It could only have happened to Tommy Whiskers, a Highland lynx cat now happily back home with Leslie Luikens and her family in Kalispell after a solo trip to Glacier National Park.

“He’s a very quirky cat,” Luikens said with a laugh.

Describing him as a rare and exotic breed, Luikens said Tommy Whiskers’ adventure began with his morning ritual. At exactly 4:20 a.m., Tommy rattles the window shade to let Luikens and her husband know he awaits his morning constitutional.

“It’s never 4:19 or 4:21 but 4:20 a.m.,” she said. “I let him out Saturday morning which was the 27th. He always comes back at night because he wants his canned cat food.”

When Tommy didn’t show up for his chow that evening, the family was concerned. When he didn’t come back the following day, Aug. 28, she and her two daughters were in tears and frantic.

“He’s an important part of our lives,” she said.

According to Luikens, the family picked the breed because of its rarity. The domestic cats resemble bobcats with reportedly 12.5 percent bobcat genetics.

She described Tommy Whiskers as affectionate when inside, cuddling up and sleeping with them. But outside, he may not even look in their direction when they call him due to his independent streak.

Still, the family has grown to love their quirky, inscrutable feline. Luikens covered all the bases by calling the animal shelter and hanging posters around the area asking for help locating their Highland lynx cat.

The family had nearly lost hope until Aug. 30, when they heard from Glacier National Park Ranger Amanda Brodwell. She filled them in on where Tommy Whiskers had been.

Somehow, the adventurous cat made it to the park entrance in West Glacier where another ranger found him the evening of Aug. 27 and put him in a holding pen. Apparently no one was around to let him out at 4:20 a.m. the following morning, so Tommy took matters in his own paws, breaking out for a constitutional.

Later in the morning, Brodwell met up with Tommy Whiskers.

“She found him walking around Apgar in front of her office,” Luikens said. “So she bought cat food and litter and kept him until Tuesday when she could call Flathead County Animal Shelter. They gave her my name.”

The big question remains: How did Tommy Whiskers get all the way to Glacier National Park in one day?

Luikens speculates that he must have explored an open RV or maybe hitched a ride in the back of a pickup truck.

The family has wondered if someone mistakenly thought he was a bobcat and tried to return him to the wild.

“You would never have him in your car and not know it,” Luikens said.

Tommy Whiskers has rejoined the family’s happy menagerie that includes an 18-year-old cat, a dog and a guinea pig. He still insists on 4:20 a.m. outings as well as several more each day even though he was neutered long ago.

Luikens said some people may criticize her for letting him go outside. But she said his  bobcat lineage and independent nature make it cruel and nearly impossible to confine him.

At 5 years old and set in his ways, Tommy Whiskers wanders the wilds of Kalispell’s east side in search of excitement and sometimes finds it.

“He’s feisty,” Liukens said. “He still enjoys a good cat fight.”

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at [email protected].