Cat walked 2,000 miles to former home

A cat missing for over a year from her Northern Territory home has walked more than 2,000 miles, (3,000km), to her old house in South Australia. Owner Sheree Gale, 31, said there was no doubt her tabby cat Jessie had walked the distance from Berry Springs, in Darwin's rural area, to Ungarra on the Eyre Peninsula. "I can't explain it," an amazed Mrs Gale said. "She hates getting into cars, so I think she has walked."

Mrs Gale and her husband Andre had moved to the Top End before flying the cat up in March last year. The long flight took the pet from Port Lincoln to Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Darwin and cost more than $300. "And she didn't even have a window seat,' the nurse said.



Two other cats remained behind in Ungarra - with the agreement of the new owners - because the Gales did not think they would react well to the move. The mango country is a far cry from Ungarra - home to sheep and wheat. Mrs Gale said her cat had disappeared soon after the relocation. "She was here for a couple of weeks, and we thought she'd settled in," she said.

But, more than a year later, Jessie suddenly appeared at her old house in May this year. The home's new residents, Troy and Jenn Humby, are now looking after the cat. "I thought it was strange because this cat was hanging around with the other two cats and I thought a wild one wouldn't do that," Mrs Humby said. "I took a photo and sent it to Sheree, and she said it was definitely Jessie."