<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">No one's quite sure how Sasha the 6-year-old fluffy black cat made it from Portland, Oregon, to Santa Fe over the past five years, but he has finally been reunited with his person, just in time for Caturday.</span><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Courtesy of the <i>Arizona Central </i>(Phoenix, Arizona) at:<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody;"><br><div><a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/pets/2019/11/21/lost-portland-cat-sasha-found-in-new-mexico-reunited-with-owner/4253162002/?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark">https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/pets/2019/11/21/lost-portland-cat-sasha-found-in-new-mexico-reunited-with-owner/4253162002/?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark</a></div><div><br></div><div>———————————————</div><div><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 32px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br></span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 32px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><b>How Sasha the lost cat found his way home after 5 years and 1,300 miles</b></span></div><div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">No one’s quite sure how Sasha the 6-year-old fluffy black cat made it from Portland, Oregon, to Santa Fe over the past five years.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But apparently it isn’t uncommon for cats — who are known for their independent streaks — to go hitchhiking.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And on Tuesday, five years after he went missing, Sasha was returned to his owner, Viktor Usov.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Murad Kirdar of the Santa Fe Animal Shelter hand-delivered the feline, compliments of American Airlines, to Usov at Portland International Airport.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">By Tuesday night, the healthy, 19-pound Sasha was back on his favorite place on the couch, flipping over for belly rubs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"It's like he never left. He's so happy," the 31-year-old Usov said. "I guess I wanna think he was on a great American adventure."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">When Sasha went missing in 2014, Usov thought the cat might have fallen victim to coyotes. But not every cat that goes missing meets a bad end.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“It’s very common for a cat to jump in a U-Haul or a train or the back of a truck. But for 1,200 miles and for a cat to be missing for five years and then for a microchip to connect both of them? That rarely happens," Kirdar said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Sasha’s fur was matted and unkempt when he was found wandering the streets of Santa Fe this month, leading shelter staff to believe he was someone’s outdoor cat. They took him in and set out to find his owner.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“Sasha didn’t miss a meal,” Kirdar said. “I like to say Sasha was eating a lot of good Mexican food because (he) was a chunky cat, very healthy.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“I’m sure he has a lot of great stories to tell,” Kirdar said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Microchips reunite pets, owners<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Santa Fe Animal Shelter reunites families with their missing pets every day, Kirdar said. But this is the first time he has done an in-person delivery. Sasha’s successful return would not have been possible if he had not been microchipped.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“The microchip is the best form of identification for an animal,” said Kirdar, adding that most shelters insert the chip, which is as small as a grain of rice, before adoption.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Microchipping and licensing are sure fire ways to get an animal returned," said Jose Santiago of Maricopa County Animal Care and Control.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"All dogs 3 months of age and older are required by law to be licensed and that must be renewed every year. If we find an animal that is wearing a current license or microchip and we can locate an owner, we drive that animal straight home."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">According to Santiago, the shelter has taken in more than 27,000 animals this year, 96% of which have been returned or rescued.</span></p></div><div><br></div><div>————————</div><div><br></div><div>Photos . . . </div><div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Sasha flew home to Portland after five years away from his family. He was found by the Santa Fe Animal Shelter roaming the streets of New Mexico.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_112319_01.jpg">http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_112319_01.jpg</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Sasha was reunited with owner Viktor Usov (left) on Nov. 19, 2019, at the Portland International Airport after five years apart.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_112319_02.jpg">http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_112319_02.jpg</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">After five years away from his family and traveling more than 1,000 miles from his Portland home to Santa Fe, Sasha flew home on Nov. 19, 2019.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_112319_03.jpg">http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_112319_03.jpg</a></p></div><div><br></div><div>———————————————</div><div><br></div><div><b>“Caturday”</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> by Linus Petit</span><br><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_by_Linus_Petit.mp3">http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_by_Linus_Petit.mp3</a></div><div><br><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>