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Lifestyle

Kitten stuck in wheel arch survives 700-mile journey

By
SWNS
Published Sep. 6, 2017
Updated Sep. 11, 2017, 12:06 p.m. ET

A kitten nicknamed Axle hitched a ride around Britain in the wheel arch of a tourist coach for nearly 700 miles.

The 4-month-old ginger kitty got trapped in the vehicle in Devon but was only discovered in the Lake District four days later.

In between, he went on a nationwide tour that took in Lands’ End, London, Windsor and Birmingham before ending up in Cumbria.

He eventually was set free after a mechanic investigated unusual noises the driver heard coming from under the coach.

Axle is now being cared for by Oakhill Vets in Windermere, who have issued an appeal to reunite him with his South Devon owner.

Oakhill Vets / SWNS.com

The cat was finally recovered Monday afternoon and a large crowd gathered to watch him being pulled free from the wheel.

Driver Bill Henderson said he first heard what he described as a “crying” noise after departing from Torquay four days earlier.

He said: “I never thought anything of it but just thought it was a strange noise of the wheel. But then I could hear it on the other side.”

“The mechanic came out and was doing a safety check on the vehicle and as I turned the steering, he said, ‘Is this your cat?'”

“I said, ‘What cat?’ and then all I could see was this wee face looking at me.”

“The noise started off down in the Torquay area and I traveled all around Cornwall to Lands’ End and Tintagel, so he saw a fair bit of the country. Afterwards it was up to London, Windsor, Oxford, Birmingham and then finally to Lakeland.”

“The best laugh was when they took the cat out, there was a young girl who asked what we should call it. I said if it turned out to be a boy, we can call it Axle.”

Oakhill vets said: “It’s very lucky, it’s all OK, just a bit grubby.”

“The exact origin of the cat’s journey can’t be confirmed but the squeaking sound began in Torquay, according to the driver.”

One staff member, Becca Myers, said she had “not seen anything like it” in her 11 years at Oakhill Vets.

Axle isn’t microchipped and has no collar, but proof of ownership will be needed to get him back.