Linda Jansen of Penicuik, Midlothian in Scotland had long given up hope of ever again seeing her cat Sampson (pictured above) who went missing a year and a half ago. Which is why Jansen was stunned to get a call that Sampson had been turned in to a veterinarian in Devon, 500 miles away (see map below). His microchip led the vet to Jansen.
Jansen said, “The funny thing is he is a really bad traveller. He always gets sick whenever he’s in a car. So forget The Proclaimers – my cat really did walk 500 miles. She added, “I have no idea where he’s been for 18 months but I can’t wait to see him.”
According to the vet, Sampson was well-fed, but appeared to have been living rough.
In the interim, convinced they’d never see Sampson again, Jansen and her daughter adopted Angus, a tabby kitten (right). Sampson will soon have a baby brother to train.
The Edinburgh firm Eagle Couriers has offered to return Sampson to his home in Scotland for free. Director Fiona Deas said: “It’s one of the most amazing pet stories I’ve heard. We’ll make his journey home as comfy as possible.”
Three cheers for Eagle Couriers, who is willing to transport a carsick cat 500 miles!
The Scottish Wildcat (an endangered wild cat the size of a large domestic cat) is not the only big cat roaming the Scottish countryside. This week, a big black cat — possibly a panther — was spotted near the Faslane Naval Base on Gare Loch, 25 miles east of Glasgow.
This sighting was unusual in that it was videotaped, enabling experts to review the footage and concur that the animal was neither a dog nor a domestic cat.
Chris Swallow took the photos and video from his mobile phone. At first, he thought it was a Labrador Retriever, crossing railroad tracks next to the Churchill Estate in Helensburgh. But animal’s movements were much more fluid than a dog’s, so he investigated further, only to be stunned by what he saw.
“The animal wasn’t moving the way I expected a dog to. It was then I realized that what I was seeing was a big cat,” said Swallow, who happens to be a trained dog handler.
“I ran to my car to grab my mobile phone for a picture. I stood on the nearby rail bridge in Winston Road and got a still photo and a couple of minutes of footage of the animal moving up the railway line.
“It was remarkable. I’ve heard stories about creatures like this moving about the countryside but never really believed them before. Looking back at the video I don’t think there’s any doubt that it’s a big cat.”
In recent years, reports of mysterious big cats have been more numerous than sightings of Nessie in Loch Ness. In fact, there have been so many big cat sightings, the group “Big Cats in Britain” was formed to investigate each claim. The group examined Swallow’s photos and video, and concluded that the animal was “certainly not a domestic cat.”
Shaun Stevens, a researcher for the group, said: “I have a working theory that some of these cats may be a hybrid species or possibly a new species of cat.
“Knowing that the width of the rail tracks in Chris’s video is four feet, eight-and-a-half inches, the animal photographed by him is clearly in excess of four feet.
“Initial first impressions are very exciting, as I think this could be one of the best pieces of footage of a big cat in the UK.”
According to Stevens, the area is a favorite big cat haunt, with an average of 30 sightings reported each year.
Some of the sightings might be attributable to too many single malts, but authorities believe that when the Dangerous Wild Animals Act was passed in the UK in the 1970s, making it illegal to keep big cats, many were released to the wild.
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In yet another testament to the power of the microchip, a Scottish orange tabby named Tigger was returned to his owner this week after having been missing for two years. He was found in Inverness, 160 miles from his Edinburgh home, and had been well cared for in the interim, weighing significantly more than he did when he was first lost.
His owner, Carole Tait, said: “I’m absolutely ecstatic, when I got a phone call from the SSPCA the other day I didn’t think for a second it would be about Tigger. He’d gone missing before, but usually we’d picked him up quite quickly.
“However after a thorough search in the surrounding area, and a campaign of posters, including on the internet, we heard nothing so it’s just fantastic to know he’s alive, let alone have him back home.
“He’s just exactly the same as I remember him, albeit more than a little overweight – wherever he’s been he’s clearly been very well looked after.
“It’s so important to have your pet micro-chipped, I would strongly advise anyone with a pet to do his as soon as possible.”
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Perhaps inspired by wall-climbing cat videos on youtube, a 7-year-old Scottish ginger named Charlie has found scaling a wall to get into his home is easier than getting someone to let him in.
Like too many cats, no sooner is Charlie let out than he wants back in. Somewhere along the way, he learned he could scale the wall to get back into his apartment.
Owner Hannah Smith said she discovered her Charlie’s trick when she let him out the front door downstairs, only to find that he eerily reappeared indoors moments later.
Miss Smith said: “Charlie meows at the front door to be let out. So we let him out but no sooner is he let out than he wants back in.
“But if no one hears him at the front door, he wanders round to the back of the buildings to find the balcony. He then climbs up to the balcony to get back in.”
She added: “I got him as a wee kitten and out of the litter Charlie was the one that looked most mischievous and I liked that about him. He’s certainly lived up to his reputation.”
[LINK: Telegraph.co.uk]
Recently, a Scotsman who set a trap for what he thought was a fox attacking his chickens, found instead an extremely rare and seldom-sighted Scottish Wildcat in the trap when he checked it the next day.
The art teacher, Dave Harris, said, “When I went out the next day I saw the outline of an animal in the pen and just as I went to open the cage, I decided to get a torch. It is just as well, because when I shone the torch at the pen the wildcat started growling (see photo below, right).
“It was incredibly angry and it had a deep, deep growl. However, these animals are very rare and I feel lucky to have had the chance to see one up close. But it certainly came as a shock.” Harris took the cat to a rescue group and after a vet’s examination, released it to an undisclosed location in the Banff area.
