Cats are very curious animals. But sometimes this quality can play a cruel trick on them, as was the case with a cat called Baloo from Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada).
Baloo was an obedient pet, and he usually didn’t try to run away from home. The young cat, less than a year old, loved to play and was often hidden in various places, forcing his owners to scramble to find him. So it took her owner Jacqueline Lane a while to notice her missing.
She first thought he might be hiding somewhere, then, not finding him, the family thought he might have run out, followed by the children rushing to school. Jacqueline questioned all the neighbors and put up posters about the cat’s disappearance, but to no avail – no one had seen Baloo.
The animal had vanished, and it seemed incredible. However, the distraught owners did not give up hope that he would return, and they eventually did. Except the cat wasn’t in Halifax, but 1,000 kilometers away.
Four days later, Jacqueline received a call from the shipping company informing her that a kitten had been found in her package. Jacqueline realized that this time Baloo had hidden in a box of car rims and, without realizing it, she had closed it and given it to the courier.
He was told that Baloo had been discovered thanks to the vigilance of a motorist who, while unloading in Montreal, had heard strange noises in the box. He opened the box and found a frightened kitten, which had traveled for 17 hours and a distance of 1,200 km.
The boy handed the kitten over to the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who then found the owners’ address using the package code. When Jacqueline heard the news, she was both happy and confused: she didn’t know how to get her pet back.
Luckily, social workers in Montreal sometimes bring animals to the shelter in Nova Scotia, and Baloo was able to make the return trip in their vehicle. The family welcomed the fugitive with joy, and he too was happy to be home.
Since then, the cat-tourist has lived at home, his masters checking the packages before sending them by post.
