A house cat got lost in Yellowstone. He was found in Roseville — over 800 miles away

In late July, Sacramento resident Alex Betts was walking across a Roseville parking lot when she heard a meowing come from a drainage ditch.

She often sees turkeys and goats around the Sutter Roseville Medical Center, where she works as a medical assistant. But this was the first time she had seen a cat.

“It almost sounded like there was a cat stuck in someone’s engine,” Betts said. “He was malnourished. He was yowling, like he was in pain.”

Little did she know that the Siamese cat, named Rayne Beau and pronounced “rainbow,” traveled more than 800 miles from Yellowstone National Park. In June, he got lost in the woods on a camping trip — the Roseville parking lot was a pit stop on his way home to his human parents, who live in Salinas.

Over the next few days, Betts would order wet cat food from Doordash, and put it out for Rayne Beau, along with water. After work, she would sit with him for 30 minutes.

Betts took the cat home, where Rayne Beau stayed for a few days — much to Betts’ 11 year-old son’s joy.

“My son is a very big cat lover. We have this thing in my house called ‘cat law,’ where if a cat is sleeping on you, you don’t have to be bothered, even if I’m asking him to do chores,” Betts said.

Rayne Beau reunites with his human parents

Betts posted on a Facebook group for lost and found pets to find the kitty’s owners. Then, she left the cat under the care of Placer SPCA, which scanned Rayne Beau’s microchip and notified his owners Benny and Susanne Anguiano of his location.

“We were all very happy that the cat was back with his family and amazed,” Betts said.“We have no idea how the cat traveled that far in the right direction.”

The Anguianos had gone on camping trips with Rayne Beau and his twin sister Starr several times before, Susanne Anguiano told The Bee.

While the couple was setting up their trailer, Rayne Beau’s leash got caught. As his owner worked on untangling it, he became free, running straight into the woods.

Susanne Anguiano started screaming and ran after him, she recalled.

“It’s this perfect storm, so to speak,” Anguiano said. “What was going through my mind was, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe this is happening.’”

Anguiano stayed in the forest for two hours, calling after him, but the terrain — filled with logs — made it difficult to search. The owners took out toys, bed, and his litterbox to lure Rayne Beau back.

“Every day for hours, we looked for him,” Anguiano said. “Our reservation ended and we couldn’t stay any longer … That was so hard”

The owners looked for five days, holding onto hope that their furry friend found shelter and food. On the drive out of Yellowstone, the atmosphere was “somber,” Anguiano said. But when the Anguianos entered the desert, they saw a double rainbow.

“I said, ‘Oh my gosh, that is a sign that our Rayne Beau is going to be ok,” Anguiano said.

It’s unclear how Rayne Beau traveled the distance to Roseville. Anguiano hopes that anyone who came into contact with Rayne Beau during his journey home comes forward to uncover the mystery of how he made his journey home.

When Rayne Beau returned home, Anguiano felt “ecstatic, overjoyed and grateful.” But, his blood work showed that he didn’t have enough protein and lacked nutrition. Since his homecoming, he has been resting and since recovered.

Rayne Beau had another surprise when he came home: a new sibling, 2-year-old Siamese Maxx. His owners got Maxx to be a companion for his sister during Rayne Beau’s absence.

“Everyone is just doing great,” Anguiano said.

The Anguianos are deeply appreciative of Betts’ care for their cat. As an animal lover and having fostered four kids before, Betts emphasized the importance of kindness.

“Each time people tell me, ‘You shouldn’t be doing this. You’re not going to get anything out of it,’” Betts said. “That’s not what these things are about. I’m doing this for the four kids. I’m doing this for the cat.”