Cat surprises driver after hitching 15-mile ride from Barnsley to Wakefield in engine compartment
A charity is searching for the owner of a cat believed to have hitched a 15-mile ride from Barnsley to Wakefield in the engine compartment of a car.
Cats Protection Leeds Cat Centre is hoping to unravel the mystery of how the wayward mog - who the charity have, for now, named Matilda - came to make the 15-mile journey, and hopefully reunite her with her owners.
The black-and-white cat is believed to have climbed under the bonnet of a woman’s car when it was parked at her place of work at Barnsley College’s Honeywell site.
She only discovered the unexpected passenger the following day when her dog was going crazy around the vehicle.
After opening the bonnet, she found the cowering black-and-white moggy, and took it to the Cats Protection centre in Gildersome, near Leeds, for assistance.
Estimated to be around five years old, Matilda, has shown herself to be a friendly little cat but in dire need of some TLC.
The charity’s deputy centre manager, Elizabeth Day, said: “Matilda’s suffered minor burns on her paws from the heat of the car engine, but these have healed very quickly. She isn’t in the best condition, with runny eyes that need bathing and needing extensive dental treatment, which we were able to provide to alleviate her discomfort.
“We would love to get Matilda home but as she isn’t microchipped, and she has travelled so far, it is proving difficult to locate an owner.
“Anyone who thinks this may be their cat, or recognises her from around the college area, should get in touch and we can hopefully solve the mystery. If it turns out she is a stray, we will continue to care for her while she recovers before finding her a loving new home.”
To contact the centre about the cat, email [email protected] or call 0300 012 1505. Proof of ownership will be required.