Cat reunited with family, 3,800km later

Wed Sep 16, 2009 12:02pm AEST

A pet cat which went missing in Tasmania and turned up in outback Queensland has been reunited with its owners in the Derwent Valley.

The long-haired Himalayan named Clyde disappeared from home when he was just 12-months-old.

He was eventually found in Cloncurry in north-west Queensland, 3,800 kilometres away.

Earlier this year, Clyde walked into the local hospital and followed a nurse home.

The woman contacted Clyde's owners after a vet found the cat was microchipped.

Owners Katrina Phillips and her daughter Ashley Sullivan are convinced Clyde was stolen and say they are still in shock that he has been found.

Ms Phillips says the family will be keeping a a close eye on the wanderer.

"We'll get that cattery up as quickly as what we can so he's safe at home," she said.

"I really expected him to be quite frantic when we got him out, I really expected to have a cat that didn't want to be held up and needing its space.

"And for him to be so relaxed and calm, I'm positive he remembers."

They plan to keep Clyde indoors for a few days before reintroducing him to their other animals - four cats, a dog, a cockatoo and 40 horses.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/16/2687558.htm