mrs. Lundmark had dropped ashes on her accidentally when Clementine was a kitten.

The journey totaled around 1600 miles, which Clementine Jones apparently traversed by foot (or paw). The Lundmarks and animal experts alike were stunned by the feat, many wondering how a cat could find a family halfway across the country.

Though several outspoken cynics disbelieved the story, Clementine Jones became a celebrity overnight. In fact, she was awarded the 1950 Puss n’ Boots award, a hallmark of 1950’s feline fame.

The citation accompanying the medal Clementine Jones was awarded extolled her “super-human strength and intelligence.”

After her harrowing journey and brush with celebrity, the Lundmarks confined Clementine Jones to a strictly indoor lifestyle to discourage any further cross-country rambling. 

Decades later, a Deer Trail, Colorado cat named Tommy Boy attempted his own cross-country journey with a modern twist.

Tommy Boy’s owner, Erin Moore, had taken him to a convention in Columbus, Georgia in early 1988. Tommy Boy escaped one night – likely lured by the smell of his favorite food, fried chicken.

Tommy Boy spent a month living in the convention center, eluding capture by center employees. Finally, the manager was able to lure him into a carrier using fried chicken, and center employees chipped in to pay for Tommy Boy’s $120 plane ticket back to Denver.

Tommy Boy returned to Colorado to much fanfare, including a front page story in The Rocky Mountain News , and a commemorative action figure. 

cat travel 1600 miles

Agents of Feline Fury 

Dogs may have the reputation as great defenders, but that doesn't mean cats can't hold their own when people are threatened. Two Colorado cats earned national recognition for their bravery. 

Webster Ramsey, a Denver grocer and martial arts enthusiast, taught a few sparring techniques to his cat Tiden Taden, never dreaming she’d have occasion to put them to use.

However, on a Monday night in 1950, an unfamiliar man came into Ramsey’s store, where he also lived with his wife. The man told Ramsey he was armed and to give him all the cash on the premises.

Ramsey refused to hand over the money, and the two men got into a physical altercation.

Tiden Taden’s training came in handy, as she willingly leapt into the fray. She jumped repeatedly on the robber’s head and back, claws outstretched, and also left several scratches on his face.

The man gave up his holdup and fled, not to be seen again.

Tiden Taden became the darling of newspapers, with articles published in Denver and beyond. A Denver Post article proclaimed her “a bundle of feline fury.”

Cats Magazine honored Tiden Taden as the Heroic Cat of 1950. 

In 1978, Diane Wakabayashi purchased a book and record store in East Denver. She found the property came with an added bonus - a cat named Melissa, who refused to vacate the premises when her former owners sold the building. 

One slow afternoon, Ms. Wakabayashi was occupied in the back of the shop with some customers, when a solitary man came to the front of the store, lingering near the cash register. When the customers exited, the man pulled out a large knife and demanded Ms. Wakabayashi empty the register. 

Melissa, sensing the distress, circled the bandit hissing and growling. The robber picked up a chair to hit Melissa, but she dodged his furniture-based assaults. Melissa distracted the assailant long enough for Ms. Wakabayashi to run out the door and call the police. By the time they arrived, the store was empty except an unharmed Melissa. 

Melissa's story caught the attention of Friskies, who honored her as the 1978 Cat Heroine of the Year. Melissa earned a silver food bowl, a year's supply of Friskies cat food, and one hundred dollars (accepted by Ms. Wakabayashi on her behalf). 

cat travel 1600 miles

Can't Get Enough Colorado Cats?

If this article has only whetted your interest in Colorado's celebri-cats, never fear! The Denver Public Library Western History and Genealogy Department has you covered. 

Come browse our microfilm to read up on Clementine Jones, Tiden Taden, and a whole host of exceptional felines we couldn't fit into one article. 

Or perhaps you'd like to flip through our historic scrapbooks from the Colorado Cat Fanciers. They say if you listen closely, you can still hear the voices of cat ladies past. 

Come visit us on the 5th floor of the Central Library to get your feline fix! 

Thanks for reading, Kate! 

I am terribly guilty (and proud) of helping to promote Colorado's cat frenzy. I volunteered at the Kitten Pavilion last year and it was the cat's pajamas! I had no idea our archives were so feline friendly... obviously I need to do some hunting.

I bet working at the Kitten Pavilion was so much fun! There's always something new to discover in the archives. 

A well written, witty and informative read! Meow!

Thank you for reading, Alex! 

Cats Rule! Thanks for a great article.

That they do! Thanks for reading. 

Great article! I got to meet Lil Bub at the Kitten Pavilion of the Denver County Fair last year and I was star-struck :)

I wish I could have met her! Talk about star power!

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cat travel 1600 miles

I Went on a 4,000-Mile Road Trip With My Cat, and This Is What Happened

L ast year, I took in a six-year-old feral cat with three teeth and mouth herpes. We named her FatFace, and she has become the center of my universe.

When I say she’s become the center of my universe, I mean I’m obsessed with her. Like, people keep telling me I should have a baby instead and I respond with “NO, WHY DON’T YOU HAVE A BABY?!” and they say “I do have a baby” and I’m like “Whatever. At least I can leave my cat alone for a day and she won’t die.”

FatFace is a remarkably low-key cat considering she spent her entire life on the street. Though she’s still skeptical of most humans, she will not bite or scratch when handled and our vet constantly praises her passivity. It’s because of FatFace’s chill demeanor that I decided it was a smart idea to drive her to 18 states of America.

When I told people I was road trippin’ over 4,000 miles with my cat, their face would become grave and a warning would slip from their lips: “I don’t think that is a good idea.” I would in return say “YOU DON’T KNOW MY CAT!” The conversation quickly died after that. The reason why I was traveling with my furry friend was twofold: We didn’t have anyone to cat sit, and I split my time between Austin and Denver and wanted to test how well she could handle traveling.

Some friends and acquaintances may have taken bets on at what point my cat would scratch my face off, but I hate to break it to them: She knocked it out of the park.

My cat saw the French Quarter in New Orleans and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, she ate German food in Columbus and BBQ in Kansas City , and she rested her head on glorious beds in the Great Smoky Mountains, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Rocky Mountains. She even visited Centralia, Pennsylvania, the abandoned town which inspired the video game “Silent Hill.” Little did she know that she would go from the mean streets of Austin , Texas, to one day seeing almost half of America.

Was every moment of the trip perfect? No. At first FatFace slept under my car seat wondering why in God’s name I ripped her from her precious slumber to stick her in a large bumbling box with wheels. Though she wasn’t overly stressed, she looked particularly pissed at me in the beginning, but her resting bitch face makes her look pissed all of the time.

Each day we traveled, 24 in total, she acclimated more, and by the end of the trip she was hanging on the center console watching the world whiz by.

You may be wondering a few things besides “This gal is bat-shit crazy.” For one, yes, FatFace peed and pooped and ate in the car. At first she was a little skeptical, but soon understood that she could do her business while the car was moving. Also, for those who worry about animal safety, our trip was carefully choreographed in ensuring that her welfare was first priority. We weren’t always free to stop and see everything we wanted because of her. Unlike dogs, we couldn’t just pull up to a park, put her on a leash and walk her around. Though she is an adventure kitty, she’s not as adventurous as the ones you see climbing their wee bodies through National Parks .

Would I take FatFace on an interstate journey again? Absolutely, but only if I needed to get her from Point A to Point B. Though she handled the trip well, I also know that being buried under my comforter, profusely drooling, and dreaming about chasing squirrels is her favorite adventure in life.

