Stowaway cat survives

Her journey is close to a happy ending. 

You may remember a cat that arrived in Prince George back in April 2019 after coming from Shenzen, China (via Vancouver) and it survived more than three weeks in a 40-foot shipping container.

It was believed the cat survived by drinking the condensation. She was found by staff at a local glass distribution company where she was discovered among pellets, shredded cardboard and styrofoam inside the large container.

The BC SPCA issued a plea for donations and help for the six-year-old female, who was later dubbed 'Journey,' and more than $20,000 was raised for her care. 

“SPCA staff and volunteers have spent hundreds of hours caring for six-year-old Journey, ensuring that she received life-saving medical treatment and on-going behaviour modification to help her overcome her extreme fear of humans,” BC SPCA spokesperson Lorie Chortyk says.

“When she was well enough, she was transferred from Prince George to the Lower Mainland, where she has been fostered for the past several months by Dr. Karen van Haaften, a board-certified veterinary behaviourist and the BC SPCA’s senior manager of behaviour and welfare.”

Chortyk adds while Journey has made great progress through her daily behaviour sessions, she may never be a cat who seeks out attention or enjoys being pet.

“But she loves to play and can now tolerate being touched," she says. "She is ready for a forever home where she can continue to build trust with people.”

Journey was in foster care in the Lower Mainland as of Nov. 29 with a video showing her progress from being in the SPCA's care to her playing in her new temporary home. 

The feline will be up for adoption and searching for a home in Metro Vancouver or the Lower Mainland. 

She's looking for a calm, adult-only home with a predictable routine and an indoor-only lifestyle inside a small home (such as an apartment or condo) with no other cats and someone who is willing to continue with her touch-tolerance training and also give her lots of playtime. 

"Experience with under-socialized cats would be an asset, but the SPCA can provide training & ongoing support for her behaviour needs," a release reads. 

She never stopped believin'.