After escaping from SPCA Florida in Lakeland, a cat made a 2.7-mile journey home all by himself.
SPCA Florida said George was a community cat that roamed the Loma Verde complex near Scott Lake. George's caretakers, residents of the complex, decided to take advantage of the SPCA's neutering program and dropped him off at their Lakeland location.
When his caretakers returned to pick him up, they said it was "a scene straight out of an old prison break movie." George had busted out of his case and disappeared into the woods behind the building.
"Despite being a yard cat, he had become our friend, and the thought of him alone in the wild was tough to shake," they wrote. "Every day, I returned, my eyes scanning the tree line, hoping for a glimpse of his familiar, swaggering strut."
His caretakers said they would look for him every night, leaving out boxes of food and calling his name into the darkness.
Then, one Sunday morning, George reappeared, sleeping on the same old chair he had spent countless nights curled up in. He had crossed several busy roads and circled Lake Victoria while recovering from surgery to make it back home.
His caretakers said that after a meal and a good brushing, George settled down for a nap—the only kind that a cat who dodged countless dangers can truly appreciate.
"We don't come home until they do."
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