If you’re thinking of taking your cat on a road trip, talk to your vet first. Or don’t. You know your cat better than anyone. If your cat likes the car and can handle different settings, give it a try. Make sure you’re properly prepared with food, a litter box, and a method of transporting the cat outside of the vehicle (we carried FatFace around in a crowd-pleasing space cat backpack). We brought dirty clothes from home and blankets, which we spritzed with pheromone spray to help calm her. We also looked into CBD oil for cats, but we didn’t want to get FatFace high so that she can pass her drug test for her new job, because kitty’s gotta work.

If you have any questions about cat travels, give me a shout. (Heads up: Even though I’m a modern writer and I need to act like I’m an expert on everything, I am not.) A better resource is the helpful AdventureCats.org .

cat travel 1600 miles

This article was originally published on The Bigger Picture and is republished here with permission.

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Cat Lost on Vacation Travels 190 Miles Home

A cat with an extraordinary sense of direction managed to find her way home after becoming separated from her owners while on vacation.

In November, Jacob and Bonnie Richter brought their cat, Holly, along on a road trip to the Daytona International Speedway, 190 miles from their home in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Spooked by fireworks one night, Holly bolted from the Richters' motor home. For days, her frantic owners handed out flyers and alerted local agencies, before they finally headed home, distraught and without Holly.

Fast forward 62 days to when Barb Mazzola found an emaciated cat in her Palm Beach Gardens yard.

"She was so skinny, all bones and weak and she could hardly walk," Mazzola said.

She bought the feline food and took her to a veterinarian on Saturday, where Holly was scanned for a microchip.

(Image Credit: ABC News)

The Richters got the shock of their lives when they got the call that Holly had been found, and only one mile from their home.

"It was quite a journey for this little girl," Jacob Richter told ABC News affiliate WPBF-TV . "We just can't believe she came home."

For Holly, an inside cat, to clock 190 miles by herself is nothing short of a miracle, said Marty Becker, a veterinarian.

"All animals have a sense of direction, but it's really unusual for cats to find a way home over long distances," he said. "I think this is somewhat of a miracle."

cat travel 1600 miles

Catster

  • Cat Behavior
  • Health & Care

How Far Can Cats Travel in a Day? Facts & FAQ

bengal cat walking

Image Credit: Seregraff, Shutterstock

Last Updated on January 12, 2024 by Catster Editorial Team

bengal cat walking

Big wild cats roam vast territories daily to find prey, keep out competitors, and generally keep an eye on their land. The average tiger needs around 20 square miles to sustain itself and can cover anywhere from 5 to 60 miles daily. They can even comfortably swim up to 7 miles to keep watch on their favorite waterways!

Lions have territories varying from as tiny as 8 square miles to as vast as 150 square miles. The latter usually only occurs when there’s not much food around. Lions tend to wander anywhere from 2–8 miles per day.

But what about your allegedly domesticated feline companion? Cats can have territories that reach 2½ square miles or so, but most top out around ¼ square miles.

divider-catclaw1

  • How Far Do Cats Travel From Home

Male cats have larger ranges than female cats and are more likely to roam further from home. Male kitties often have ranges that extend ¼ square miles and can often be found up to 1,500 feet from where they live.

Female cats tend to have smaller ranges, typically under ⅒ square miles, and most won’t wander more than 750 feet from home.

Cats have exceptional navigation skills, and it’s common to hear stories of kitties covering long distances to return to their old haunts after a recent move. Howie, a Persian cat living in Australia, walked over 1000 miles after being sent to stay with relatives in a remote town while his family was on vacation.

A Canadian kitty, Madonna, walked 150 miles from Kitchener to Windsor after her humans moved. Evidence suggests that cats have a homing instinct or sixth sense that gets them back to where they belong.

Scientists aren’t entirely sure how the skill works, but many think cats tap into scent information and can read the earth’s electromagnetic fields. The instinct is so strong that up to 30% of cats will attempt to return “home” in the days right after a move.

To be safe, don’t let your kitty outside unsupervised for at least 30 days after a move. If your cat absolutely must get a bit of fresh air, consider taking them for a walk on a leash to ensure they don’t attempt to escape and return to their old home.

American Polydactyl cat walking outside

  • Why Do Cats Wander Away From Home?

Domestic cats will often wander in search of food and mates. Outdoor cats roam the ranges to find food while hunting. Intact cats can cover a great deal of ground when looking for a suitable mate.

Male felines, in particular, hit the road to ensure other cats stay out of their hard-won territory. Female cats are more inclined to have territories that overlap with those of other cats, allowing them to have smaller ranges that require less exploring and defending.

  • Why Do Cats Fail to Return Home?

Cats that fail to return home sometimes do so because they’re sick or injured. Kitties who’ve been in a fight or become ill will often hide in the safest nearby place they can find to heal, often under a porch or in a barn.

Outdoor cats have also been known to find calmer places to lay their furry ears when their home environments become too chaotic or overstimulating for their liking.

a gray stray cat is walking along the sidewalk

  • What’s the Best Way to Keep My Cat From Wandering?

The best way to keep your cat safe is to not allow them outside without supervision. Not only will this prevent your cat from wandering off, but it’ll also prevent them from getting into dangerous encounters with wild animals like raccoons and squirrels. The chances of your feline sustaining a severe injury in a catfight also go way down.

Keeping your pet inside is also the best way to keep them from being exposed to dangerous diseases such as feline leukemia, feline HIV, and rabies. Also, cats are vulnerable to being preyed upon by larger aggressive animals such as dogs, eagles, and coyotes.

Outdoor cats are also vulnerable to trauma, including the chance of being hit by a motor vehicle. By keeping your pet indoors, you can be sure you won’t have an angry neighbor complaining about your cat’s behavior. Most importantly, outdoor kitties tend to live much shorter lives. The average outdoor cat dies 10 years earlier than most indoor kitties.

In addition, keeping your cat indoors or taking them for supervised walks on a leash helps minimize the ecological impact your pet has on the environment. Every year, cats are responsible for the deaths of anywhere from 1.3 to 4 billion birds. Cats also seriously impact small mammals and reptile populations since they often have a taste for moles, rabbits, lizards, and shrews. Domestic cats were responsible for hunting 20 species on the Australian continent to extinction.

Spaying or neutering your cat is another excellent way to limit their desire to wander . Unaltered cats regularly take to the streets in search of mates. Unspayed indoor female cats are notorious for escaping and wandering when in heat. Unneutered male cats are often aggressive, have a tendency to spray inside, and are more likely to get into fights.

cat paw divider

  • Final Thoughts

The best way to keep your cat from wandering is to keep them indoors unless supervised and restrained on a leash, and well-cared-for indoor cats get more than enough mental and physical stimulation!

You can play several games with your four-footed buddy and purchase toys to keep your companion healthy and happy. There are even, believe it or not, nature videos designed for cats that’ll keep your pet entertained while you’re away!

  • See Also: What Is a Digitigrade? Cat Locomotion Explained by Our Vet
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2022/06/15/how-long-cats-live/7616721001/
  • https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2380#:~:text=We%20estimate%20that%20cats%20in,caused%20by%20un%2Downed%20cats
  • https://www.thesprucepets.com/keep-cats-indoors-555124
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_predation_on_wildlife
  • https://www.petmd.com/cat/care/can-cats-find-their-way-home
  • https://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/pet-travel/6-pets-that-traveled-long-distances-to-get-home.htm
  • https://petkeen.com/how-far-do-domestic-cats-roam/#:~:text=How%20Far%20Do%20Cats%20Walk,to%20cover%20such%20a%20distance
  • https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats/uniquefeline/territory
  • https://petkeen.com/how-far-do-domestic-cats-roam/#:~:text=Summary,miles%20to%20get%20back%20home

Featured Image Credit By: Seregraff, Shutterstock

About the Author

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Lorre Luther

Lorre Luther is a writer who is firmly convinced that cats are smarter than humans. She left her law career in the United States and moved to the Netherlands to follow her dream of becoming a writer. Lorre currently lives in Rotterdam, she enjoys traveling and greatly appreciates the beauty of nature. Lorre has a spot for animals and admires the intelligence of cats.

