The port officials in Genoa, Italy, made the startling discovery that a passenger hailing from Tunis had traveled on a vessel carrying cargo. Before setting sail on its three-day journey, the ship was boarded by a stowaway cat.
The Genoa port is accustomed to receiving ships full of products coming from the other side of the Mediterranean Sea. However, the port staff was certainly not prepared for their latest discovery.
On board a ship that traveled from Tunisia to the Italian city, there was a “stowaway” passenger. Workers at the port discovered this stray kitten.
Italian news outlet Kodami reported that the fearless kitty would soon get the chance to meet an adoptive
When workers at the port of Genoa spotted a calico kitten with green eyes on board a docked ship, they were taken aback. The consignment had initially arrived from Tunis with no mention of livestock.
It seems likely this puss had managed to get onto the boat right before the doors were closed and the ship set sail. On the massive vessel, the tiny creature obviously went unnoticed until the final destination in Italy.
She had no notion that her inquisitive nature would lead her across the Mediterranean Sea until she was imprisoned in the cargo ship.
In total, the cat had covered a distance of 500 miles (800 kilometers) over three days. Unfortunately, this daring puss probably went without food or drink during the travel.
The stowaway cat has sailed for a fresh start
At the Traghetti terminal in Genoa, the staff took care of the hungry animal. They placed her in a transport cage and brought her to a local branch of the animal welfare association Croce Gialla (Yellow cross in Italian).
The staff from Croce Gialla eventually sent the critter to an animal sanctuary in Monte Contessa, located approximately 10 kilometers from the port in Liguria.
As soon as the kitten arrived at the refuge, a veterinarian examined her. The practitioner determined that she was in remarkably good health, considering the long journey she had endured.
However, the kitten would not be able to avoid the standard quarantine.
Indeed, local laws require any animal from outside the European Union into Italy (and, by extension, the European Union) to be placed in mandatory quarantine.
Following the completion of the required quarantine period, the cat will be made available for adoption and begin her new life in Italy.
This isn’t the first time kittens have appeared in Genoa. Recently, a cat called Raya was found in one of the engines of a ferry arriving from Tunis.