Cat Survives 3 weeks Crossing Ocean

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SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - A cat whose owners thought was lost spent

nearly three weeks crossing the Pacific Ocean in a shipping container

with no food or water — and appears to be just fine.

 

The voyage began after Pamela Escamilla lost sight of her 3-year-old

calico, Spice, while packing a huge container with household goods in

Waikoloa Village, Hawaii.

 

The container was shipped June 15 to Southern California. Escamilla,

39, and her husband couldn't find the cat before taking their flight

and asked neighbors in Hawaii to call if Spice returned.

 

While the Escamillas feared the worst, Spice spent 18 days in the

pitch-black container without food or water as it crossed the Pacific

before arriving at the San Bernardino home of Escamilla's parents on

Tuesday.

 

" We really thought that cat was going to be dead, " said Edward

Gardner, Escamilla's father.

 

When Escamilla opened the container, she and family members huddled

around her noticed fluffs of cat hair on the floor.

 

They started removing items, and Escamilla climbed into the container

to search.

 

" I saw (Spice) poke her head out from behind some bicycles, and I

started to scream, " said Escamilla. She gently picked up the cat and

went to the veterinarian, who said the feline's prognosis was good.

 

" It's always a good day when the cat's alive, " said Escamilla. " We

didn't know what we would find. "

 

Spice's kidneys had shrunk and her bowels were backed up, but she

managed to get some food and water down at the vet, Escamilla said.

 

The vet gave the Escamillas a soup recipe for Spice made of chicken

broth and marrow.

 

" (The vet) said, 'That's a calico for you, " ' Escamilla said. " They

have a survival instinct. "