In 2012, Holly the Florida house cat fled after fireworks, survived a 190-mile journey and was reunited with her owners 62 days later

A house cat named Holly disappeared during a Florida holiday in late 2012 after fireworks frightened her and she bolted from her owners' motor home. Jacob and Bonnie Richter had travelled with Holly to the Daytona International Speedway, about 190 miles from their home in West Palm Beach. The family searched for the missing cat and distributed flyers before eventually returning home without her. Sixty-two days later, Holly was found in a Palm Beach Gardens garden, emaciated and weak. A veterinarian scanned her for a microchip, leading to her owners being contacted. The indoor cat had made her way back towards home.Florida cat Holly disappeared after fireworksThe Richters had taken Holly with them on their road trip when she became separated from them. The ABC News report said she was "spooked by fireworks" and bolted from the motor home, leaving her owners searching for her in the area around Daytona International Speedway.The family continued looking for Holly before they had to leave without her. They handed out flyers and contacted local agencies during their search, but the cat could not be found at the time. The Richters eventually returned to their home in West Palm Beach without knowing what had happened to her.Holly was found weak after 62 daysSixty-two days later, a woman named Barb Mazzola found an emaciated cat in her yard in Palm Beach Gardens. According to ABC News, the cat was "so skinny, all bones and weak" and could "hardly walk". Mazzola bought food for the animal and took her to a veterinarian on a Saturday.At the veterinary clinic, Holly was scanned for a microchip. The identification allowed the veterinarian to establish who the cat belonged to, leading to the Richters receiving a call informing them that Holly had been found.Holly was found just one mile from homeThe Richters were shocked to learn that Holly had survived and made her way back to the area where they lived. According to the ABC News report, she was found only one mile from the family's home in West Palm Beach.Jacob Richter described the journey to ABC News affiliate WPBF-TV as "quite a journey for this little girl". He added: "We just can't believe she came home." The discovery meant that Holly had returned to the vicinity of her home after disappearing during the family's trip to Daytona.Indoor cat Holly travelled 190 miles homeHolly's return was particularly notable because she was an indoor cat and had travelled a long distance after becoming separated from her owners. Veterinarian Marty Becker told ABC News that animals have a sense of direction, but said it was unusual for cats to find their way home over long distances."All animals have a sense of direction," Becker said, according to the ABC News report, adding that it was "really unusual for cats to find a way home over long distances". Holly had covered the roughly 190 miles between Daytona and the Richters' home.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.