BOZEMAN, Mont. — Cato, a rare Bengal cat worth thousands of dollars, is back home with his family after disappearing for nearly a year and turning up nearly 300 miles away.
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Luke, Cato’s owner, said the cat came into his life as a kitten after being purchased from a breeder in the Seattle area for $5,000.
“We got Cato when he was a baby. He came to us on Christmas Eve,” Luke said.
Cato is a ninth-generation Bengal cat, a rare breed Luke said stood out because of its appearance and personality. For years, Cato lived like many outdoor cats, roaming during the day and returning home at night.
That changed in May 2025.
“He was home around 2 o’clock and then didn’t come home that night like he always does,” Luke said. “Then we really started to panic.”
Because Cato was microchipped, Luke immediately began searching. He contacted veterinarians within 100 miles and posted signs throughout the neighborhood. He also hired a professional drone pilot equipped with a thermal camera to help search for the missing cat.
“I saw every animal under the sun, except for that cat,” Luke said.
Despite the extensive search, Cato was nowhere to be found. Eventually, Luke and his family tried to move forward.
“The house was just too quiet, and we got some more friends,” Luke said.
The family adopted four rescue cats, each with its own story. Then, in March 2026 — nearly a year after Cato disappeared — Luke received an unexpected call from a veterinarian in Bigfork, a town more than 200 miles from Bozeman.
“I got the call. I was like, ‘OK, show me proof of life,’” Luke said. “We got a photo, and I knew right then that was the cat.”
A friend traveling through Bigfork picked up Cato and drove him back to Bozeman for an emotional reunion.
“We put him in the garage and he jumps out of the cat carrier, takes about seven steps away from me, and then looks back and remembered everything,” Luke said.
But the reunion came with another revelation: Luke believes Cato had been stolen and later resold.
“The person that eventually bought him brought him into the vet,” Luke said. “And just randomly — which all vets should do — they scanned him. They said this cat is missing or stolen.”
Luke said the woman who bought Cato did not want to discuss where she purchased the cat, but told him she paid $3,500.
Luke believes Cato’s rare breed made him a target.
“You can see it in the fur, you can see it in their eyes, you can see it in how their demeanor is,” Luke said. “You can look at him and see he's just a gorgeous cat.”
According to Ashton Animal Hospital, around 2 million pets are stolen annually, with purebred animals among the most commonly targeted.
To help prevent Cato from disappearing again, Luke now keeps a GPS tracker on the cat. He said he recommends the same for other pet owners.
“Just take care of your pets and know where they are,” Luke said. “Just watch them and be aware of their surroundings.”
So that they don't end up with a story like Cato's.
"It's something you'll never forget," Luke said. "You just can't make that up."
