Cat's 'tail' of survival

The name Journey was a fitting choice for this special cat.

It has taken months of treatment, rehabilitation, care and trust building, but the feral six-year-old cat survived a harrowing three-week voyage from Shenzhen, China, to the Port of Vancouver before being discovered hiding in a crate delivered to an auto glass distribution company in Prince George.

She was barely conscious when the container was opened and was facing life-threatening medical issues. Weighing less than five pounds, Journey was so emaciated her ribs were showing, and she was suffering from liver disease caused by starvation.

Her road to recovery began at North Cariboo District SPCA, where she was kept in quarantine. She received fluids and was slowly reintroduced to food.

Journey was terrified of human contact and would hiss and growl at staff. As she became stronger, she was transferred to the SPCA’s Maple Ridge branch for care.

“Because of her intensive fear of humans, it was challenging to provide the medical care Journey required, but staff used low-stress handling techniques and immediately began implementing a behaviour modification plan to help her adjust to being handled,” the SPCA said in a statement.

While in Maple Ridge, Journey received ongoing treatment for a liver parasite and had oral surgery to extract damaged teeth and address severe dental disease.

Journey’s progress was slow, but staff members were delighted to see small improvements in her emotional welfare each week. She has now reached the point where she will play with toys with her foster carer.

While she’s made great strides in her recovery, Journey will need a few more months in her foster home before she’s ready to be adopted.