Glasgow couple left ‘shocked’ after pet cat found 300 miles away in Coventry

A pet cat has been reunited with his owners after he was found in Coventry, 300 miles away from his home in Cumbernauld, outside Glasgow.

Beans, a ginger and white cat, vanished from his Scottish home in late October, leaving his owners Cara and Colin McBurnie desperately searching for him.

After weeks of searching, the McBurnies began to lose hope – until they received a call from cat welfare charity Cats Protection with some unexpected news of his location.

I didn’t think to look in England, I didn’t imagine he could have gone that far

Cara McBurnie, Beans’s owner

Beans, an outdoor cat with a love for adventure, surprised everyone with the extent of his travels as he made the incredible 300-mile journey – a trip that, even in a car, would take over five hours.

His owner Cara McBurnie shared her shock at Beans’s travels, saying: “I didn’t think to look in England, I didn’t imagine he could have gone that far.”

Beans was discovered by Kelly Ryan, a Coventry resident, who saw Beans loitering around her outdoor cat box.

After providing Beans with biscuits, Ms Ryan began talking to neighbours about the ‘new’ cat, only to find out that Beans had become a familiar face in the community.

Suspecting he might be lost, Ms Ryan shared her concerns on a local Facebook community group, before her post caught the attention of Cats Protection who dispatched a volunteer to scan Beans for a microchip.

Without a chip, it’s unlikely Beans would have ever found his way back to the family who love him so much

Madison Rogers, Associate Director at Cats Protection

The scan revealed Beans’s identity and uncovered his distant home in Scotland. The charity quickly contacted the McBurnies, who made the 600-mile round trip to be reunited with their beloved pet.

Cara McBurnie said she was “shocked and relieved” to be reunited with her pet cat, adding: “I couldn’t believe it when Wendy [from Cats Protection Coventry] told me, I was shocked out of my mind that he was still alive.”

Madison Rogers, Associate Director at Cats Protection, highlighted the importance of microchipping. She said: “Without a chip, it’s unlikely Beans would have ever found his way back to the family who love him so much.”

The question over how Beans made his way to Coventry remains a mystery, although his Race Across the World-worthy adventure serves as a reminder of the importance of microchipping.