28th November 2006

Amazing Escape For Stowaway Cat

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A stowaway cat, that survived an incredible 17-day journey travelling more than 2,000 miles trapped inside a cargo container, has been rescued by the RSPCA and officers from Lancashire County Council's trading standards.

The thin, white male cat leapt from a sealed container on the back of a lorry as it was unloaded at a warehouse in Lancashire, following a long-haul journey from Israel.

He is now recovering in a quarantine kennel and has been named Ziggy, after David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust because, like the iconic singer, he has one green eye and one blue eye.

"It's amazing that he survived," said RSPCA animal collection officer (ACO) James Ratcliff. "When I was called, the cat was on a flat roof where he was licking puddles of water because he was so dehydrated. He had been without food and water for some time.

"He did collapse once onto his side at one point, so he must have been quite weak, but he was quite feisty which was a good sign. It took more than five hours before we finally caught him in the trap."

Ziggy's incredible journey began when the 40ft container, stocked with plastic goods, was sealed at a factory at Afula in northern Israel, and Ziggy somehow found his way inside.

Ziggy will have to stay in quarantine for six months as a precaution against rabies, which could cost a total of about £1,700. Kind-hearted staff at Lancashire County Council have started an emergency fund to help pay for his quarantine.

The RSPCA and Lancashire County Council Trading Standards are attempting to trace Ziggy's owners in Israel in the hope of returning him to his original home.