We’ve had a spate of runaway pet stories lately, across several species. There was intrepid Valerie, the Miniature Dachshund who spent 529 days running amok on an Australian island before a local rescue group lured her back. Then at the other end of the commonwealth, British tortoise Leonardo took nine months to wander one mile away from his Cumbria home before being reunited with his family. Now we have a new entry, with a bit of a twist. George the cat has no owner, but gets plenty of care and attention from the residents of Lakeland, FL’s Loma Verde complex, whose backyards he calls home. Recently, the persons at Loma Verde took George for neutering services. When they went to pick him up, though, they learned the little rascal had fled. But unlike Valerie and Leonardo who ventured away from home, turns out George made a run in order to return home. Which he did, covering nearly three miles in a week. That darn cat!

George, a backyard community cat who took up residence at the Loma Verde complex in Lakeland, Florida, grew impatient after getting neutered at the local SPCA and wandered nearly three miles back home, according to a press release shared with PEOPLE on Monday, May 19.

Per the release, the cat’s friends — residents at the complex — often cared for George, giving him food and a comfortable place to rest. But every morning, the residents found the cat in a disheveled state, appearing as if he’d been prowling all night.

They then decided to get George neutered — a service offered to backyard cats by the local SPCA — “hoping it might slow him down a bit.”

“But when I returned to pick him up, I was met with a scene straight out of an old prison break movie,” the residents wrote in the press release. “Somehow, George — tough, stubborn, and full of fight — had busted out of his cage and disappeared into the dense woods behind SPCA Florida.”

It’s only about 2.7 miles between the SPCA and Loma Verde, but for a cat it’s a substantial and complex route. George had to cross busy streets, navigate around Lake Victoria and pass by other dangers to get home.

The SPCA set live traps and kept a close watch for George, as did the Loma Verde residents.

“Every day, I returned, my eyes scanning the tree line, hoping for a glimpse of his familiar, swaggering strut,” they wrote. “At night, I left boxes of food out, calling his name into the darkness, hoping the old boy would hear my voice and find his way back.”

But on a recent Sunday morning, the residents woke up to a familiar sight: George, lounging on his favorite chair inside their carport, “looking like he had just returned from a grand adventure.” He had lost a bit of weight and was “clearly hungry,” but otherwise, their dear cat appeared healthy.

“After a hearty meal and a good brushing, George settled down for the kind of long nap only a cat who has crossed roads, skirted lakes and dodged countless dangers can truly appreciate,” they wrote.

[From People]

Honestly, I don’t know what I love more — the fact that George was like, “F–k this sh-t, I’m getting outta here before they snip off anything else,” or the fact that the Loma Verde residents wrote up and distributed their own press release covering the whole affair! Sounds like it was a mighty ordeal for all involved. I’ve never had a cat myself, but this story tracks with what I’ve gleaned about the individualistic creatures. They are their own masters, they just let you feed and home and tend to them when the timing works out for them. Even if they’re quite comfortable in your home, sometimes they just need to take off and have an adventure. I have My Guy chipped, my faithful fluffy long-haired Chihuahua, and every day I get emails from the network about a lost animal in the area. Nine times out of 10 it’s a cat at large. At least George was headed towards home! And had an excellent sense of direction.

Note by CB: A news reports on this story (below) makes George seem more like a domestic cat than a stray. He has an owner!

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