Utah resident Galena, a charming six-year-old house cat with a penchant for seclusion and a seemingly innocent fascination with cardboard, recently embarked on a nerve-racking adventure that encapsulated a hasty Amazon delivery, a frantic hunt, a rescue in sunny California, and a tear-jerking reunion.
Galena’s family has yet to reintroduce cardboard into her life, owner Carrie Clark confessed just this past Tuesday. Clark articulated her concern about overwhelming the beloved pet too soon, given the recent emotionally chaotic events.
Galena, a delightful blend of American short hair, Calico, and Siamese, joined Clark’s household as a wee kitten, following the rescue of her pregnant, feral mother by Clark’s aunt. Since then, Galena has cultivated an indispensable place in Clark’s heart, proving to be not just a pet, but also a stalwart companion and a source of emotional consolation.
“She’s been there for me through numerous health challenges. We’ve weathered those storms together. Apart from that, she’s incredibly affectionate and intuitive. If you’re feeling under the weather, she knows,” Clark explained affectionately. “That makes her truly exceptional to me.”
Consequently, when Galena went missing on April 10, Clark was distraught. She coordinated searches within their local neighborhood, networked her plea via flyers, and utilized Facebook’s lost pet pages specific to their hometown of Lehi, Utah. The uncertainty of her feline friend’s whereabouts was torturous for Clark, who tearfully confided, “For seven days straight, I cried endlessly trying to decipher what had taken place.” She somberly admitted to imagining all possible grim outcomes.
The gloom lifted slightly on April 17, when Clark received a vitally important text that told her Galena’s microchip had been scanned. Immediately, her heart soared as she realized her beloved pet had been found. A subsequent phone call identified the cat’s location, unbelievably, in Riverside, California. Galena had inadvertently been packed into a box with steel-toed boots and been dispatched to an Amazon warehouse, a return delivery from Clark’s own household. Clark’s husband, who had ordered a selection of boots, had unknowingly sealed and returned the box with Galena nestled inside.
The cat’s discovery in the Amazon facility led the employees to consult their fellow team player, Brandy Hunter. Hunter, renowned for his passion for feline rescue, brought the confused Galena home and promptly took her to the vet’s office for a scan the succeeding day.
“I was desperate to be with her,” Clark shared. Upon learning from Hunter that Galena was well, albeit having suffered six food and water-less days in a box, she and her husband didn’t hesitate to book flights to California.
The heartwarming reunion transpired at the veterinarian’s facility, after which the couple rented a car for a homeward journey featuring one very special passenger. “We did what we felt was necessary because I simply adore her,” Clark underscored.
“We were fortunate enough to bring Galena back home,” Clark confided, attributing their serendipitous outcome in part to the favorable weather, the tear in the box which allowed Galena breathing room, and Hunter’s conscientious care of their pet.
Since then, Clark has utilized her pet’s gripping narrative to encourage pet owners to be vigilant while packaging items for delivery, and consider microchipping their pets as an added measure of protection. Clark added, with a touch of irony in her voice, “She’s not one for meows. We so wished she would have meowed, indicating her presence in the box.
