LOST AND FOUND: WHISKERS' EPIC JOURNEY
❝ They were so excited, they couldn’t believe he was still alive. — Vet nurse Courtney Sitters
THEY say cats are lucky, but this ginger cat might be the luckiest alive.
The well-travelled feline is to be reunited with his owners after going missing on a 4000km trip across the country.
Three months ago a young family moved from Western Australia to Toowoomba and they faced the long drive from one side of Australia to the other.
The family stopped in Winton, near Longreach, to take a break from driving when Whiskers wandered off.
After searching for hours without success, the distraught family had to leave town, thinking they would never see him again.
But this week a driver found Whiskers on the side of the road and took him to Longreach Veterinary Services.
Thankfully Whiskers was micro-chipped so his family was able to be contacted.
Vet nurse Courtney Sitters said the family was astonished that Whiskers had been found.
“They were so excited, they couldn’t believe he was still alive,” she said.
“It feels good to be able to help and reunite a family after so long.
“It just shows the importance of micro-chipping as well.
“It is a one off payment, a quick trip to the vet and it can save your pet’s life.”
But once Whiskers’ family had been found, there was still the question of how the cat would get from Longreach to Toowoomba.
The Longreach Veterinary Services put a call out on its Facebook page to help get him home.
“This is where we need your help. We need to find a lift for Whiskers from Longreach to Toowoomba. Anyone travelling that way that can help us reunite this cuddly fella with his family? Please spread this wonderful news so we can get this ginger ninja home,” it read.
The post was viewed thousands of times and hundreds of people shared the post to try and find Whiskers a way home.
A Longreach local was heading to Dalby yesterday and offered to take the cat with him.
From there, a Dalby resident will take him to be reunited with his family in Toowoomba today.
Ms Sitters said the power of social media was amazing.
“It is crazy how much the post was shared online,” she said.
“The kindness of the community and strangers is so wonderful.
“After a very long journey Whiskers will be reunited with his family, when they had given up hope of ever seeing him again.”