PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — An orange tabby cat is likely to have used up more than a few of its nine lives during an unauthorized trip from China to British Columbia.
The North Cariboo District Branch of the B.C. SPCA says the emaciated, six-year-old female was found inside a shipping container originally loaded nearly a month ago in Shenzhen.
The container arrived by freighter in the Port of Vancouver and was shipped to Prince George, where the unnamed cat was found amongst the pallets, shredded cardboard and foam pellets inside the container.
No food or water was available but it's believed the cat survived by licking condensation that had formed on the walls of the shipping container.
Animal control officers say the feline weighed just 1 1/2 kilograms when it was found by staff at a Prince George auto glass distribution company as they unpacked the crates.
The cat is quarantined while being nursed back to health and the SPCA estimates the cost to save it will reach almost $2,800.
Alex Schare with North Cariboo District SPCA says she knew right away that the cat would have an amazing story, but would also require life-saving care following weeks of starvation.
"We rushed her to the vet because she was in such poor condition that we knew she would require intensive veterinary care for an extended period of time to regain her strength,” Schare says in a news release.
The cat is on fluids and is receiving small amounts of food to ensure its body adjusts properly to renewed nutrition.
The strict quarantine is to ensure no diseases are passed to people or animals in this country.
"She has also undergone blood work and will receive a rabies vaccine and dental work when she is strong enough," the release says.
Quarantine won't end until two weeks after the rabies shot, so the cat will be under care for some time. The SPCA is appealing for donations to help defray the costs.