Cat survives journey of a thousand kilometers in postal package

NOS News•today, 12:23

It is common knowledge that cats love boxes, but the curiosity of the American cat Galena turned out wrong for her: the animal was found in the parcel post warehouse more than a thousand kilometers away. The cat survived the days-long journey without food and water.

Galena’s owners started looking for the cat in early April because they couldn’t find her anywhere. They posted a message on Facebook, but the search was unsuccessful. “We searched everywhere for a week, in every corner and neighborhood. We even made posters. We are devastated. I have a lot of emotional support for Galena,” read the message from Carrie Stevens Clark.

It was an employee of e-commerce company Amazon in Los Angeles who finally found the cat in one of the returns almost a week later. Galena was hidden in a large return box containing five shoe boxes. The package center is nearly 650 miles from her home in Utah.

The Amazon employee who found her says Galena was “extremely scared and stressed” from the long journey. The employee tried to feed her, but because of the stress she did not drink or eat anything, she told the American newspaper USA Today. She called the vet, who was able to scan Galena’s chip and identify the owners.

“At first I didn’t believe the vet,” Carrie Stevens Clark said after receiving the call. “But she must have gotten into the package without us knowing.” Even though Galena had been without food and water for more than six days, the vet said she was in good condition.

Thanks to a crack in the box, she could continue to breathe. The varying temperatures also ensured that it did not get too hot for Galeno. The couple then flew to Los Angeles to pick up their beloved cat. They drove back to Utah in a rental car with Galeno.