'Runaway' Cat Found 1,800-Miles Away From Home

1,800 miles is a long way to travel, especially if you are just a tiny cat who weighs a mere five and a half pounds - But that apparently is the journey Willow, a Calico cat made when she trotted all the way from Colorado to New York City.

The Boulder resident escaped five years ago, when her house was undergoing renovations and a door was left open. Her owners, the Squire family, searched high and low for their little kitty cat, even putting up 'lost cat' posters all around the neighborhood and on the Internet. When there were no leads, they assumed that Willow had probably been the victim of the coyotes that roamed the area.

So you can only imagine their surprise when a few weeks ago, they received a call from Julie Bank the executive director of New York City's Animal Care and Control, telling them that Willow had been found. According to the director, she was delivered to them by a Good Samaritan who found her roaming on Manhattan's East 20th Street. They had been able to find the Squire family, thanks to the tracking microchip that had been embedded inside Willow, when she was just a kitten.

Though no one knows for sure how Willow got to New York, there has been a claim by a mystery man, that the so-called Samaritan was the person who had adopted what he thought was a stray cat from Colorado, after falling in love with her while on a ski-trip. And, though he still cared for the little cat, he did not have the time to devote to her, and had therefore decided to bring her to the animal shelter.

While there is no confirmation that the story is true, it is the best explanation of how Willow probably made the 1,800-mile journey and, why she looks so healthy and is showing no signs of distress from her five-year road trip.

Also, here is another clue that Willow may be have been with someone else - When she finally re-united with the Squire family on September 24th, she was not very friendly and even nipped three-year old Laura Squire's hand! What do you think Willow's story is? Be sure to let me know by adding your comments below.

Resources:gothamist.com,today.today.msnbc.msn.com