A cat made a remarkable journey spanning 170 miles from Liverpool to Bristol hiding in the engine of a van. Zetland Veterinary Group is trying to reunite the cat with its owner after he was brought to the practice in Redland on July 28.
Miacarlla Harrison, who works at Parcelforce in Bristol, told BristolLive how one of the company's drivers discovered the kitten hiding in the engine of a van he picked up in the Haydock area of Liverpool. The team managed to encourage him out and they brought him into the office.
The cat has cream and brown markings and is believed to be a ragdoll breed. Because the male kitten is too young to be chipped this makes the possibility of a reunion more difficult.
Ms Harrison said: "Once I found a vet that was willing to look after him I got one of my drivers to take him down to get him checked over. He was very scared initially as he obviously didn't know where he was and he had probably just fallen asleep in there and then all of a sudden there's hands and faces that he doesn't recognise trying to get hold of him. Once he was in the office though he had a little run around doing backflips off the wall so I nicknamed him 'Taz' after the Tasmanian devil."
Vikki Flynn, a student veterinary nurse at the practice, said: "He's quite underweight and he was a bit dehydrated when he came in last night as well. We found ear mites in his ears and they were really dirty and he is showing signs of cat flu. He's not in tip-top condition but considering he's been under a van bonnet he's been quite lucky."
The vet's mission right now is to try and locate the owner if he has one. If no one comes forward then the practice will look into adoption with a local rescue centre.
She continued: "We do reunite cats quite often with their owners who have been missing for months and years, which is why it's so important to microchip your cat. That's how we're able to reunite them. It's not a legal requirement but we do reunite strays on a weekly to monthly basis."
You can contact Zetland Veterinary Hospital on 0117 944 5111 if you think the kitten might be yours, although the practice will require proof that he is yours
