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Cat hitches ride on delivery truck from Lower Mainland to Okanagan

Heidi the cat was discovered inside a Buy-Low Foods truck while unloading in Oliver
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Heidi the cat

Spring is in the air and pandemic restrictions are lifting, which has everyone wanting to explore travel opportunities— including cats.

AlleyCats Alliance has recently taken in three felines who all arrived in the Okanagan by chance, after hopping a ride with unsuspecting delivering trucks from the Lower Mainland.

According to AlleyCats president Theresa Nolet, the latest feline arrived in a Buy-Low Foods truck that was travelling to Oliver. The cat was discovered as the truck was being unloaded inside of the building.

“Thankfully, an employee of Buy-Low Foods, who was already working with AlleyCATS to trap some feral cats on her rural property, used one of our traps to catch the little hitchhiker,” explained Nolet.

The cat was affectionally named Heidi, for her hiding skills. However, Heidi wasn’t alone in that delivery truck, she is pregnant and carrying kittens.

“We have never had this type of incident before, but this is our third this year,” said Nolet.

In January, the non-profit was notified of a cat that had travelled to the Okanagan in the engine of a car that was being transported on a flatbed semi-truck, after it was involved in a crash. Once the cat was discovered, a mechanic had to take the car’s engine apart to release the feline.

The second cat was also transported in a delivery truck after hitching a ride out of the Lower Mainland. None of the cats were spayed or neutered or had identification, such as a tattoo or microchip. The cats were treated as strays and taken to the vet to be spayed and neutered. After Heidi has her kittens she will be spayed and all of the cats will be put up for adoption.

If you would like to support the work that AlleyCATS does visit the website using PayPal, www.alleycatsalliance.org, or by snail mail at 332, 113-437 Martin Street, Penticton, B.C. V2A 5L1.

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@Jen_zee
jen.zielinski@bpdigital.ca

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Jen Zielinski

About the Author: Jen Zielinski

Graduated from the broadcast journalism program at BCIT. Also holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science and sociology from Thompson Rivers University.
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