Journey, the orange tabby cat, has made great strides after she was found emaciated and terrified inside a shipping container from China and brought to the Maple Ridge branch of the BC SPCA to recover, reports the organization.
The cat, estimated to be about six years old, was discovered among pallets and shredded cardboard inside a shipping container in Prince George last April.
According to the BC SPCA, the container had left the city of Shenzhen three weeks earlier.
The cat weighed only about 1.5 kilograms and likely survived by licking condensation off the container walls.
In an update Tuesday, the animal welfare organization said that, after a lot of hard work, Journey is now well on her way to a life of cat naps and pushing objects off tables.
“For a long time, she froze in terror every time she saw a human. We didn’t think we’d be able to save this anguished little cat,” Rachel Gant, with the BC SPCA, said in a news release.
“I can’t think of anything harder for an animal to overcome than terror.”
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Shortly after she was found, Journey was placed in isolation at the SPCA in Prince George, where veterinarians and volunteers worked to treat her liver disease and extreme emaciation.
Then came the more difficult feat: teaching the terrified animal to trust people again.
“Her will to live had impressed everyone, but her distrust was equally strong,” the BC SPCA said in a video about the rehabilitation.
Veterinarian behaviourist Dr. Karen van Haaften took her home to ensure she received around-the-clock care.
Slowly but surely, Journey started to take food from human hands. She became more curious, perching on the rafters at the local branch and climbing around her room. She was eventually placed into foster care.
Now, the organization said the cat has formally been adopted and will move to her forever home soon.
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