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How Far Can Cats Travel When Lost?

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Cats are known for their independence but when they don’t come home it can be a distressing experience for the owner. It’s not uncommon for a domestic cat to wander off.  Most are pretty self-sufficient and will just lose track of time or distance traveled.

When they arrive back on our doorstep, they’re often indifferent to our immense relief; they don’t know how stressful these little excursions are for the human waiting at home.

Even just the chance of this happening is enough for some owners to keep their cats indoors. We wanted to find out how far a cat can travel when lost to see what kind of search area an owner might need to consider if they’re worried about a missing cat.

Cat traveling on a train in a carrier

How Far Can a Cat Travel in a Day?

It’s not always the most helpful answer but the truth is that it can vary greatly.

It will depend on the cat’s personality to some extent but also on several external factors. For example, a cat could be shut in the back of a van and driven miles away from its territory. The gender of the cat plays a role, too.  Male cats wander further than females – 1500 feet compared to 750. It will also depend on whether they’ve been spayed or neutered.  Tomcats, in particular, may leave their territory to mate.

The relationship with other cats in the neighborhood may mean a cat is more likely to roam further away or stay closer to home. It’s important to remember that even though we think our cat is lost, they might feel otherwise and may just be taking their time and walking their territory as usual. With that in mind, it’s helpful to look at an average of how far cats can travel when they’re lost.

According to Dr John Bradshaw of the School of Veterinary Science at Bristol University and author of Cat Sense, most cats roam between 40 and 200 metres (131 and 656 feet) from the home.  One exception to this is farm cats who will cover a much larger area.

So, if your cat is missing, it may not be as far away from your house as you think.

Missing Animal Response.com writes that an outdoor cat has a radius of around 17-houses from where it lives.  As there’s no exact measurement available (given so much is based on individual cats) , it is, at least, a useful measurement for when you’re searching for a lost cat as it gives you an immediate area to canvas and search. Intrestingly, i ndoor cats were likely to be much closer within a 2-2.5 house radius.

But this is assuming that a cat is wandering around its territory.  The same way that you might clock up 5-miles just by walking around a mall or a theme park.

If a cat feels a need to move away from its territory, it can walk around 5-10 miles each day.  This would account for how cats have been found long distances from their home.  It may be that they’re trying to return somewhere they’ve been displaced from or that they’re entirely disorientated and walking in search of food.

It’s one reason that veterinarians recommend keeping a cat inside for at least 2 weeks after moving to a new home.  Cats do seem to have a homing instinct and there’s a great deal of anecdotal and documented evidence of pets attempting to return to old territories. We’ve written a post on how to move with an indoor cat as well as one about moving house with an outdoor cat if you’d like more advice.

Cats can memorize their way home and they’re blessed with an excellent sense of smell but if they’ve been scared or chased off their territory, they can quickly become lost.

How Far Could a Cat travel in 2-days?

A cat can travel between 10 and 20 miles in 2-days.

We hope this post has given you a better idea of how far can cats travel when lost. If you’re worried about a missing cat, there’s help available on Pet Hub.  If you’ve found this page useful, why not check out some of our other stuff.

Buying an outdoor cat shelter

Is your cat meowing a lot after the cattery?

How to travel with a cat in the car

38 thoughts on “How Far Can Cats Travel When Lost?”

cat travel 1600 miles

This was a very helpful article. I have been looking for my cat for almost 7 weeks. I’ve posted 250 flyers, printed 1000 postcards going door to door, posted on multiple social media pages, put an ad in the paper and have walked 150+ miles with no solid leads. As I talk to neighbors sometimes they know my cat is missing and sometimes not. With this article and the possibility of him traveling far might explain why we have not found him but I am never giving up until my Flynn is home! Thank you for your research I hope it helps me extend my search.

cat travel 1600 miles

Hi Claudia, so sorry to hear that Flynn is missing 🙁 I know some people who hang their cats blankets outside or even put used kitty litter in their yard in the hope the cat will pick up the smell. Wishing you all the best in your search and hope that he’s home soon xx

cat travel 1600 miles

Cats DO NOT navigate by smell. If you are going to give advice- at least know what you are talking about!!! Litter does not attract the lost cat- only other territorial cats and predators and the blanket would do the same as it has the cat’s marks on it.

cat travel 1600 miles

Hi Claudia, I too, lost a cat that was new to my home on Oct 19. I’m still looking and have done everything you have done. I will pray for your cat and mine to make it back to us.

cat travel 1600 miles

Hi i am in same situation, please add my two cats Khushi and Nimi, to your prayer list, im out searching now. MERRYLANDS NSW AUSTRALIA. Thank you.

cat travel 1600 miles

Our male, neutered cat went missing for 28 days. We also just moved to a new place and he got lost after 2 months in our new place. We thought we’d never see him again. He came home so thin and so hungry.

cat travel 1600 miles

Hi just wondering if you found you cat and if so how many weeks was he away for?

cat travel 1600 miles

I’m also curious to know 🙁

missing since Jan 25th 2021. Found 1 deceased from hit and run. Still looking for my other.

The 1 i found deceased on same street rehomed, 3 days ago

cat travel 1600 miles

Don’t give up! My boy was gone 14 months. He turned up starving , underweight, and ill. But we got him healthy again. I thought I would never see him again. What a surprise!

cat travel 1600 miles

How did you find him? Did he return on his own?

cat travel 1600 miles

I have been talking to a few animal communicators. I’m not sure the success of this yet. I have spent some money. It is nice knowing someone is feeding him, but also upsetting to be told they won’t let him out. This is more difficult for me than the death of a pet. The not knowing is the worst.

cat travel 1600 miles

Hi, my male neutered cat is missing. I’ve had him 11 years. It was the 2 of us the first 7 yrs. He’s very skittish with anyone but me. He’s my baby. He hasn’t ever liked my husband. He’s jealous. He has never had much to do with him. My husband talks loud… etc… jack has always been skittish with everyone. Disappears when company would come over and come out once they leave. He wanted in the garage to go to the litterbox in the back of the garage. My husband saw the garage door open and made a sudden move to close it. It scared jack and he ran. And this is the 3rd night he’s been gone. He’s always been an indoor cat. Has never been outdoors at night. Now it’s been 3…😥 I have put his litterbox outside in the garage, food out, and have actually left the door cracked so he could get in. It’s cold outside and I know he’s scared and hungry. I don’t know what to do. He’s very territorial and hated other cats even in our yard. He wouldn’t rest until they were gone. I am so scared… what else can I do?

Professional Cat Recovery Experts like myself have never see any cat found by any information from a “communicator” and many times it just a distraction from what needs to be done- searching with flyers in hand, signs and feeding and filming.

cat travel 1600 miles

Thank you, I have found this article very helpful, as my daughters old cat has suddenly gone missing…she has been in her new house 18months. Her cat has been missing 2days…

cat travel 1600 miles

I’m very sorry to read of your losses. I too have lost my beautiful 12 year old cat Zoe on Nov 6…She is an indoor kitty and we have absolutely no idea how she got out. It was like she vanished. We have an open field area across from our home and we have had 2 sightings of her in the last 6 weeks. My husbands has put out cameras and we go daily to look for her. We put food out which we have filmed the other 2 cats in the area enjoying. We did a huge search the first 72 hours she was missing, did flyers, went door to door. I am just heartbroken as is everyone who loved her. We will continue to look everyday… and I do believe in miracles

cat travel 1600 miles

have you found them? it has been nearly 6 months now

cat travel 1600 miles

Hi I brought my cat to a new a new environment. When I released him in thgarden he smelt around for a few minutes and he then jumped the fence. He hasn’t came back yet and it has been nearly two days. His original home is around 1500 metres away. I’m afraid that he is trying to found his old home . Do you have any tips on what i should do. Thank you.

