Olaf, a 4-year-old indoor cat, had been missing for a few days when he was found under the car
NEED TO KNOW
- Olaf, a 4-year-old indoor cat, went missing and then went on a 15-mile journey after taking shelter under a Cats Protection manager’s car
- Cats Protection staff quickly rescued Olaf and used his microchip to reunite him with his worried owner
- Olaf’s journey highlights the importance of microchipping pets to ensure they can be safely returned if lost
A cat went missing for days — and ended up taking a wild journey in the process.
Four-year-old Olaf went missing and found shelter underneath a car, according to Cats Protection, an animal welfare organization that looks out for cats and kittens in Essex, England.
The car belonged to a manager at Cats Protection, and Olaf clung onto it for about a 15-mile drive.
In video footage, the gray car can be seen pulling into a parking lot. Olaf then suddenly sprinted out from under it.
“My colleague Bex Prentice arrived just after and spotted a cat having fallen from my car," Abigail Harrison, the Cats Protection manager, said.
"She jumped out of her car and scooped up the cat while Maddie Newbury, another team member, grabbed a carrier to secure him before he could run into busy traffic. It all happened so quickly," Harrison added.
The team at Cats Protection then checked Olaf's microchip to find his owner.
Credit: Press Association via AP Images
They discovered the cat belonged to Hazel Ohler, a resident in Braintree, England.
"Olaf is a scaredy-cat who can be afraid of his own shadow, so this must have been so traumatic for him," Ohler, 55, said, according to the BBC.
Ohler explained that Olaf had rarely been outside since he was an indoor cat, so she was worried about him.
"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," she said, adding that she dreaded "to think what might have happened to him" if he hadn't made it to the organization.
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Credit: Press Association via AP Images
“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," Ohler added, per The Independent. “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 any sign of him, I started to lose hope."
While Cats Protection described Olaf as "a bit skittish," he was unharmed during the car journey. He was assessed by a veterinarian.
"It all happened so quickly," Harrison said. "He must have climbed under the bonnet or wheel arch near my home and fallen asleep."
Harrison explained that Olaf's journey highlights the need for pets to have microchips and contact details, just in case they ever go missing.
Ohler said, “I am so grateful to the team at Cats Protection for taking good care of their unexpected visitor and returning him to us so quickly."
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