LIMO RIDE HOME CAPS KITTY'S LONG STRANGE TRIP

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - May 7, 2004 - Talk about a cool cat. The feline that came to Tampa from China via boat and train will travel in a limousine today to its new home.

Ultra Pet Co. of South Carolina arranged the limousine ride and donated a year's supply of kitty litter to the cat and her adoptive family, said Hillsborough County spokeswoman Donna Olmstead.

Officials think the 8-month-old cat began her journey at a factory in China, where workers loaded boxed parrot cages into a 40- foot metal container March 4. The container came by boat to Los Angeles, then by rail to Tampa, arriving April 9 at a warehouse on Busch Boulevard. When the recipients opened the container, the cat jumped out.

She's been at Hillsborough County Animal Services ever since.

Named China by Animal Services staff, the cat weighed only 3 pounds when she was discovered. Now up to 4 pounds, 7 ounces, China has been vaccinated and microchipped. When she gets stronger, she will be spayed.

China's story made news across the country, generating e-mails from as far as Vancouver, British Columbia, and five applications from potential owners in Hillsborough County, said Animal Services spokeswoman Susan Saylors.

Randy Lyons, who lives in Tampa with his wife, Marta, two children and two cats, was chosen to adopt the cat because he was first in line, and his application passed muster, Saylors said. Lyons was surprised about the hoopla surrounding the adoption. "We thought we would just pick up the cat and bring it home," he said. "I've never been in a limo myself. It's going to be an experience."

Officials think the 8-month-old cat began her journey at a factory in China, where workers loaded boxed parrot cages into a 40- foot metal container March 4. The container came by boat to Los Angeles, then by rail to Tampa, arriving April 9 at a warehouse on Busch Boulevard. When the recipients opened the container, the cat jumped out.


Copyright St. Petersburg Times Publishing Company
May 7, 2004