Hi Nasib, sorry to hear that your cat has got away. Often cats will come home even if it takes a few days but there are a few things you can do. If you have anything that smells of the cat like bedding, towels, etc then put those outside so the cat can smell them. It’s even better if you have cat litter (although, you may not still have that). Leaving food outside can help and calling when it’s getting dark might help as that’s when cats are most active and it may hear your voice. I’d get in touch with the new owners of your old house, too, and ask them to get in contact if they see your cat around. It might be useful to call for your cat in your old neighbourhood, too. It seems likely that that’s where the cat has returned to. Posting flyers etc in the neighbourhood might help as will letting any local cat rescues and vets know, too. It’s got to be such a tough time for you but don’t give up hope. Cats can disappear for weeks and then just walk in when they feel like it. Wishing you all the best and that your cat is home soon xx

cat travel 1600 miles

a true story that happened , my neighbours cat traveled about 10 miles for 5 months to get back home, that was a miracle that he arrived safe , because the trip is dangerous , cars wild animals, they find him waiting in front of the door like he is saying i m here im back. i don t think it s about smelling , because he was moved by car the first time, thats kind of sixth sense, or some magnetic orientation.

You are absoluely right that it has NOTHING to do with smell and everything to do with Magnetoreception…. Cats have the same “homing” abilities as birds, bees, sea turtles etc using the magnetic fields. If they choose to return- and live thru it- they certain could. That was proven in the 1920s by a study done – at the time they did not understand Magnetoreception but knew that it was NOT smell, hearing or sight… as the cat was bagged, boxed and even put under anesthesia..

cat travel 1600 miles

I have a cat that is VERY skittish. He disappeared out the front door of my apartment on the 7th. This is extraordinarily disheartening to think that he could be miles from home by now. My whole town is on the lookout for him! The thing is, I don’t know how far he’s gone or where to look (territory, not specifics). The 200 meter distance is mostly woods (that the owner has told me I cannot search) and beyond that it’s a few hundred homes and then more woods. I’m really worried, and I’m mad at myself because I didn’t get a GPS tracker on him before he left. I go out and look as often as I can, but if I go shining a flashlight around town at 2 AM the police are going to make me go home. I’ve got his info up everywhere, but I’m worried that the sensationalism effect is wearing down. I’m still checking the shelter websites daily, and my wife visits every Friday. I’ve trapped four cats now, all of them similar looking to him, but of course it’s not him. I even contacted a tracker, but they said that with the torrential rain we’ve been having that a trail would be “nearly impossible to find”. I don’t want to stop looking but at this point most people’s advice has either run out or is contradictory to others’ advice. How do you search for a cat that doesn’t want to be found?!

Hi Dustin, so sorry to hear your cat is missing 🙁 You must be absolutely out of your mind with worry. It sounds as if you’re doing everything right. Sometimes, it just takes time for them to come home. Have you tried putting things outside that smell like him? He may be able to pick up his scent and find his way back. There are plenty of cats who come how after weeks and months of being missing which won’t help you now but don’t give up hope. Wishing you all the best x

cat travel 1600 miles

My Cat went missing from a Temporary house. In a mountain Forest. There is some homes here too. I have moved up the hill from that place. I’m playing all his music. And singing as he knows my voice and our songs. 2 weeks. Now. He is a Cat that normally wonders off for 6 days. And finds his way home. But now. He doesn’t know his home. I have other cats. I’m hoping he will see them. And follow. Please help. Advise me

cat travel 1600 miles

As crazy as it may sound, I think one of my cats has returned after almost 3 years. I befriended 3 kittens almost 4 years ago. Mother cat lost interest, I suppose. All 3 had different personalities. “Gracie” was bigger than the other kittens but VERY timid, and kind of spooked at everything around her sisters. They seemed to bully her a lot, and made it even worse. One day she was gone. I had given up hope of ever finding her, and was certain that she had been hit by a car. About a week ago, a female cat showed up at my doorstep. She had changed somewhat in appearance (if it is indeed her) but keep in mind, that she wasn’t full grown when I lost her. SHe came up to me willingly. VERY friendly, I thought. She came into my home and started walking around and looking as if she was looking to see if anything had “changed”. She seemed to know her way around, in some odd sort of way. Very peculiar, I thought. Her personality, when I interacted with her, seemed very familiar to me, too. She rolled on her belly, as if she was wanting to play, like she did when she was a kitten. Her interaction with the other two cats, seemed the same as when she was younger, and went missing. She jumped out of a bathroom window on the night she left, and several years later, when she came into the house, she went right to the window and meowed and turned away from it, like she was frightened of it, or something. Really odd. I’ll never be certain, but I swear, it’s Gracie, coming back home. Whole thing is just too odd. Someone must have taken her in, because she has a collar on. She appears to be abandoned because every night she comes here to be fed and wants to come in for a little while. I would never say that cats won’t return home, even if they’ve been gone for a few years. I really do believe that it’s Gracie. If it isn’t, she’s found a home, anyway.

Could definitely be your cat- Cats usually only go as far as they need to to your kitty could have been close all along. I’ve found over 3000 cats and none of them went more than 1/2 mile on their own power except a few lost away from home that were close to home or recently moved and returned within 2 miles.

cat travel 1600 miles

we moved about 20 miles from our family home and just a few hours after being at our new house my indoor/outdoor cat got out. he has been gone for 3 weeks. we have looked all over for him and nothing. what should i do

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cat travel 1600 miles

My cat Stubby did not run away from home. I was boarding him at a commercial kennel while I was on a week’s vacation. Four days into the vacation, he tore the window screen and escaped. I can’t imagine why a professional kennel entrusted with the care of precious pets would allow an open window in the cat room. Stubby had been a stray with a recognizable three-inch tail when I found him and fed him 2 years ago. He became a loving indoor-outdoor cat on my rural property and was in my bedroom every night. The kennel from which he escaped is 8 miles away. I went door-to-door with 50 flyers in the radius of the kennel. I posted flyers at the local vets, police department, and humane society. Friends have posted him on facebook. Stubby has been missing for 10 days. I wonder if he will know how to come home.

cat travel 1600 miles

I brought my cat to the vet today to get a tick removed and when the receptionist gave him back to me i guess he didnt lock the cage properly and my cat escaped as soon as i walked out the door. I live in a business city (Toronto) he is a 1 1/2 year old male and is outside all the time. He escaped 3 km (1.8 miles) From home, what are the chances of him returning?

cat travel 1600 miles

Let us not give up hope. Josie has been gone for 2 weeks. I hope someone has taken her in because weather is changing. Her contact info is on the other side of the collar. All pets are special💖

cat travel 1600 miles

If someone loses a cat 5 miles from home, will they find their way back?

Cats DO NOT navigate by smell. If you are going to give advice- at least know what you are talking about!!! Litter does not attract the lost cat- only other territorial cats and predators and the blanket would do the same as it has the cat’s marks on it. Documented studies of cat travels show they only cover 2.5 -3 mile per night and only when absolutely necessary to get back to kittens etc Otherwise they may just as easily settle in and establish a new territory.. Telling people their cats be more than a mile from home on their own power is detrimental to them finding their cat

cat travel 1600 miles

I have an indoor cat that comes outside with me sometimes on a harness..and sometimes free…but I am always watching. I waver between letting her be alone and not watch but then I am afraid when I read about people that have “lost” their cats. I want to believe that letting her be indoors and then out when she wishes during the day would be so good for her..but then I become scared. No one seems to have a good answer and she is so small (8lbs) that a tracker is too big for her to wear.

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How Far Do Cats Travel?

