Devon Hayzlett said her husband thought someone was pulling his leg when he received a message from Washoe County Regional Animal Services that their 2-year-old cat Ponyo had been picked up in Reno on Aug. 27.

The Hayzletts live in the Bay Area; about a four-hour drive from Reno. They had just seen Ponyo the night before and, because Ponyo is the kind of cat that likes to hide away for long periods, were not even aware she was missing, much less in another state.

Regional Animal Services received a call from a security officer at Circus Circus in downtown Reno about 5pm Aug. 27. They were concerned about the well-being of a cat spotted in the valet parking area.

Animal Control Officer Kevin Osborne responded. Because Ponyo was microchipped and had an ID collar with a phone number he was easily able to contact the Hayzletts in Dublin to let them know their cat had been found and was safe, 220 miles from home.

The next morning Devon Hayzlett made the drive over the Sierra to pick up the family cat, still mystified as to how Ponyo made such a long journey in just a day.

The most logical explanation is that Ponyo accidentally and unknowingly hitched a ride with some of the Hayzletts’ neighbors and their friends who had gone on a drive to Lake Tahoe and Reno, including a stop at the Circus Circus.

Washoe County Regional Animal Services believes that microchipping is your pet’s best chance of finding home if it ever becomes lost.