Kitten Survives After Accidentally Being Shrink-Wrapped & Shipped Over 500 Miles

Written by: Adri Sandoval
Adri Sandoval is the Special Projects Manager for iHeartDogs and iHeartCats. Her work has deepened her love for animals, fostering a strong passion for rescue and animal advocacy.Read more
| Published on December 8, 2016

After going through quite an ordeal, it’s a miracle that a gorgeous gray kitten – with bright blue eyes – is alive.

The 8-week-old kitten, who has been named Joey, found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Presumably a stray, the kitty somehow managed to get into a package warehouse and got wrapped up with one of the boxes.

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Image Source: Screen Shot via Fox 13 News

 

“Probably he was in the warehouse, [the machine] scared him, he ran up the [packaging] and the machine just went around him and wrapped it,” Dr. Carolyn McCutcheon told Fox 13 News. She is a veterinarian at the Park Avenue Animal Clinic, where Joey is being treated.

Flattened against the package and bound in shrink-wrap, the kitten was then shipped from Chicago to Tennessee.

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Image Source: Screen Shot via Fox 13 News

 

Four days later, a UPS driver went to pick up a load of packages and heard crying from the back of the truck. He went to investigate the source of the noise, and that’s when he found the poor kitten, scared, starved, and dehydrated.

He raced to free the feline, who at first, couldn’t move his legs or head because he’d been stuck in the same position so long. But after being rushed to the vet, everyone was shocked to see that Joey wouldn’t sustain permanent physical damage. However, his emotional scars will take a little longer to heal.

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Image Source: Screen Shot via Fox 13 News

 

“He still won’t let us give him a bath, and he still smells like plastic,” Dr. McCutcheon said in the news story.

Now, Joey is looking for his forever home, but it will need to be with a very special family who can help him cope with the trauma. But with enough love and care, there’s no doubt that this little survivor will live a full, happy life!

Watch the news story here:

(h/t: Fox News 13)