While the behavior of lost cats is likely to differ from that of outdoor-access or free-ranging (stray, feral or farm) cats, we can still learn something from studying their normal movement patterns.  In this post, I want to focus on research studies that measured how far cats normally traveled within their home ranges and the maximum distances they traveled from their homes.

cat travel 1600 miles

Since outdoor-access cats in suburban areas generally have small home ranges, we can get a better idea of the distances cats are capable of traveling by looking at movements of free-ranging farm cats in rural areas.  Liberg (1980) found that farm cats in Sweden rarely traveled farther than 600 m (0.4 miles) from their home farm.  In comparison, Warner (1985) found that farm cats in Illinois traveled an average maximum distance of 1,697 m (1 mile) from the farm with a range of 956 m (0.6 miles) to 3,013 m (1.9 miles).  Germain (2008) found similar distances for farm cats in France with two cats that traveled 1,500 m (0.9 miles) and 2,500 m (1.6 miles) from the farm in a single outing.

It is important to keep in mind that all of these measurements are the straight-line distance that the cat traveled, and they do not tell us how far the cat actually walked.  In reality, cats may walk considerably farther each day/night than these numbers indicate.  One free-ranging (intact) male cat in rural Spain was continuously tracked for two 12-hour tracking periods (Palomares 1994).   During one 12-hour tracking period, he walked 4,076 m (2.5 miles), but he stayed in the vicinity of one house.  They don’t specify how far from the house he traveled, but 73.9% of his locations (over 5 months) were within 400 m (0.2 miles) of a house.  This is the only published study I could find that calculated actual distance traveled.

In a future post, I intend to look at dispersal distances of free-ranging cats and what dispersal can teach us about lost cat behavior.  Dispersal occurs when a cat leaves its current home range in search of a new home range.

Literature Cited

Barrat, David.  1997.  Home range size, habitat utilisation and movement patterns of suburban and farm cats Felis catus. Ecography 20(3): 271–280.

Germain, E., S. Benhamou, and M.-L. Poulle .  2008.  Spatio-temporal sharing between the European wildcat, the domestic cat and their hybrids. Journal of Zoology 276(2): 195-203.

Liberg, O.  1980.  Spacing patterns in a population of rural free roaming domestic cats.  Oikos 35: 336-349.

Meek, Paul.  2003.  Home range of house cats Felis catus living within a National Park . Australian Mammology 25: 51-60.

Morgan, S.A., C.M. Hansen, J.G. Ross, G.J. Hickling, S.C. Ogilvie, and A.M. Paterson.  2009.  Urban cat ( Felis catus) movement and predation activity associated with a wetland reserve in New Zealand.  Wildlife Research 36: 574-580.

Palomares, Francisco and Miguel Delibes.  1994.  A note on the movements of a free-ranging male domestic cat in southwestern Spain. Hystrix 5 (1-2): 119-123.

Schmidt, Paige, Roel Lopez, and Bret Collier.  2007.  Survival, fecundity, and movements of free-roaming cats. Journal of Wildlife Management 71(3): 915-919.

Warner, Richard.  1985.  Demography and movements of free-ranging domestic cats in rural Illinois. Journal of Wildlife Management 49: 340-346.

Related Posts

Gps versus radio-tracking: pros and cons for finding cats, what is the average size of a cat's home range, tracking cats in the snow, the importance of shelter for lost, stray, and feral cats, 20 thoughts on “how far do cats travel”.

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Correction: I made an error in my original calculation of the average distance traveled by suburban outdoor-access cats. I mistakenly put down the average distance for Schmidt et al. (2007) as 72 m and this is the average home range area radius. The average distance traveled was actually only 31.2 m, which changes the weighted mean for all the studies from 55 m (180 ft) to 47 m (155 ft).

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This was kool reading for me. i did have a gray tabby outdoor cat come up to me in 2011 and he died 11-09-13 this year. but i fed him and watched him leave and always wondered were all does he go for like when he wonders off in the woods and goes to the neighbors what does he do while being their. well hes dead now because some truck smashed his head in when he was on the side on the road and the truck wanted to speed around a car and that’s how he got hit.

know what i should have done was put a tracking collar on the cat then i could have seen where all he went to and also how far.

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may first he just suddenly vanished I been searching ever scince then. I call him at night I go all over. for 4 miles. n ormaly he hangs out in the neighborhood. no one knows anything all cat places cat shows friends of felines the lot of those groups. could he have started his own domain. and how far would he go to do that.

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My male neutered cat of 10 years has been missing for one week as of today. No sign of him . Posted signs everywhere. What can I be expecting at this time? Will he be back? He once was free ranging. When he came up on our deck 10 years ago, we made him an indoor cat. Was very happy here. Last week the sliding door was left unlocked and he got out. We miss him terribly

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I’m sorry to hear that your cat is missing. I would recommend reading some of the resources available on the Lost Pet Behavior page: https://lostpetresearch.com/lost-pet-resources/lost-pet-behavior/ . If you are looking for more individual help, you may be able to find a pet detective in your area on the Missing Pet Partnership Pet Detective Directory: http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/lost-pet-help/find-a-pet-detective/pet-detective-directory/ .

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Has he come back ? Oo just curious cuz my cat is missing

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How likely is it that a cat walked 17 miles home when moved house?

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I found this study looking for average distance lost cats travel. Mine has been gone for 3 months. I have posted a notice on neighborhood site. I am finding lots of look-alike kitties, with mine being a brown tabby. Lately I’ve gone as far as 2 1/2 miles to check on sightings. Wondering when I should give up.

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never give up

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It is something that I have always wanted to know.

I live in the country and have 8 cats (all vaccinated, microchiped and spay or neutered) and they all wear highly reflective collars with ID Tags.

They are out during the day and I bring them in at night.

The problem i have is once in awhile I have a cat that won’t come home. I will call and call and go look and can’t find him.

I would love to have a gps tracking device and know where he goes but without the monthly fees.

I bothers me when they don’t come home in the afternoon because we have foxes etc. that will kill a cat.

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Helo Debbie here i have lost my white fur baby girl called Affie my cleaner opened my kitchen window she got out been missing 1 week yesterday she only 6 month’s so she no neutered or chipped as i was waiting till she 6 month’s old i am disabled housebound so can’t go looking but have joined services on line to report her missing i got her at 12 week’s old my little year & half year old is missing his play friend what’s the chances we will get her back many thanks Debbie toblarone n Bailies X

Your chances of finding an escaped indoor-only cat are very good if you use the right search techniques. Check out my free Lost Pet Search Checklists here: https://lostpetresearch.com/lost-pet-resources/search-checklists/ . If you are unable to use these techniques yourself due to your disabilities, try to find someone that can assist you, perhaps a volunteer from a local shelter or rescue group.

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Did you cat come home?

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HELP!!! I have been taking care of a feral tom cat Mokey for 11 years. In August 2018 he left home. He was spotted 5 miles from home. We tried the live trap but these ppl had too many young strays. Since he’s been gone for more than a month….should I still keep my hopes up or should I just let my heart deal. Is he lost is he dead…HELP

It is quite likely that he is still alive. Feral cats are quite good at surviving but unfortunately finding and catching them can be quite difficult. It is hard to know whether he is lost or if something caused him to leave your home and he is afraid to come back. I also feed feral cats and over the years different cats have come and gone and sometimes returned again years later.