Scottish wildcats are considered the only wild animal that is completely untameable, even when reared in captivity. They are incredibly tough “super-predators” (think the feline version of Braveheart), and are sometimes called “the Tiger of the Highlands”. It is Britain’s only remaining large wild predator and walked the Highlands for millions of years before mankind arrived or domestic cats evolved. Sadly, there are fewer than 400 left in existence, and it is expected that the species could be extinct within the next ten years.
They weigh up to 18 lbs., about the size of a large domestic cat, and are distinguished by a large ringed tail, reminiscent of a raccoon’s. This iconic cat is displayed prominently and proudly in Scottish heraldry.
Watch some Scottish Wildcats in motion in this trailer for the Scottish Wildcats’ Assoc. DVD which is being sold to raise money to save this cat from extinction:
We like to think that behind every successful woman is a devoted cat, and that’s certainly the case with pop culture sensation Susan Boyle and her cat, Pebbles. Pebbles has been immortalized in song by the Corrigan Brothers:
In a heinous disregard for animal suffering, Forfar Scotland Sheriff Kevin Veal sentenced convicted cat torturer Declan Baker (right) to community service instead of jail time.
(Due to the disturbing nature of the crime, I will not describe it in detail here. For the whole story, click here.)
Baker admitted to microwaving a four-week old kitten. (The kitten subsequently had to be euthanized.) Baker claimed it was a joke that went to far and he regretted it.
Sheriff Veal said, “To put a small, defenseless animal inside a microwave oven and then activate the oven, with the injuries the animal thereafter sustained is altogether appalling and utterly unacceptable.” Veal also stated that he would be “hard pushed to envisage a worse case of animal cruelty.” Yet he turned around and opted not to jail Baker, saying his sentence would be better served in the community. Baker was sentenced to 120 hours of community service, banned from keeping pets for a mere seven years, and ordered to pay £150 in compensation to cover veterinarian’s fees.
John Robins, spokesman for Animal Concern Advice Line, said: “We’re disgusted at this decision. We’re disgusted that anyone who can do something as cruel as this can walk from court a free man.
“Anyone found guilty of such an horrific crime should be banned for life from keeping animals, sentenced to time in prison and then monitored on release to make sure they don’t repeat their crimes or go on to more horrendous activity.”
If you would like to express your outrage at this appallingly lenient sentence, contact Kevin Veal:
Email: forfar@scotcourts.gov.uk
Kevin Veal
Sheriff Clerk’s Office
Sheriff Court House
Market Street
Forfar, Scotland
DD8 3LA
Two-year-old Misty has been reunited with her owner after spending four weeks locked in a shed. She may have survived by eating mice and licking the condensation off the windows, according to Animal Search UK, which assisted in the search.
Owner Corinne Regan, of Peebles, Scotland, said she’d given up hope of ever finding Misty. Fortunately, a neighbor who had seen posters of the missing cat spotted her in a shed and contacted the owner.
Misty lost about a kilogram in weight, but otherwise seemed to be unharmed by her adventure.
Tom Watkins, the founder of Animal Search UK and a 15-year veteran in the missing pet biz, said it was the longest time he’d known a cat to have survived being trapped like that. Mike Flynn of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it wasn’t unusual for cats to get trapped in garages or sheds like Misty did. “Cats are naturally inquisitive and often like to shelter in warm places,” he said. “We’re delighted to hear that Misty is okay.”
This story hit very close to home. My middle-aged meezer, Mao, has been trapped in garages before. The last time this happened, it was over a long holiday weekend, and we couldn’t get into the garage in which he was trapped. I’m lucky the neighbors didn’t call the police, because I tried every way imaginable to break into the garage… all the while, Mao was braying like a donkey. We were able to get into the garage the following day when the owners returned home.
This story also serves as a reminder not to give up hope! Certainly, our Ozzie Catster friend, Mr. D (who returned home recently after a six-month walkabout) can testify that you should always keep hope alive!
Over in the UK, a very lucky Scottish cat is recovering after a 30-mile ride spent clinging to the underside of a camper van’s bumper. The driver spotted a tail sticking out from the bumper and was sick to think he might have hit the cat. Going to investigate, he found the diesel-soaked cat, nicknamed it “Bumper,” and managed to extract it and take it to a vet where it is doing well. No one knows who the owner is, so the vets are caring for it over the next week, and the camper driver will give Bumper a home if no one comes forward to claim the feline hitchhiker. Take care, Bumper: you’ve only got about six lives left!
He always gets sick whenever he’s in a car. So forget The Proclaimers – my cat really did walk 500 miles. She added, “I have no idea where he’s been for 18 months but I can’t wait to see him.”
He was found in Inverness, 160 miles from his Edinburgh home, and had been well cared for in the interim, weighing significantly more than he did when he was first lost.
“It was incredibly angry and it had a deep, deep growl. However, these animals are very rare and I feel lucky to have had the chance to see one up close. But it certainly came as a shock.” Harris took the cat to a rescue group and after a vet’s examination, released it to an undisclosed location in the Banff area.
In a heinous disregard for animal suffering, Forfar Scotland Sheriff Kevin Veal sentenced convicted cat torturer Declan Baker (right) to community service instead of jail time. 
Two-year-old Misty has been reunited with her owner after spending four weeks locked in a shed. She may have survived by eating mice and licking the condensation off the windows, according to 
Over in the UK, a very lucky Scottish cat is recovering after a 30-mile ride spent clinging to the underside of a camper van’s bumper. The driver spotted a tail sticking out from the bumper and was sick to think he might have hit the cat. Going to investigate, he found the diesel-soaked cat, nicknamed it “Bumper,” and managed to extract it and take it to a vet where it is doing well. No one knows who the owner is, so the vets are caring for it over the next week, and the camper driver will give Bumper a home if no one comes forward to claim the feline hitchhiker. Take care, Bumper: you’ve only got about six lives left!
