Hove cat hitchhikes 76 miles

16 June 2010, 17:07 | Updated: 16 June 2010, 17:12

An adventurous kitten from Hove is looking for her owner after hitchhiking 76 miles in a BMW sports car.

The tortoiseshell tabby is being fostered by the South Buckinghamshire branch of the RSPCA after being discovered in the spare-tyre compartment of the car on Saturday (12 June).

It is thought that she climbed into the vehicle when it was parked in Adelaide Mansions, Hove on Friday night (11 June), because it seemed a comfy, warm place to sleep.

It was only when the drivers stopped to get a drink along the M40 at Junction 2, near Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, on their way to Manchester, that they heard the miaow and realised they had a stowaway on board.

The Fire Brigade was called to rescue the roaming pet, thought to be around six months old, and she was then passed onto the RSPCA for safekeeping.

The cat was unhurt but she not wearing a collar and has not been micro-chipped so the RSPCA is now searching for her owner, who is believed to be probably from the Hove area. If the owner has not been found in seven to ten days a new home will be sought.

Douglas Davidson, RSPCA Inspector for Oxfordshire, said: “If only the cat had been micro-chipped, we would have been able to take her home and re-unite her with her family immediately.

“Instead there is probably a very frantic owner out there and the tabby is living in a shelter. There is a lesson here about the importance of micro-chipping your animals.

“The kitten is completely unscathed, but may have used up one of her nine lives.”

If you think this may be your pet please call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 and quote log number 630 14/16.