Oliver the Persian cat is a house cat, but somehow he got loose from his home in Mountain Home, Idaho. Since Oliver doesn’t go outside, it was highly unusual for him to be missing. To find him, his family began sharing posts on social media and posting signs in their neighborhood.
Notably, the day Oliver went missing was August 18, a Wednesday morning. Then, for four days, he remained missing. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a microchip, so the family couldn’t track him down.
Oliver the Persian, Mountain Home, Idaho, image via Facebook
Oliver Found 365 Miles North
Days later, on Friday the 24th, Oliver the Persian turned up. Astonishingly he was over 365 miles away in Alberton, Montana. Someone there found him, bathed him, and took him to AniMeals, an adoption center in nearby Missoula, reported NBC Montana.
“The person that found him said he was really dirty so she gave him a bath and brought him to us on the 24th,” wrote AniMeals.
Previously, the rescuers at AniMeals had posted about Oliver on their social media page. Amazingly, one of their followers saw the found post and connected with Oliver’s owners so far away by the very next night.
Importantly, if not for social media, Oliver may never have found his home. Now, his human family was ready for a long drive.
“The family made the 365 mile drive to retrieve Oliver on Thursday. They said they don’t know how he got out. AniMeals said he could’ve hitched a ride in or on a car that made it all the way to Missoula,” reports NBC.
Thankfully, before returning to Mountain Home, the shelter gave Oliver a microchip. Now, he won’t be easily lost ever again.
Oliver the Persian, images via Facebook
Oliver the Persian, images, screenshots via KTVB7
How Did Oliver the Persian Travel 365 Miles?
It’s a mystery how Oliver the Persian got so far so fast. Possibly, AniMeals suggested, the Persian had hitched a ride by car. But, did someone drive him in a car, or did he somehow get outside the home and jump on a vehicle himself? Today, nobody knows for sure except for Oliver. Perhaps, there could be another witness?
Oliver’s Joyful Reunion with His Family
As soon as the family learned of Oliver’s whereabouts, they traveled by car for eight hours to the shelter. One little girl, Rachael Bush, was heartbroken after losing her cat. Now, her best friend was coming home.
“And I asked to open the cage, and right there I knew it was Oliver,” she told KTVB7. “Everyone has a best friend, and Oliver was mine. I was just missing something, like home did not feel like home without Oliver.”
Images via Facebook
Images via Facebook, Screenshot via KTVB7
On Facebook, Annemarie Bush shared a video of her Rachael holding Oliver tenderly on the car ride home.
“We made it home!! Oliver slept almost all the way, with just waking up enough to love on Rachael and going back to sleep. I can’t thank everyone enough for helping us find him!”
Oliver the Persian and Microchipping
Following Oliver the Persian’s amazing reunion, AniMeals said the story was a perfect opportunity to discuss microchipping.
“This is a perfect example of how important microchipping pets and sharing lost/found pets are. Never assume your pet will not get out or disappear under weird circumstances.”
Also, the rescuers suggested posting lost/found information on Instagram, Facebook, Pawboost, and Next Door.
“Expand your reach beyond local never know they might be 365 miles away,” they wrote.
Further, they suggested thinking outside the box about where your pet could be.
“Do not assume your pet will never get out of the house or act in a predictable way. We think that it is possible that Oliver crawled onto or into someone’s car and went for a very long ride.”
Finally, they say keep watching and looking regardless of how much time has passed because, as we have seen, weird things can happen. Above all, never give up.
See the video from KTVB:
