On the fourth of July, Texan Julie Charters was heartbroken, wondering where her domestic shorthair Sharoo could be. The cat was very friendly and outgoing but had been missing for a week from the Houston-area home.
Taking to Facebook, she asked her friends for help finding Sharoo, who arrived five years ago and already neutered.
“I have taken care of a stray cat for five years. I fed him once, and he stayed for five years! The most friendly cat ever!!!” she wrote.
At the time, she had no idea where Sharoo could be, and if someone saw him, he might not respond to his name.
“I can’t imagine he just ran away. I hope some psycho didn’t get a hold of him. I’m hoping he wandered off and some nice person fed him and he’s staying around. If anyone has seen him please let me know. He is a typical cat and does not respond to his name. He has been named Sharoo and Tony and outside kitty by multiple neighbors.”
Sharoo Travels Over 900 Miles to Florida
Eight days after Sharoo went missing, Charters got a knock on the door, and there was her neighbor. To her dismay, she learned her cat was over 900 miles away in St. Augustine, Florida – and missing.
As it turns out, her neighbor had just moved, and on moving day, the cat stowed away in the moving van. Perhaps, when Sharoo peeked inside and thought he’d won the lottery.
“From a cat’s perspective, cats will get in any box they can see. He probably thought he hit the jackpot when he saw all those moving boxes,” Charters told The Courier.
After exploring the moving van, the cat traveled to Florida, surviving quite comfortably despite the heat.
“When they got to St. Augustine on June 27 and opened the door, there he was relaxed on their couch,” wrote Charters.
Now, one would think that the kitty might have been upset, but no, he was “happy and calm” as could be. In the past, he had been known to curl up on a neighbor’s couch, finding friends wherever he roamed.
“He’s totally made it as a stray because he’s so likable,” she said.
Due to his relaxed personality, the neighbor didn’t immediately capture him. Also, they didn’t realize he had just traveled all the way from Texas until later.
Sharoo Goes Missing in Florida
At first, Charters was relieved to know where Sharoo was, but then panic set in, knowing he was wandering the streets of St. Augustine. So, she started putting up flyers in The Woodlands neighborhood where she lived.
That’s when friends on social media helped, posting Charters’ flyer on a St. Augustine page for lost and found pets. Also, a PawBoost alert with Sharoo’s picture went out to Facebook.
Over the next 12 hours, multiple people said they had seen the friendly cat. Once more, his outgoing personality put everyone he met at ease.
“Within 12 hours of posting the flyer, multiple people had said they had seen him. None of them took him in because he seemed so relaxed and well-fed. They thought he was a neighbor’s pet,” wrote The Courier.
Fortunately, a couple who identified Sharoo brought him home, keeping him in their bathroom until Charters could come to get him. Then, she flew to Florida on the first flight she could get.
Sharoo Acts Like Nothing Happened
Now, Charters was finally in Florida at nighttime and ready to see her missing cat. Once more, Sharoo seemed to behave like nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
When the rescuer opened the door, out came Sharoo, “strolling out like nothing had happened,” recalled Charters.
Then, the chill cat needed veterinary care for a small wound as well as papers for the return flight to Texas.
Sharoo’s Name and an Ironic Twist
Interestingly, Sharoo’s name came from the character Saroo in the movie “Lion.” Ironically, Saroo, a boy from India, fell asleep on a train and ended up 1,000 miles from home to Calcutta. From there, Saroo lived as a “street urchin and survived on his wits and scraps of food,” The Guardian reports.
After Sharoo the cat was safely back home, Charters said:
“Not very many people get their cat back when they go missing, especially not 1,000 miles away,” she said.
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