There seems to be a sly spirit haunting cats named Bagheera. Or is it the fact that they’re named after a famous wild feline?
After the story of Bagheera, the kitten who disappeared for fifteen months during a family beach vacation in France, now is the turn of a British Bagheera to make the news.
This hitchhiking cat from Somerset stunned his owners by making it all the way to Bristol Airport on his own. In case you’re wondering, that’s a 42-miles ride!
Three-legged Bagheera normally lives in Wellington, UK, with his owner Amanda-Jayne Sullivan. However, the restless cat has a tendency to take little town trips.
Bagheera often waits at a nearby bus stop for the Stagecoach Falcon buses, which run between various points in Devon, Wellington, Taunton, and Bristol Airport. Once he spots an arriving bus, the moggy hops on and hops like an experienced commuter.
Amanda-Jayne Sullivan explained to BBC:
“He’s a typical teenager, I think, He tends to only come back maybe twice a week to eat.”
A ‘tri-pawed’ cat walking on a bus is not a typical sight; therefore, Bagheera tends to attract the passengers or bus driver’s attention. But not this time.
The plucky black cat hitched a bus ride incognito by squeezing into the luggage compartment when the bus stopped in Wellington at about three o’clock. In consequence, he stayed until the last stop: Bristol’s airport.
Maybe he was planning a tropical getaway; who would blame him? Meanwhile, his owner realized the feline cat had disappeared for longer than usual.
As no neighbor had reported spotting Bagheera, Amanda-Jayne Sullivan started to worry. The Briton subsequently posted an SOS on Facebook, pleading for anybody to come forward with information.
Social media helps reunite the bus-hopping cat with his family
Fortunately, the bus-hopping cat was spotted at the airport. After seeing the Facebook post, Nigel Wicks, who works at the Airport Tavern Pub near the airport, recognized the cat as the same one living in the pub’s parking lot.
Mr. Wicks added that the employees had thought the cat was local and wouldn’t have inquired if it weren’t for social media.
According to Wicks, pet owners looking for their animals should follow Amanda-Jayne Sullivan’s example since Facebook has a massive reach.
Thanks to his owner’s post and the airport staff, Bagheera was found. The roaming feline finally went back home to his relieved mistress.
On September 1st, 2022, Bristol’s Airport wrote on its official page:
🐈 This feline tried to go away on holiday after travelling 42 miles from its home in Wellington, Somerset and arriving at Bristol Airport after jumping into the luggage compartment of the Falcon bus 🚍
Bagheera was found safe and well and is now back home after his adventure🥰 pic.twitter.com/vQbtvoJ5rf
— Bristol Airport (@BristolAirport) September 1, 2022
Mr. Wicks shared his delight at the happy ending as well, saying:
“It was nice to know that we found it and it was safe and well.”