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3 years ago I saw this thin black cat eating bird seed. I knew he was feral. Up here in NW PA we get brutal winters. So the first winter I made a feral cat shelter. He didn’t like it. Then the next winter I let him in my garage and he hunkered down quite well with beds blankets, etc. Even though I had him for 2+ years he was very mean and also very loving. I never knew when he would bite me or scratch me. I could never turn my back on him or he would get me. But then he loved to sit right next to me, even in the dead of winter, and he would purr and loved to be scratched certain places (his head, ears, chin, tail). But then he would suddenly bite me. I was doing every thing right, no hands over his head, etc. I work in rescue a lot and this cat just wasn’t wired right. I landed in the hospital once because of a bite from him and I had upcoming back surgery so I found a place that had three barns on 5 acres. This place was about 25 miles away. I took him there in April 2018 and then the other night he showed back up (mid-December 2018)!!!!! A few months ago I took in 2 other ferals and had been working with them. I was making great progress. This this guy shows up (he is a big bully) and now it is chaos. I try to feed the 3 in separate locations but he will run to the other dishes and chase the two nice ones away. Any suggestions? I don’t want him hurting the two that I have been working with, plus I am already tired of getting bit and scratched. I feel so guilty that he traveled 25+ miles to get back to my house but it just isn’t working out. HELP!!!!!!

That sounds like a tough situation. If you attempt to relocate that feral cat, he may well keep coming back. Before I make any other suggestions, can you tell me whether you have gotten this feral cat neutered. This can often help with aggression issues.

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While visiting friends out of town, our indoor-outdoor cat escaped from her leash and ran away from us. We made a flier and placed it on mailboxes/porches in a wide area and also checked the local pound. On the 3rd day, we received a phone call from a woman saying that a cat fitting the description was on the roof of her house about 1.5 miles away. We went there and it was indeed our cat. We got her down from the roof, took her home and vowed never to travel with her again.

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Miracle Cat Travels 200 Miles To Get Home

cat travel 1600 miles

After a cat went missing during a family excursion, the feline traveled almost 200 miles to find its way back home. INSIDE EDITION spoke to the cat's owners about their pet's incredible journey home.

A cat named Holly survived a journey that defied explanation. It began when Jacob Richter of West Palm Beach, Florida took his four-year-old tortoise-shell feline on a road trip to a recreational vehicle park in Daytona Beach, nearly 200 miles from home, and she ran away. The impulsive little feline was off and running. Jacob and his wife put up missing cat posters everywhere and searched the area for two days before giving up and heading home. Jacob said, “I was devastated." Flash-forward two months. A Florida woman, who lives less than a mile from the Richter’s, sees a scrawny cat wandering in her yard. Barb Mazzola said, "She was barely walking. She was crying. We gave her a little food...She was starving." Mazzola took photos of the emaciated cat, and figured she was a stray. But the stunning truth emerged when a veterinarian checked to see if she was micro chipped. Low and behold, the cat turned out to be Holly. Incredibly, she managed to walk all the way from Daytona Beach to West Palm Beach, a distance of nearly 200 miles! Veterinarian Sara Beg could barely believe it. Sara said, "The bottoms of her feet were quite raw and red, mostly likely from her long walk." How did Holly make it all the way back? She apparently navigated her way by tracking interstate 95 to the right, keeping the Atlantic Ocean always to her left.

Sara said, "This is a very rare case that it did happen and it's pretty amazing that she did make it this far." For the woman who rescued Holly, it's a bittersweet story. Barb said, "I'd fallen in love with her after taking care of her for a week!" But she can always visit the miracle cat that walked 200 miles to come home.

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I trained my cat to travel with me — and now he's my perfect companion away from home

Miles is happier with me than with anyone else, so when i have to leave town, he comes along, by kyoko mori.

The first thing I do at the hotel is to set up the room for him: the litter box against the wall a good distance from the door, the feeding station by the mini-fridge, the cardboard scratching post next to the bed. It’s been six hours since Miles and I left our apartment in D.C. for Cambridge, where I’ll be teaching for the next 10 days at a low-residency MFA program.  Miles hops out of the carrier and flops down on the floor next to me. He rolls around, stretches and arches his back while I scratch his belly. 

After a few minutes, he gets up to explore the room, rubbing his cheek and forehead on the carpet and the furniture, returning to me for frequent headbutts and belly rubs. The scent line he’s drawing is as clear to him as red paint would be to me. I don’t move from my spot on the floor until he’s been to every corner and back several times, securing the two of us in the center of his territory. I have a reception to attend, but I take my time unpacking. The space he outlined fills with objects he recognizes from home. By the time I leave, he’s had his first meal, drunk some water, squatted in the litter box to pee, and settled on the couch whose upholstery he won’t be able to resist in spite of the cardboard scratcher I had delivered to the hotel ahead of our arrival. The gap between the woven threads is the perfect size for a cat’s claws to sink into. This is our fourth trip together and the second stay at this hotel. We are in a different room but the furniture, the layout, and the artwork on the wall are nearly identical.

Miles, a 13-year-old Siamese, travels with me for his health. When he threw up repeatedly, stopped eating altogether, and was diagnosed with Feline Inflammatory Bowel Disease, we were four months into the COVID-19 shutdown. The classes I taught at my primary job in Northern Virginia, a 45-minute commute each way twice a week, had gone online, and the 10-day trip I made every six months to Cambridge was replaced by a “virtual residency.” I was home 24/7 to give Miles his pills (he is an excellent pill taker) and supervise the mealtimes when he and Jackson, the Burmese, had to be separated to make sure that Miles was eating only the food prescribed by our veterinarian. 

Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a common chronic condition among cats, managed with medication and diet. Miles had a mild case so he didn’t have to stay on the steroids he was initially prescribed.  After observing him closely for nearly two years, I figured out the perfect protocol. He threw up mostly when his stomach was too full or empty. I could keep the condition in check by feeding him small meals six to eight times a day, a tablespoon of the prescription dry food parceled out one pea-sized piece at a time.

Even after classes resumed in person, no one objected if I asked to attend meetings and hold conferences virtually, so I wasn’t gone all day like I used to be. But then the low-residency program went back off-line. I have two close friends in the building I trust completely. In a true Siamese fashion, however, Miles is a one-person cat. In the past when Beth and Rachel took care of him and Jackson, Miles kept a wary distance while Jackson climbed all over them. The only way I could hold onto my low-residency job, which provided the financial cushion I needed not to worry about extra expenses (caused almost exclusively by my obsession with cats and clothes), was to train Miles to be my traveling companion.

The myth that cats are selfish and dogs are loyal says more about human nature than it does about either species.

Whenever a scientific study contradicts the notion that cats are incapable of loving us , the result is reported in a tone of incredulity: “Your Cat Might Not Be Ignoring You When You Speak”; “If You Think Cats Are Antisocial, Maybe It’s You, Scientists Find,” “Shocker: Some Cats Like People More Than Food or Toys.” I doubt that Americans in 46.5 million households are choosing to live with pets who show no affection. Seeking daily doses of humiliation is not in our national character. The myth that cats are selfish and dogs are loyal says more about human nature than it does about either species. We humans like to see the world divided in half: black and white, male and female, good and evil, canine and feline. If dogs love us, then cats must hate us; all the things that make dogs fun to be around — greeting us at the door, following us through the house, learning tricks — are supposedly off-limits to cats.

I was confident that Miles, who had mastered a repertoire of tricks (come, sit, high-five, jump over a stick, jump through a hoop) through clicker training, the same method used for dogs, would understand that he was better off traveling with me than being left behind. Even so, I didn’t expect him to enjoy a six-hour trip involving a cab ride, a shuttle flight, then another cab ride. Most cats hate riding in vehicles — that, I have to concede, is a real difference between dogs and cats — or being paraded through the airport security gate amid the cacophony of voices and machine noises (“But Miles, I did the TSA Pre-Check so we could stand in the shorter line!”) though Miles would never bolt out of my arms. In his distress, he recognizes me as his sole source of security. Just like when I take him to the vet, he does not dwell on the fact that every terrifying thing that is happening to him is happening because I had planned it. Cats are creatures of habit (what animal isn’t?) and air travel is a huge disruption to their routine. For Miles, however, the habit that overrides all is the habit of trusting me. 

