A four-year-old indoor cat named Olaf, who slipped out of his home in Braintree, Essex, has been reunited with his owner after hitching a 15-mile ride underneath a neighbour's car. The feline, described by his owner as "a scaredy-cat who can be afraid of his own shadow," had been missing for four days before being discovered.
The Unlikely Journey
Olaf apparently climbed under the vehicle near his home and remained there as driver Abigail Harrison travelled to work at the Cats Protection Essex Cat Centre in Galleywood. Ms Harrison, the centre's deputy manager, said a colleague spotted the cat falling from her car upon arrival. "It all happened so quickly," she explained. "He must have climbed under the bonnet or wheel arch near my home and fallen asleep. I had driven all that way with this poor cat trapped under my car. I even stopped for petrol on the way, but he didn't budge."
Ms Harrison and her colleagues safely secured Olaf in a carrier. He was given a clean bill of health after a veterinary check. His microchip revealed his owner to be 55-year-old Hazel Ohler, who lives near Ms Harrison in Braintree.
Owner's Relief
Ms Ohler expressed her gratitude: "I was beside myself with worry. We did everything we could to find him, putting up posters, sharing appeals on social media, and even having a search party checking garages and gardens. I left his litter tray outside and put out food and a blanket from my bed in the hope he'd pick up the scent. But as each day passed without sign of him, I started to lose hope."
She added: "I couldn't believe it when Cats Protection called to say they had found him safe and well – especially when I learned how he had ended up miles from home, trapped under a car. It is incredible that he picked that particular car to take a nap in."
The Importance of Microchipping
Ms Harrison emphasised the value of microchips: "Olaf's story demonstrates the value of microchips and keeping your contact details up to date, even for indoor cats. We were able to quickly find details for his owners and reunite them. When they came to collect him, Olaf immediately perked up and was clearly relieved to be with his family again. If he hadn't been chipped, it is doubtful that the family would have seen him again."
