A Cat from Russia Somehow Winds Up in Idaho Falls

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The year is still at its infancy, yet it seems to have already come with its unique serving of strange occurrences. One weird happening in the town of Idaho Falls was where a stray cat happened to come from Russia. It is an intriguing case that definitely leaves many eyebrows raised when looking at such an odd or maybe unique case. As from reports that news website Local News 8 came across, the news of a cat from Russia somehow winds up in Idaho Falls, is just a new level of perplexing. It brought up some theories that later on got brushed off as the exact origin of the cat got clear.

Background Of The Situation

On the 2nd of January 2020, a large black stray cat was brought into the Idaho animal shelter. The cat looked healthy and sturdy, meaning it was not feral. As it is routine, the staff went through measures to help reunite the cat with its owner, with the first step being looking for its chip. On analysis of the chip is where the twist to the story emerged. The cat’s location details pointed to Russia, almost 8000 kilometers away, and the weird thing is that it did not have its owner’s details. It is not normal for a chip to lack the owner details, more so with its origin indicated. At that moment, the shelter knew they had a complex case to crack, and time was running out due to the five-day adoption policy. According to the system, a stray animal has a five day grace period to be claimed, or put up for adoption. The animal shelter, in most cases, takes up the responsibility of locating the owners. With no name, they christened the cat Ivan to portray its Russian roots.

Handling The Cat

The caretakers of the cat describe Ivan, the cat, as being unique, exhibiting unusual behavior. It likes a petting session and will always like your attention. However, when you give your attention, it suddenly changes and becomes a recluse and sits on its own. Its love for petting was one sign that the cat was used to humans, pointing to a case of abandonment or separation. Its good health and build suggested the separation from its owner was something recent. Hitting a dead-end in trying to identify the cat’s owner, the animal shelter put out alerts of the stray cat on its social media pages. The response came through and helped in identifying the owner.

Theories Put Up

Such a case is fascinating, and as expected, many residents of the locality were in a state of amusement after the story of the Russian cat winding up in the area. It was fodder for some theories, with one pointing to a spy program. The suggestion was that the cat with no identity, both of itself and its owner, came to the country to spy for the soviets. While this would be a story to pay keen attention to in the 1960s during the cold war, at the moment, it is quite far-fetched. The owner came through, and the spy theory got thrown off the window.

The Tale Of Three Owners

Through social media, the process of locating the owner came easy, and the shelter received a call from the purported owner. The thing is that the narrative of Ivan the Russian cat was not over yet as two other people called claiming to be the cat’s owners. As it is the norm, the shelter invited them all to come and lay proof of ownership of the lost feline. According to the Post Register, the cat was a purebred Bengal breed from Russia. An Idaho falls resident acquired it from the country; however, on first look, the buyer became disappointed as it was not what he expected. He gave it to a second household that, in turn, gave it to the third household where the cat lived for some time before its disappearance, where it became stray. Someone came across it and brought it to the animal shelter for care. Now the problem came when the first and the third owner both wanted the cat back. The third owner did not know how the cat disappeared while the first owner got disappointed in how the third owner took care of the cat leading it to stray from the household. Like with any animal shelter, the Idaho-based animal care home needed documental proof of the cat’s ownership. The first owner had the documents, and it is an expectation that Ivan reunited with his first household.

Heart Of The Matter

From the story of a cat from Russia somehow winds up in Idaho Falls, there are several things to take note. One is the role of microchip technology and the help it provides to pet owners, especially when they get lost. Once you have the chip, be sure to have all your details integrated for the accessible location should your pet go missing. When you buy the pet from someone, try and change the details to match yours. Also, have the right documentation of your animal for easy claiming in case it finds itself in a shelter or any other situation. You cannot overlook the role of animal shelters as they provide a suitable sanctuary for stray animals and help them reunite with their owners. The shelters need much appreciation in ensuring the proper welfare of animals. The cat had an appropriate home for some time before its reunion with its owners. Also, if you want to adopt a pet, go to the shelters, and you can get one that impresses you.

In Conclusion

The case of the Russian cat in Idaho Falls was fantastic, leading to questions on how it found its way to a town roughly 5000 miles from its purported place of origin. While the case is now under wraps, it was an exciting story to start the year. The Bengal cat found its owner, and it is in the best hopes that it is now comfortable in its present household.

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