Jump to content
Complete France Forum

THE STOWAWAY CAT!


Maxine

Recommended Posts

An English young girl, who lives nearby (Ruffec area) lost her young cat. Then she heard quite dramatically that it has hitch-hiked itself to Cherbourg. It stowed itself away on a truck that was travelling back to the UK. Not having the neccessary documents, the driver could not take it with him but managed to leave it at a Cat Sanctuary nearby. 

Now she wishes to retrieve it, but will have to make the return journey there and back, which is about 750 miles;  a long and expensive drive. Is there anyone reading this who might be passing through Cherbourg, who could pick it up and bring it back for her? Please help!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry cant help.

But I just wanted to say how amazed I am that the truck driver, bothered to go to the trouble of finding a cat sanctuary and didnt just turf it out. What a nice man. Hopfully he left his number at the santuary and your friend will ring him and let him know the cat got home safe and well.

Good luck at getting him back let us know how it goes[:)]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you Catalpa and Pads for your helpful input. At the moment it does look like the young lady in question thinks that she is going to make the journey herself to pick the kitten up. I will update this thread if and when there is any progress.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyone following the saga of the 'poor wandering one', will no doubt be please to learn that the young lady owner has made the 700 odd mile return journey and brought it safely back to its home! That is what I call dedication! Thank you for your support!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great story!  Catalpa, your idea is called "co-voiturage" and goes on all over France.  I discovered it recently on the Rescue site.  If an animal is in need down south and someone up north can offer a home or even a temporary one, there is a real chain of solidarity.

http://rescue.forumactif.com/forum12-Co-voiturage.htm

There was a stowaway cat not long ago came across from the States in a container which then went on to Nancy, I think it was, where she was finally discovered after a certain time without food or water.  The local refuge took care of her, they managed to trace the owners in the States (can't remember all the details, but will post it if I can find it) and she was finally flown back first class to her happy family.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Apparently she travelled for four weeks without food or water and travelled back Business Class offered by Continental Airlines :

Emily, la chatte voyageuse, rentre chez elle en business class

PARIS (AP) - Le long périple d'Emily, la chatte voyageuse, prend fin. Le petit animal originaire du Wisconsin, qui avait voyagé clandestinement fin octobre dans un conteneur de navire entre les Etats-Unis et la France, a pris l'avion en business class jeudi à Paris pour rentrer aux Etats-Unis.

"Je ne crois pas qu'elle boira du champagne mais je crois qu'elle sera heureuse de se reposer", a plaisanté un porte-parole de Continental Airlines, Philippe Fleury, à l'aéroport Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle.

La compagnie américaine a offert le vol retour gratuit en business class pour la chatte après que l'histoire de l'animal eut fait le tour du monde et qu'Emily eut accompli son mois de quarantaine en France.

"C'est une histoire si merveilleuse que nous voulions y ajouter quelque chose", a expliqué le porte-parole à l'agence Associated Press Television News. Un ticket plein tarif aurait coûté normalement 6.000 dollars et la compagnie a même cru bon de fournir une escorte à la chatte.

La chatte fugueuse, originaire d'Appleton (Wisconsin), avait effectué trois semaines de traversée transatlantique à bord d'un cargo. Durant sa quarantaine, par précaution, un vétérinaire l'a vaccinée contre la rage. Emily, âgée d'un an, découverte famélique par une employée de la société de ruban adhésif Raflatac, à Pompey, près de Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle), s'est refait un poil brillant au chenil de Velaine-en-Haye, tout près de là. AP

 

 

 

Congratulations again to the girl for getting her cat back all the way from Cherbourg.

 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...