Strays: A Lost Cat, a Homeless Man, and Their Journey Across America

British journalist Collins (the Guardian; Sunday Times) shares the story of Michael King, an alcoholic living on the streets of Portland, OR, who rescues a stray, injured cat and how they save each other. Nursing the animal back to health, he names her Tabor, eventually teaching her to walk on a leash. Becoming less dependent on alcohol because of Tabor, King comes to term with his past. When winter approaches, the pair hitchhike to the beaches of California, Yosemite National Park, and eventually Montana. Along the way they encounter rainstorms, bears, and herds of steer, while finding compassionate people who give them money, food, and rides. In Montana, King takes Tabor to visit a vet who, discovers that she has an ID chip. This presents King with the difficult choice of keeping Tabor or returning her to her rightful owner.