When I return from the reception, Miles comes trotting across the room and lies down at my feet. After a brief petting session, I retrieve his clicker and treats from the drawer above the mini-fridge. “Come, sit,” I say, pointing to a spot on the bed. Miles jumps up and sits. I click and give him the treat made of hydrolized protein that won’t upset his stomach, broken into tiny pieces so he won’t overeat. Then I point to the next spot — the top of the dresser — and repeat, “Come.”  We go around the room until he’s sat on every piece of furniture at my request. This is what we do at home every night, though he’s doing it solo, without Jackson. 

Miles has another small meal, I clean his litter box, we watch the 11 o’clock news, and then he sleeps in my arms, under the covers, as always. For the rest of our stay, he supervises my class preparation from his usual perch on my shoulder or lap; he naps on the couch while I’m out running, teaching or meeting up with friends. We maintain his feeding and clicker-trick schedules. Every fourth day when the room needs to be cleaned (according to some hotel industry regulation), we wait in the hallway. I don’t tell the cleaning lady the real reason I’m asking her not to change the sheets (they now smell familiar to Miles) but then again, there is a lot I ask my cleaning ladies at home to do or not to do, all of it having to do with the cats’ safety or comfort for reasons too complicated or embarrassing to explain. 

An animal who hunkers down in a hotel room with you and helps you maintain the stability of your routine is no less devoted to you than one who eagerly accompanies you on your adventures.

Staying at the hotel isn’t exactly like being home. I text Beth and Rachel several times a day for updates about Jackson.  I make coffee with a Keurig instead of a French press. I eat food from a deli or go out to restaurants with friends and never cook a single meal. And if Miles wakes up thirsty in the middle of the night, he can drink water from the glass on our bedside table rather than from the bowl on the floor. He can’t do that at home, where I use a cup with a lid. But it’s OK. We are on vacation. 

On my morning runs during the pandemic, I often saw two or three humans standing six feet apart, straining to carry on a conversation through their masks, while their dogs played nose to nose at the ends of their leashes.  I understood why my friends said their dogs had saved their sanity . Instead of sitting alone at home all day, scared and depressed, my friends were able to venture out and interact with other still-healthy humans walking their dogs. I encountered plenty of still-healthy humans on the running trail, too, but it wasn’t the same without dogs. Runners sped past each other, mildly annoyed that we had to pull the mask up to our face for the few seconds of physical proximity before letting it hang around our neck where it did not interfere with our breathing. 

Dogs can transform strangers into friends, and they are eager — perhaps even more than you are — for an adventure. They’ll hop into your car and drive across the country with you , and at every stop, they’ll help you talk to people with whom you have little or nothing in common except that you are in the same place at the same time, fleetingly. Traveling with a dog means having at your side a goodwill ambassador and a motivational coach rolled into one. John Steinbeck chronicled his cross-country journey with his dog in "Travels with Charley." In 1960, at the age of 58 and in less-than-perfect health, the author set out to see all of America one last time to understand the changes in the country he had been writing about for decades. A quest of that enormity required a canine traveling companion. 

A cat is an ideal companion, too, but for a different kind of traveler. An animal who hunkers down in a hotel room with you and helps you maintain the stability of your routine is no less devoted to you than one who eagerly accompanies you on your adventures. A cat inspires you to love your home so fiercely that you never need to leave to feel better about yourself or the world, and on the few occasions when you must, he will travel with you and transform any strange place into a temporary home.

That’s what Miles does for me, a reluctant traveler. Although I love hearing and reading about other people’s adventures, I’m not drawn to leaving home just to look around and get to know a new place. I’ve been to most of the major American cities, but only by necessity and for specific purposes — to teach, give a reading, attend a conference, spend time with friends I couldn’t persuade to come and see me instead. When I had a few hours to myself, I did the same things I would do at home: I ran, went bird-watching, visited museums. 

Long before I started traveling with a cat, I was traveling like a cat.

Because these activities were easy to arrange, I ended up seeing more of each city than other people who were teaching or attending the same conference.  Almost all the popular running trails were along a body of water, but the twisty Riverwalk in San Antonio was nothing like the straight shot down the Hudson from the Upper West Side to the Battery Park.  The same warblers, encountered in different seasons from north to south, were nearly unrecognizable. In a dozen museums across the country, I looked for Rembrandt’s portraits, Bonnard’s landscapes, and Georgia O’Keeffe’s flowers.  The lists of birds I could identify and artists whose work I loved expanded over the years. 

Long before I started traveling with a cat, I was traveling like a cat, outlining a familiar territory and filling it in, first with the things I recognized and then with the new things I learned through repeated encounters. This, essentially, is how I do anything that is important to me, including my writing. I take a familiar form — an essay, a short story, a memoir, a novel — and circle its shape, bumping against its boundaries, sorting through myriad memories, impressions, opinions and inventions, until the space contains more than what I knew at the beginning. The best new ideas come to me like a warbler away from our yearly encounter at my home sanctuary. It perches on a nearby branch and waits for me to recognize and claim it.  

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Steinbeck’s dog, Charley, was 10 years old, which is similar to the human age of 58. A standard French poodle born near Paris, he belonged to an elegant, luxurious breed, though in previous centuries, poodles were used to retrieve game from water. He was the perfect dog to accompany a famous author traveling incognito in a camper named after Don Quixote’s horse. Canine or feline, your ideal traveling companion is also your avatar. 

Even before I open the carrier, Miles knows he is home. He doesn’t have to walk around to reclaim the space. He and Jackson, who’s been waiting at the door, sniff and saunter away from each other casually though for the next day or two, they will chase each other and wrestle more than usual. I unpack and put my suitcase in the closet where the cats — and me, too — can forget about it until Miles and I have to go away again. Jackson clings to me and purrs. I missed him, too, but Rachel’s note says he sat on her lap for hours while she worked from my living room and Beth reports he was the star of the Zoom yoga class she taught, also from my living room.  

Miles is my soulmate, the avatar of my essential self. Jackson is who I aspire (in vain) to be: trusting of friends and strangers alike, open to new experiences. The evening of their reunion is a series of scuffles and truces. By bedtime, the routine of separate meals and joint clicker tricks is firmly in place. The cats curl up together on the bed and wait for me to complete the circle.

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Kyoko Mori is the author of four nonfiction books, the latest of which — " Cat and Bird: a memoir " — is out now from Belt Publishing. Her essays have appeared in Conjunctions, Harvard Review, the American Scholar, and others. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her cats, Miles and Jackson, and teaches at George Mason University and the Low-Residency MFA Program at Lesley University.

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GPS Tracker Reveals Cat Roamed 16 Miles Around the City in One Weekend

An adventurous cat has impressed internet users after traveling 26 km around Montreal in just forty-eight hours.

Canada-based TikTok user Florence has racked up 35,000 followers and 1.5 million likes sharing videos of her cats , Mulan, Theo and Bernard, and often posts videos of Bernard's movements through his GPS tracker .

One video which received nearly 800,000 views and over 20,000 likes showed Bernard's lengthy route, recorded through a device attached to his collar, which saw him travel a huge 16 miles.

Cat travels 26km

The social media user shared the clip in April and received nearly 700 comments from users, with one writing: "Your cat took a city tour of Montreal, beautiful city."

Another teased: "When your cat spends 48 hours out of the house they're no longer your pet, you're their landlord!"

"Cat walked more in two days than me in a week," commented a third user.

One user even remembered bumping into the cat, writing: "Lol so your cat came to visit me when I lived next to Jerry Park. I have many pics with him. He is too cute but showed me his attitude too."

Bernard's owner explained in previous videos that her cat is incredibly self-sufficient , and has even managed to find himself a "second home" next to his favorite park where kind locals feed him.

