Four years later (and 200km), cat comes back

Rachael Coleman and Peanut the Cat. Photo / Paul Rickard, Gisborne Herald

The amazing story of a cat that travelled more than 200 kilometres and turned up at the Gisborne SPCA after going missing four years earlier has come to a very happy ending.

Six-year-old grey tabby Peanut and his much-relieved owner Rachael Coleman from Hastings were reunited in Gisborne yesterday.

Rachael, a former SPCA Gisborne volunteer, adopted the cat from the SPCA in Gisborne. The SPCA have micro-chipping animals at the centre for about seven years.

Peanut was de-sexed and micro-chipped and his information was loaded on to the New Zealand Companion Animal Register before she adopted the cat and moved to Hastings.

For the first three weeks after the move, Rachael kept Peanut and her three other cats locked inside and Peanut went missing on the first day she let the them outside.

The next sighting of him was when SPCA Gisborne animal welfare inspector Bernice David-Goodwin found him hanging around the SPCA grounds about a month ago.

"As soon as we scanned him his unique identifying number was revealed and we searched the NZCAR Database.

"I rang Rachael and told her that we had found Peanut. It was a deeply emotional moment. It had been four years since she last saw him."

Photo / Liam Clayton

The story has captured many people's imagination as to how the cat made its way over the 200km hike.

Whether he hitched a ride in a vehicle somehow or took his time walking and hunting for his dinner on the way, no one will ever know, says Mrs David-Goodwin.

However, the amazing feat and subsequent joyful reunion between Peanut and Rachael has highlighted the benefits of micro-chipping all pets.

"Whether it is rabbits, birds, dogs or cats, we microchip every animal that leaves the SPCA."

The Gisborne SPCA had a similar happy reunion story last year.

A cat that had been missing for three to four years was found at Nick's Head Station and the SPCA was able to quickly reunite person and pet.

"The benefits of microchipping really speak for themselves," she said.

Photo / Liam Clayton

The reunion of Rachael and Peanut was "fantastic".

"I was so happy to see him again after all this time. He is a particularly friendly cat," said Rachael.

She remembers the phone call a month ago from the Gisborne SPCA.

"I could not believe it.

"I thought it was practical joke for a while."

She wanted to rush to Gisborne and get him straight away but did not have enough money.

"So we have been saving up and a good friend gave me the rest of the money I needed to come this weekend."

The timing of Peanut's arrival was also a good distraction for Rachael to help get over the death of another of her cats the week before.

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