Containerised cat survives Cyprus to Felixstowe voyage without food, water

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  • Cat became trapped after wandering inside shipping container in Cyprus
  • The stowaway, dubbed Miss Pickford, survived three-week journey to UK
  • She was discovered by warehouse staff as they unloaded in Bedfordshire
  • Miss Pickford is recovering from her journey and is looking for a new home

A cat was discovered in a British warehouse after surviving a three-week journey in a shipping container without any food or water. 
The stowaway tabby-and-white cat, who has since been dubbed Miss Pickford, became trapped after wandering into the crate as it was being loaded in the port of Limassol, Cyprus, in February.
It remained in the sealed container as the vessel sailed to Felixstowe, Suffolk - stopping off in Haifa, Israel, Antwerp, Belgium, Bremerhaven, Germany and Rotterdam, the Netherlands on the way.
Stowaway: The stowaway tabby-and-white cat, who has since been dubbed Miss Pickford, became trapped after wandering into the crate as it was being loaded at the port of Limassol, Cyprus, in February
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Stowaway: The stowaway tabby-and-white cat, who has since been dubbed Miss Pickford, became trapped after wandering into the crate as it was being loaded at the port of Limassol, Cyprus, in February
The cat remained in the sealed container as the vessel sailed to Felixstowe, Suffolk - stopping off in Haifa, Israel, Antwerp, Belgium, Bremerhaven, Germany and Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on the way
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The cat remained in the sealed container as the vessel sailed to Felixstowe, Suffolk - stopping off in Haifa, Israel, Antwerp, Belgium, Bremerhaven, Germany and Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on the way
The animal was discovered by staff from Pickfords, a removal and storage company, after they heard its meows as they unpacked the container at a warehouse in Kempston, Bedfordshire in March.
The cat, who had made a bed for itself in one of the boxes, is believed to have survived by licking condensation from the walls. 
The team at Pickfords phoned the local Bedford Trading Standards organisation who caught the cat and took it to Bayton Lodge Quarantine Kennels and Cattery in Bedworth, Warwickshire.
Lorraine Grove, 58, the cattery's owner, said: 'When she arrived with us she was in a very bad condition. She was extremely thin, very dehydrated and her fur was dry like straw.'
But Miss Pickford made a miraculous recovery during her quarantine period, and was given flea and worm treatment, rabies vaccination and a microchip.
The four-year-old feline is now being cared for at Cats Protection's Birmingham Adoption Centre and is looking for a new home.
Recovery: The cat is now being cared for at Cats Protection's Birmingham Adoption Centre, pictured
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Recovery: The cat is now being cared for at Cats Protection's Birmingham Adoption Centre, pictured
Survival: The cat, who had made a bed for itself in one of the boxes, is believed to have survived by licking condensation from the walls. Above, file image of a shipping container
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Survival: The cat, who had made a bed for itself in one of the boxes, is believed to have survived by licking condensation from the walls. Above, file image of a shipping container
Staff say she is still a little unsure of herself, but are confident that she'll make the perfect pet for someone.
Sarah Whitmore, deputy manager at the centre, said: 'Miss Pickford is a very special cat to have survived such a gruelling ordeal.
'She's fairly shy and retiring, so we're hoping to find her a quiet home with an experienced owner who can coax her out of her shell.'



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