A daring feline from Surrey made headlines after she boarded a train and travelled over 17 miles to central London. Michael Hardy, 52, from Weybridge, had the unexpected task of retrieving his cat Tilly from Waterloo station after her surprising journey into the city.
The two-year-old black and white cat has become quite the local sensation, frequently visiting pubs and schools in her hometown. She's known for her escapades, having previously hitched rides on buses and Ubers, but this trip to London marks her longest adventure to date.
The journey from Weybridge to Waterloo typically lasts between 35-40 minutes by train. Michael recounted that he and his girlfriend Emma Hill, who co-owns Tilly, were astonished when they received a call from station staff in November informing them of Tilly's whereabouts.
He said: "She ended up getting on the train and going all the way to Waterloo. Luckily, I was working in London that day, but I had to drive across the city to go and collect her.
"The station staff couldn't believe it.
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"She does things like this all the time. She is always in the local station. People come from everywhere now to try and find her.
"Waterloo is the furthest she has ever made it. If she manages to get on the other line she could end up in Brighton."
Tilly, who was once a stray, became part of their family just over a year ago after two girls inquired at their door about her original owners.
After a visit to the vet showed that she didn't have a chip, they decided to adopt her. Not long after settling in, she started her peculiar escapades, first exploring hotels near Heathrow where her owners lived at the time.
Michael, who runs the phone company TNBN, shared: "Nobody knows where she came from."
He was taken aback by her fondness for solo excursions, saying: "She loves going on travels by herself. It really surprised us the first time because normally cats like to stay close to home."
Her adventures don’t stop there; "She is always at the local pub and sits behind the bar with the staff. She even takes herself down to the vets."
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Michael recounted Tilly's amusing habits: "She just does crazy stuff all the time. We have even had to get her Ubers home before."
To mitigate concerns when Tilly explored too far, Michael equipped her with an Apple Airtag to track her movements.
Yet, despite this, they still receive daily calls from well-meaning locals concerned about Tilly's safety. Initially, they were anxious when Tilly vanished but now take it in stride.
"She starts banging on the door and meowing, we open it and off she goes, and we don't know when we will see her again."
said Michael. The adventurous feline also boasts a popular Facebook page documenting her exploits, boasting a remarkable 4.6K followers.