In another video, she explained: "This is actually a really crazy story. We were always next to the park he always goes to, because the GPS said he was there but we couldn't find him. So we activated the sound function on the GPS.

"Someone turned off the GPS! [We thought] Omg someone has stolen our cat? GPS was not precise enough to find the house where he was. They texted us because the phone number is on the GPS saying he was at their place right now if we wanted to go and get him."

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According to Cats Protection, one of the best ways to keep your cat safe while wandering outdoors is preventing them from getting lost, by ensuring they wear an identifying collar or simply microchipping your pet.

They advise waiting three to four weeks for cats to adjust to their surroundings before letting them outside for the first time as it gives them time to lay their scent around their home, which helps navigate their way back.

The charity suggested keeping cats inside overnight or during times when road are busy to avoid accidents, perhaps coinciding meal times with rush hour so cats aren't keen to go outside at dangerous periods of the day.

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Monica Greep is a Newsweek Associate Editor, My Turn and is based in London, UK. Her focus is interviewing, writing and editing for Newsweek's first-person experience essays vertical, My Turn. She covers lifestyle, culture, current affairs and true crime. Monica joined Newsweek in 2022 from MailOnline. She is a graduate of the University of Kent. Languages: English.

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Adventurous Cat Travels 70 Miles After Jumping in Two Cars

Sox's owner says the ginger tabby is known to wander far from home and has been found at a nightclub, an Amazon delivery truck, and offices

cat travel 1600 miles

One adventurous feline took a 70-mile joyride around the English Southside by jumping in two strangers’ cars.

A ginger tabby cat named Sox hopped into a car on Sunday afternoon and traveled from Herne Bay in Kent to Whitstable. The woman who found Sox in her car attempted to take him to the vet, but the cat got away — again.

From there, he reportedly headed to Wallington in south London in another car, according to BBC News .

Sox's owner, Jessica Roe, told the outlet she is used to his escapades, often collecting him from various places including a nightclub.

"I jokingly said, 'Oh God, as long as he doesn't get on the train to London, we'll be okay,' " Roe told BBC News.

Meanwhile, Jacqui O'Connor didn't notice Sox in her car until she was already on her way home from Whitstable to London.

"We were driving down the motorway, singing along as you do on the drive home, chatting away, and all of a sudden this head pops in between the two chairs," she said.

Roe has also had to pick Sox up from schools, offices, a swimming pool, an Amazon delivery truck, and even a kebab shop, she told the outlet.

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"My boys are 6 and 8 and he's given me good practice for when they get older and want picking up," she joked.

Roe said she set up a Facebook page documenting Sox’s whereabouts for this exact reason after she previously saw her tabby pop up on a local Facebook page eight times in the span of two weeks.

Sox was eventually able to return home Tuesday night thanks to someone who follows the page, as they offered to drive the feline back when they spotted him on their way from Stonehenge.

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How Far Can a Cat Travel in One Day? Roaming Habits Explained

Nicole Cosgrove Profile Picture

By Nicole Cosgrove

Updated on Nov 27, 2023

Red tabby cat walking from house to the garden

If your cat likes to venture outdoors occasionally, you may be wondering how far they can travel in a day. Some cats like to roam while others prefer staying close to their homes. The difference depends on their instincts and drives.

If your cat goes outdoors and you often don’t see them again until a full day later, it can be natural to wonder what they’re doing during that time and how far they go. It is estimated that cats can travel up to 32 miles a day, however, most cats won’t travel further than 1,500 feet from their home. Let’s look at the roaming behavior of cats and how you can keep your cat safe during this time.

How Far Do Cats Travel From Home?

Male and female cats differ in terms of how far they travel from home. Male cats, especially if they are not neutered, tend to roam farther and cover more area than females.

An average male cat is likely to stay within 1,500 feet of his home. Females stay within 225 feet of the home. Some cats don’t leave their owner’s property at all. The distance traveled will vary from cat to cat, but these are the average distances for most domesticated cats.

If cats are searching for food or breeding partners, they may roam more. Feral cats cover a wide range of territory for survival. Food and shelter from the elements must be sought out every day, and cats can roam farther and farther away from their starting points in these cases. Well-fed cats that can return to the safety of their homes when they want to don’t feel the need to roam great distances.

How Do Cats Find Their Way Home?

Cats have a homing ability that enables them to find their homes again—even states away! We’ve heard of cats traveling hundreds of miles to find their owners. In one case, a cat traveled 228 miles in a week to get back home. That means they traveled approximately 32 miles per day.

This homing ability isn’t fully understood, but experts believe that it has to do with magnetized cells in the cats’ brains that act as little compasses. These, combined with cats’ amazing senses of smell and sight, help them navigate their way and arrive safely at their destinations.

Keeping Your Cat Safe

If you have a cat that likes to wander outdoors, there are a few things to do to keep them safe and protected:

  • Make sure your cat is spayed or neutered. The drive to find breeding partners is powerful, especially for male cats. It can cause a cat to roam much farther than they normally would. Spaying and neutering also stop fighting between unneutered male cats and prevent pregnancies that add to cat overpopulation.
  • Keep your cat up to date on all vaccinations and flea and tick preventatives. This will decrease the risk of your cat picking up diseases.
  • Provide enrichment for your cat inside the home. Interactive toys and cat trees can keep a bored cat entertained enough that they might want to stay home.
  • Microchip your cat so if they are found by a kind stranger or picked up by animal control, you can be reunited with them. A breakaway collar with an identification tag, including your vet’s phone number, is also a good idea in case someone finds your cat injured. Be sure to only use a breakaway collar so if it gets snagged on something, your cat won’t be stuck and can easily escape.
  • Keep your cat inside. While this might be hard to do at first, especially if your cat is used to traveling outdoors, they can become used to it over time. This is the best way to keep your cat safe.

Final Thoughts

The average cat doesn’t travel farther than 1,500 feet in one day. Spayed female cats are less likely to travel even half that far . Unneutered male cats tend to travel the farthest each day in search of breeding partners.

When a cat must, they can travel much farther. In certain cases, cats have traveled hundreds of miles to reach their destination, walking far more than 20 miles each day.

If your cat likes to go outside, keep them protected by getting them microchipped and vaccinated. The best way to make sure your cat is safe is by keeping them indoors. Providing a fun, enriching home life for them can make cats happy to stay inside.

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    An adventurous cat has impressed internet users after traveling 26 km around Montreal in just forty-eight hours. Canada-based TikTok user Florence has racked up 35,000 followers and 1.5 million ...

  21. Look: Well-traveled tabby cat found 1,400 miles from home ...

    From The Center. Feb. 16 (UPI) -- A stray cat found wandering in Kansas turned out to have gone missing two years earlier about 1,400 miles away in Florida. The Prairie Village Police Department said a local resident caught a stray cat wandering the city's streets and took the feline to be scanned for a microchip. Read full story.

  22. Can I drive 1600 miles in a Mini Cooper with 4 cats?

    The cats aren't "good" travelers, but they do ride in the car on occasion - usually to the vet. Yes, they'll howl and maybe freak out a little for a while, but I hope eventually they'll settle down. I'll probably have them in 3 cat carriers - two of them might be ok together in one larger crate.

  23. Adventurous Cat Travels 70 Miles After Jumping in Two Cars

    One adventurous feline took a 70-mile joyride around the English Southside by jumping in two strangers' cars. A ginger tabby cat named Sox hopped into a car on Sunday afternoon and traveled from ...

  24. How Far Can a Cat Travel in One Day? Roaming Habits Explained

    The average cat doesn't travel farther than 1,500 feet in one day. Spayed female cats are less likely to travel even half that far. Unneutered male cats tend to travel the farthest each day in search of breeding partners. When a cat must, they can travel much farther. In certain cases, cats have traveled hundreds of miles to reach their ...