Durban - A six-week-old kitten had a taste of life in the fast lane when it hitched a ride from Phoenix to Riverhorse Valley in the engine compartment of a VW Jetta on Thursday morning.
The ginger moggie – now named Jetta – survived a 15km, 50-minute trip in rush-hour traffic, and at a top speed of 110km/h, after it fell asleep in the engine of Keeren Dhanraj’s vehicle.
It was only 10 minutes after Dhanraj arrived at work and his colleagues pointed out the kitten sitting next to his car tyre, joking that it was “waiting for him”, that he recognised it as the same feral kitten he had seen playing in his garden that morning.
“There are a lot of stray cats in my area and we feed them,” he said. “I noticed him running around the garden but never noticed him climb into the engine compartment. So I was so surprised when I saw him there. But I have heard stories of cats doing that.”
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Dhanraj’s colleague Tracey Mitchley, who immediately fell in love with the tiny cat and took him to the Umhlanga Veterinary Hospital, said he tried to jump back into the engine when she tried to catch him.
“He was flea-ridden and he was starving. But he tucked into his food… and he has been so good,” she said, cuddling him into her neck.
However, although she would love to adopt Jetta, Mitchley said she already had four cats, and was looking for a good home for him. He received all the necessary treatments and injections at the vet on Thursday.
Anyone wanting to adopt Jetta can call the Umhlanga Veterinary Hospital at 031 561 4023 and leave their details for Mitchley, who will carry out the home checks and adoption process.
The Mercury