Owner explains how Oyen likely hitched rides from Bukit Kayu Hitam to Sekinchan after wasp nest visit
THE mystery behind a cat’s incredible 350-kilometre journey from Kedah to Selangor has been unraveled by its owner, who believes the feline stowed away on vehicles following a fire brigade visit to their home.
According to Kosmo, Marya Mohd Noor, 43, shared her theory about how her two-year-old male cat, affectionately known as Oyen, ended up in Sekinchan after disappearing from their home in Bukit Kayu Hitam.
Marya said the adventure began on December 21, when she and her family called the fire brigade to remove a wasp nest from their yard. Two fire engines responded to the call, and she suspects Oyen may have climbed aboard one of them.
“We were puzzled about how Oyen could have reached Selangor, but thinking back, that’s probably how it happened. When the Bomba came on December 21, two vehicles arrived. Oyen might have gotten into one of them and been taken to the Bukit Kayu Hitam fire station,” Marya explained.
She noted that numerous lorries and trailers are typically parked outside the fire station compound, providing ample opportunity for an adventurous cat to board another vehicle heading south.
“The Sekinchan fire department told us that many lorries park near their station too. Perhaps after getting off the lorry or trailer, Oyen went straight to their station,” she said.
Marya also suggested another possibility: Oyen could have climbed into a lorry belonging to their neighbour, which is regularly parked near their home, without the driver’s knowledge.
The owner also entertained the idea that Oyen might have been seeking attention, as the family had been preoccupied with preparations for their eldest daughter’s wedding.
“Maybe Oyen felt neglected because our whole family was busy organizing the wedding reception. We only realised Oyen was missing when the Sekinchan fire station called us on December 23,” Marya revealed.
Her daughter, Rabiatul Adawiyah, 22, got married on December 22, just a day after Oyen’s presumed departure.
Marya noted that while Oyen regularly goes outdoors, he always returns home. “Oyen is still in Sekinchan. We’ll go fetch him tomorrow,” she said during the interview with the Malay daily.
The story captured widespread attention on social media after firefighters at the Sekinchan Fire and Rescue Station discovered the cat and managed to trace its owners back to Bukit Kayu Hitam through identification efforts.
The remarkable journey highlighted both the resourcefulness of cats and the dedication of fire and rescue personnel in reuniting lost pets with their families.
Marya’s husband, Mohd Nazri Ismail, 45, and the rest of the family were relieved to learn their beloved pet was safe, despite the extraordinary distance traveled.
