A stow-away feline got more than he bargained for after he was struck by a car at a 100km/h. The cat got wedged behind the number plate and transported from his home in Roxburgh to Alexandra.
He is unharmed and happy to be home, but Bekkum the cat is in no mood to socialise after his harrowing ordeal.
The eight-year-old burmese carried almost 40km to Alexandra after being hit.
“[I was] a bit surprised because he promised me he was just going to sit out at the gate and look at traffic rather than get involved,” says Bekkum’s owner Gaynor Crabbe.
“It would have been a terrifying experience because he was lodged open to the elements through the grill, and the car would have been travelling at 100km/h,” says Helen Saunders of SPCA Otago.
Ms Saunders helped with Bekkum's rescue - dismantling the front of the vehicle to get him out.
But his owner says he has a history of hitching rides with un-suspecting drivers, so they put out a warning sign.
“They see him in the rear-vision mirror, he likes the back window,” says Ms Crabbe.
One of four felines, Bekkum is certainly the boss – and the rest of the family attribute his strength to markings similar to that of a famous All Black.
“I just sort of liken him a wee bit strength-wise to Jonah Lomu, with his elevens on his eyebrows,” says Ms Crabbe.
“He’s a very lucky cat and I’m sure he has used up one or two of his nine lives. I’m hoping that the eleven markings on his head mean he’s got eleven lives.”
And while this cat seems to have more than just luck on his side it is hoped the stroppy feline has learnt to be a little more fearful of the road.
3 News
source: newshub archive
