NEED A GREAT, EXPERIENCED ENGLISH TEACHER OR PERSONAL TUTOR? Contact Teacher Jack!
[Convenient New Feature: ARCHIVE of All Articles]
STOWAWAY CAT GOES TOURING IN AN AMAZON BOX
The disappearance of a beloved pet is always a nerve-shattering experience. Fortunately, the story does sometimes have a happy ending when the wayward animal returns home safe and sound.
The adventure of one Utah family’s cat ended on just such a positive note, and the kitty’s owners could have never dreamed how far away their cat would go or how she would get there.
Galena, a house cat, traveled all the way to California — in an Amazon box.
The sneaky feline managed to hide in an Amazon box containing merchandise for return, without her owners noticing. They sealed and shipped the box off, not realizing that Galena was still inside.
For the next week, she traveled through the Amazon shipping network. She had no food or water, but luckily a tear in the box’s corner kept Galena from suffocating.
Eventually, an Amazon warehouse worker realized there was something unusual inside that box. She pulled Galena out and took her to a veterinarian.
The vet found a microchip on the kitty and called her owners, leading to a very happy reunion a couple of days later.
Galena belongs to the Clark family of Salt Lake City, Utah. She has always been an indoor cat, so the family usually knows where she is.
Imagine their surprise, then, when Galena vanished into thin air last month.
Where could she have gone? Had the call of the great outdoors finally gotten too strong for her to resist?
That is what the Clarks thought. They began looking for the cat around their neighborhood, posting “Missing Cat” signs all over the place and asking neighbors if they had seen Galena.
Yet, despite a week’s efforts, the family found no trace of their beloved cat. The uncertainty of what had happened to her began to take a toll on their nerves.
“Galena is a huge emotional support to me and has helped me get through many health challenges over the past six years,” Carrie Clark said.
“The anxiety and stress of not knowing what happened to her was excruciating,” she added.
Shortly before the disappearance, the Clarks had ordered some footwear from Amazon on a “try-before-you-buy” deal. Not all the footwear fit their intended wearers, so the Clarks planned to ship some of it back in a box that they had prepared.
You know how cats are about cardboard boxes. They cannot resist the temptation to hide in them.
Galena found plenty of extra room among the boots, so the Clarks did not realize that she was inside when they taped the box shut and sent it off to Amazon.
And so began Galena’s accidental odyssey. For the next seven days, she hit every transport stop on the Amazon network.
Apparently, Amazon staff handled the box with care because Galena eventually emerged without any injuries. One of the box’s corners did get ripped, but that was good luck for Galena, since the hole allowed fresh air into the box.
Still, she had no water or food. Trapped in her cardboard prison, she traveled through the delivery system until she arrived in an Amazon warehouse in Los Angeles, California — 600 miles from home.
Galena’s rescue finally came at that warehouse. A staff member at the facility, named Brandy, realized there was something in the box that should not be there.
Not knowing why Galena was in the box or where she had come from, Brandy looked after the thirsty and hungry kitty before dropping her off at a vet the following day.
Galena is lucky to have responsible owners, because they had microchipped her. So, the vet was able to recover the Clarks’ contact information and give them a call.
“I did not believe what I heard at first and thought it was a prank,” admits Carrie.
“[Brandy] was so relieved to find out that we love Galena and were desperately looking for her,” Carrie said.
She and her husband booked a flight to Los Angeles for the very next day.
They packed Galena’s pink travel carrier, food, treats, and some towels for her comfort.
As soon as the Clarks walked into the vet’s office, Galena recognized their voices and immediately turned into one happy, purring, little furball.
“It was an amazing reunion! Galena instantly stopped shaking and relaxed in my arms when I got to hold her again,” recalled Clark.
She was skinnier than before and a bit dehydrated, but otherwise, Galena came out of her adventure no worse for wear.
Now, Galena is safely back home, but we bet that the Clarks will be triple-checking any boxes they mail out, from now on.
Incidentally, Galena is not the first cat that has stowed away, trying to travel. Check out “Cat Scan.”
But, for the totally unfair way that dog travelers get treated, take a look at luxurious “Canine Airlines.”
SOURCE: oddee.com
LEARNING TOOLS
English questions about this article or about English in general?
Ask Teacher Jack at: asktjack1@gmail.com
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PAGES:
Facebook:
Full Spectrum English Tutor Teacher
Jack
ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW AT
Offbeat English
https://linggle-offbeatenglish.blogspot.com/