Left: An undated image of Galena the cat. Right: An undated of the box the cat was accidentally shipped in to a Southern California Amazon facility from Utah.
A Utah couple is thanking their lucky stars after they were reunited with their pet cat they accidentally shipped to an Amazon facility in Riverside while trying to make a return.
Galena the cat is back home in the Beehive State after the wayward feline’s tendency to snuggle in boxes inadvertently took her on a trip to Southern California.
According to the cat’s owners, Matt and Carrie Stevens Clark, the pair shipped a box of shoes to Amazon for a return. Little did they know, however, Galena made the mistake of making herself comfortable in that very same box.
“That was the worst part, we just had no idea what happened,” Carrie told NBC affiliate KSL News. “She just mysteriously disappeared. We had absolutely no idea what happened to her.”
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
Desperate to find their beloved pet, the couple set out fliers in their neighborhood bringing attention to their cat’s disappearance. They also called friends, family members and neighbors inquiring about Galena’s whereabouts.
With no leads on their cat’s location, the couple became disheartened; that is -- until they received a shocking phone call that Carrie described as “the most amazing, insane news in the entire world.”
Galena’s microchip was detected 650 miles away in Riverside. An Amazon worker found the cat and took her under her care until the family could be reunited.
U.S. & World
“I just couldn’t even believe that she was in California,” she said. “I thought it was a prank. It’s still hard to wrap my brain around.”
According to the Clarks, their cat sneakily went undetected in the large box and was shipped off.
“We had no idea, so Matt took her to the package drop-off without knowing that our dear cat was inside,” Carrie said.
Galena went six days without food or water but according to her owners, she has since recovered.
“We’re just so happy to have her again,” Carrie said. “Oh my goodness.”
