SAN FRANCISCO — A gray cat living an extraordinary life of visits to the beach and trips to the lake went on his biggest adventure alone: traveling hundreds of miles from Wyoming to California. How the feline named Rayne Beau — pronounced "rainbow" — made it home two months after getting lost in Yellowstone National Park during a summer camping trip remains a mystery. Susanne Anguiano's cats, Rayne Beau and Starr Jasmyn, snuggle together Sept.
10 in Salinas, Calif. Benny and Susanne Anguiano and their two cats arrived at Yellowstone's Fishing Bridge RV Park on June 4 for the cats' first trip to the forest. Soon after they arrived, Rayne Beau was startled and ran into the nearby trees.
The couple looked for him for four days, even laying out his favorite treats and toys. When they finally had to drive back to Salinas, California, on June 8, Susanne Anguiano said she was crushed. The wooded area where cat Rayne Beau disappeared in June during a camping trip to Yellowstone National Park.
But she never lost hope she would find him. "We were entering the Nevada desert and all of a sudden I see a double rainbow. And I took a picture of it and I thought, that's a sign," she said.
"That's a sign for our rainbow that he's going to be okay." In August, the Anguianos received amazing news when a microchip company messaged them that their cat was at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Roseville, California — nearly 900 miles from Yellowstone, and only about 200 miles away from his home in Salinas. Rayne Beau eats food provided by Alexandra Betts in August 2024 in Roseville, Calif.
A woman who first saw Rayne Beau wandering the streets of the northern California city fed him and gave him water until she trapped him on Aug. 3 and took him to the local SPCA. The next day, the Anguianos drove to Roseville and picked up their cat, who had lost 6 pounds.
Rayne Beau in a carrier Aug. 4 after he was reunited with his family in Roseville, Calif. "I believe truly that he made that trek mostly on his own.
His paws were really beat up. Lost 40% of his body weight, had really low protein levels because of inadequate nutrition. So he was not cared for," Susanne Anguiano said.
The Anguianos still don't know how their cat got to Roseville but they believe he was trying to get home. They reached out to the media hoping to fill in the blanks. Benny Anguiano said that besides microchipping their cats, they now also fitted two of them with air tags and Rayne Beau with a GPS global tracker.
Rayne Beau looks out a window in July 2023 inside a camper. The cats love traveling in the camper and looking out the big windows to see deer, squirrels and other animals. But the family is not ready to get on the road with their pets again anytime soon, he said.
"It was a very ugly feeling after we lost him," he said. "We'll have to practice camping at home and camp in the driveway to get him used to it." The data is in: More and more Americans are hitting the road for long stretches as the country puts the COVID-19 pandemic in the rearview mirror.
What's more, these travelers often have a four-legged family member along for the ride. Road trips are more popular than ever. For the 2023 Fourth of July weekend, AAA estimated that 43.
2 million Americans were driving to their vacation destinations , a new record for travelers hitting the road during the holiday. Around 100 million people intended to drive more than 250 miles from home over the summer in 2023, according to The Vacationer's yearly summer travel survey. At the same time, Americans are foregoing leaving their pets at home.
This may be in part because families simply have more fur babies than any time over the past few years. According to the American Pet Products Association, 66% of American households have a pet in 2023, an increase from 56% since 1988. That's a lot of new animals to figure out how to transport: Delta Airlines estimates that half a million nonservice animal pets ride on board annually.
For those with travel ambitions and pet responsibilities, CitizenShipper outlined a list of five do's and don'ts for traveling on the road with your pet, compiled from animal medical caretakers and travel authorities like VCA Animal Hospitals, Animal Hospital of Howard, and AAA. These tips apply to cats and dogs specifically. Pets have many of the same considerations as you do to stay comfortable, so plan ahead for when they're hungry or thirsty, need sleep and bathroom breaks, and time to stretch their legs.
Some recommendations are probably similar to precautions one would take with a toddler: Don't let them sit in the front seat and plan for them to get restless and antsy, for example. In general, owners should always plan to pack their animal's vaccination certifications, medications, regular food, identification, and some cleanup supplies, at minimum. Read on to learn the biggest do's and don'ts when it comes to making memories on the road with your favorite four-legged family members.
While we might enjoy snacking on the road, our pets can't. Animals are susceptible to car sickness, so it's not advisable to feed them in a moving car. Plan for them to eat four to six hours before leaving, not right before departing.
