Fate of family cat overshadows rescue of girl in US abduction

When an FBI tactical team shot and killed an alleged kidnapper and rescued missing 16-year-old Hannah Anderson from the wilderness of Idaho, not everyone was focused on the plight of Hannah or the demise of her abductor.

In the middle of it all, apparently, was a grey house cat, and, for many, its fate became a matter of fascination.

It was one of the oddest details to emerge in the recovery of Hannah, who was kidnapped in California and taken across several states before ending up in a remote area of the state of Idaho in th e US northwest six days later.

A chance encounter with four horseback riders on a wilderness trail ultimately led authorities to them and to the killing of kidnapper James Lee DiMaggio on Saturday. Details were provided by the horseback riders but it was the story of a grey cat that captured the attention of some.

The day after an FBI agent shot and killed DiMaggio, the riders described spotting DiMaggio and Hannah. Retired Sheriff Mark John, 71, said Hannah was soaking her feet in Morehead Lake. DiMaggio, he said, "was off on the side of the trail, petting a grey cat".

"What?" a reporter asked. "Petting a grey cat," John replied. E-mails to reporters and social media tweets wanted to know what happened to the cat.