A couple from the Isle of Man made a 400-mile round trip at the weekend to collect their wandering cat, who had hitched an unplanned ride to Devon in the back of a visitor’s van.

Liz and Paul Skillicorn travelled from their home in Strang, near Douglas, to a cattery near Tavistock after discovering that their three-year-old cat, Dusty, had made the journey across the Irish Sea without their knowledge.

The couple boarded a ferry on Friday and drove through the night, arriving on Saturday morning to collect Dusty from a cattery at Kit Hill, near Gunnislake.

Dusty, who is well known on the island for her adventurous nature, was found by Tavistock man Tommy Bird. He had been working on the Isle of Man during the TT Races earlier in June and only discovered the unexpected stowaway once he had returned home.

Dusty the cat with one of her humans back home on the Isle of Man.
Dusty the cat with one of her humans back home on the Isle of Man. (Liz Sillifant)

Mr Bird had noticed Dusty wandering around his camp and sleeping on the dashboard of his van. Unbeknown to him, she had climbed inside before he left the island. Upon discovering her back in Tavistock, he recognised her from her Facebook page, ‘Dusty’s Adventures’, which has more than 20,000 followers.

With work commitments at Glastonbury Festival, Mr Bird arranged for Dusty to be taken to Westmoor Vets in Tavistock, who then placed her in temporary care at the nearby cattery.

Dusty’s owner, Liz Skillicorn, said: ‘Then we got a message from him to say that she had snuck into the van without him realising and had gone all the way home with him. He said “I think I’ve got your cat” and I said “I’ll come and get her”, and he said “I live in Tavistock”. I said “Where’s that?”. He said “Devon!”.’

Dusty is a familiar figure on the island, especially around Noble’s Hospital, where she regularly visits patients and staff. Liz said: ‘We live on the estate beside the hospital and she basically lives in the hospital. She wanders the corridors, she sits in the cafeteria, and she goes into A&E while people are waiting to be seen and sits on their laps. She also goes in the ambulances. She is well-known for wandering.’

Dusty the cat travelled 400 miles from the Isle of Man to Tavistock
Dusty the cat travelled 400 miles from the Isle of Man to Tavistock (Nicola Walton )

News of Dusty’s unexpected trip led to a fundraising effort on the island, with locals raising more than £1,000 to help cover the costs of the journey. The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company provided the Skillicorns’ ferry crossing from and to the island during their round trip.

Liz added: ‘A lovely lady called Nicola raised over £1,000 to get Dusty home and whatever is left over will be donated to an animal charity. Everyone loves her on the island and wants her back. I have had so many messages from people.’

Dusty was safely collected on Saturday morning, and the Skillicorns returned to the Isle of Man later that day. Liz said they had packed her lead and harness and hoped to take her for a walk on the beach before heading home.