Cat Walks 12 Miles Back To Family Who Want To Euthanize Him

RALEIGH, NC — Toby finally caught a break. The fluffy orange tabby cat walked 12 miles to get back to his family, who rewarded his dedication by turning him over to an animal shelter with a request that he be euthanized.

No, the shelter said, refusing to treat Toby as a throw-away cat and transferring him to a Raleigh shelter run by the SPCA of Wake County, which put the cat up for adoption. News media from around the world shared his sad story and on Friday the 13th, a bad luck charm for the superstitious, Toby’s fortune changed. He was adopted.

It’s a happy ending for a 7-year-old cat who spent most of his life just wanting to be wanted. He showed up at his first family's house as a stray, but fought with the other cats. So they gave him away to another family far enough away that they figured he would stay put. He didn’t like it there, though, and set off on his now-epic journey back to his original family, prompting the request that he be put down.

His story shines light on the needs of other cats and dogs that no one wants. The SPCA of Wake County has set up a special team for Toby at the 2018 Dog Walk and Woofstock, which takes place on Sunday, May 6. It’s a fundraiser to help the shelter rescue and find new homes for 3,000 pets each year and provide lifesaving medical care for others.

“If he is willing to walk 12 miles to save his life, will you walk ONE to save thousands of animals like Toby?” the shelter posted.

Tara Lynn, the communications manager at SPCA of Wake County, told The Huffington Post she doesn’t know why the family wanted Toby to be euthanized, but that they did the responsible thing by taking him to a shelter.

“I think people’s immediate reaction is to bash the family, rather than saying ‘Hurray, the shelter saved his life,’ or ‘Hurray, he was adopted,’” she said.

At the shelter, it looked like Toby might have had to live out his life there in isolation because he wanted to fight with the other cats. But after he was neutered, Toby calmed down considerably and is settling in well with the cats that live with his new family.

Lynn told HuffPo that Toby is “very friendly.”

“There are really sad stories we hear all the time about things people do to animals,” Lynn said. “But ultimately, Toby is alive and he has a wonderful new home.”

Photo courtesy of SPCA of Wake County, used with permission