An empty stomach can help alleviate nausea and vomiting. Make sure the food you bring is properly stored and placed in a cool, dry place so it doesn't go bad on the road. This can mean bringing a small cooler to preserve canned wet food that's been opened and Tupperware for dry food.
It can also be a good idea to bring a few snacks along in case your pet needs calming down (more on that later). Water, however, is not only acceptable but important to provide plentifully. Some water in different parts of the country have different minerals that can upset an animal's already sensitive stomach, so it may be wise to bring water from home.
Long road trips can present hazards that aren't a worry at home. Even if they're usually well-behaved, pets can be anxious in a new place, causing them to run away in search of home. Cats may hide if they're stressed; dogs could jump out of a window that's rolled down too far.
They may become anxious with unfamiliar surroundings and scents, so make sure that you keep a close eye so they don't dart away or accidentally get lost when they become confused or panicked. To prepare for these risks, always put a collar with identification on your pet while traveling, even if they don't need one at home. Engage your car's child locks and don't let your pet in the front or passenger seat.
Traveling can be extremely anxiety-inducing for animals; there are different stimuli to take in and get used to every time you stop somewhere new. A comfort object, such as a beloved toy or stuffed animal, can help soothe them along the way. You could also make a safe space in a corner of the car with blankets or a bed from home—anything familiar can make all the difference.
You may even want to consider a pheromone collar or anti-anxiety medication if your pet particularly struggles with new environments. Before attempting a long road trip, first take them on smaller trips to acclimate your pet to traveling by car. It may also help to play calming music along the drive, but don't blast your favorite tunes or podcasts too loudly, it might distress your four-legged friend further.
Don't leave your pet suffering in silence—it's best to pre-plan and time bathroom breaks to make sure there are no accidents. Take your pet to the bathroom just before departing in the car to set them up for success from the start. Puppies need to use the bathroom at least once an hour; for mature dogs, this is more like every four hours.
It all depends on your knowledge of your pet; after all, no one knows them better than you. If you have a feline, make sure you have a full and fresh litter box in the car. Packing a top-entry one is essential to avoid a spill when you hit a pothole.
Animals are antsy and usually can't go too long in a cramped car. For dogs, plan to stop every two to three hours to let them run around in a safe park area (though some experts advise every hour, while others say every four). At the same time, make sure not to overdo it; stopping too many times means an overload of new smells, sights, and environments, which can quickly become stressful for your pet.
When you do stop, never leave pets unattended. Temperatures inside cars exceed outside weather and can potentially cause heatstroke. Beloved pets can also be stolen if your parked car only has your furry friend to stand guard.
Before hitting the road again, take your dog on a short walk or play with your cat. Tiring them out can help minimize their restlessness. Story editing by Carren Jao.
Copy editing by Tim Bruns. Photo selection by Clarese Moller. This story originally appeared on CitizenShipper and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
The Litter-Robot 4 by Whisker is a little like a Roomba. One day, you’re baffled by the cost. The next, you’re wondering how you ever lived without it.
The self-cleaning litter box costs $699 (yes, really), but it eliminates a daily chore every cat owner dreads. The Litter-Robot 4 sifts out waste after every use, pushing clumps into a tightly sealed drawer to prevent odors. You can also view up-to-date stats about your cat’s litter box use and weight.
Plus, it works for multi-cat households. Whether you have an escape artist or an indoor/outdoor cat, Tractive’s GPS collar helps you track your cat’s movements and keep them safe. The collar also records activity levels and notifies you with a health alert if your cat suddenly changes behavior.
The tracker costs $49.99, and a basic subscription costs $13 per month, with discounts for annual billing. Petcube is a $49.
99 camera that allows you to monitor your cat while you’re away. The subscription plan starts at $5.99 per month.
Subscriptions give you access to live streaming, 3-day video history, and smart alerts. If you want to interact with your cat while you’re gone, the Petcube Bites 2 Lite has 2-way audio and a treat dispenser. Keeping your cat hydrated doesn’t just give your fur baby more energy — it can also be crucial for preventing feline lower urinary tract and chronic kidney disease.
The $79.99 Petlibro water fountain makes it easy to track your cat’s hydration levels with in-app reports and low water notifications. Running water is also more appealing to cats, motivating them to drink more.
If you have multiple pets, it can be tricky to keep them out of each others’ food. This automatic feeder from Sure Petcare is activated by your cat’s microchip or RFID collar tag, eliminating food stealing. At $199, SureFeed is pricey for an automatic feeder, but for pets on special diets, it can be a literal lifesaver.
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