A kitten traveled 300 miles in a pilot’s car and found a new home in the Navy
A small cat, believed to have climbed into a car bumper, was found in the UK after a 300-mile journey.
Lt. Nick Grimmer, a Royal Navy pilot, heard the kitten meowing a day after driving from Birmingham to the Royal Naval Air Station in Culdrose. He and his colleagues disassembled the car and discovered the kitten hiding inside the bumper of his BMW.
The pilot’s colleagues in the 814 Naval Air Squadron, also known as the Flying Tigers, have named the kitten “Tigger”.
Nick, who flies submarine-hunting Merlin helicopters, explained, “After returning from vacation, I flew to Birmingham, then traveled through Bristol and Bath before arriving late in Cornwall. I searched the trunk, under the hood, climbed all over and under the car, but still couldn’t locate the source of the meowing sound.”
“I contacted some of our air engineers, who came and assisted me in dismantling my beloved car,” Nick continued. “After removing the rear bumper, we discovered a small, tiger-striped kitten inside. Despite his long journey, he was miraculously unscathed. I couldn’t leave him behind, so I had to bring him to work with me.”
“He seems to feel most at ease in my flying helmet, where he can comfortably sleep,” Nick added.
Commander Brendan Spoors, the Commanding Officer of the Flying Tigers, expressed his delight at adopting Tigger as the unit’s mascot. “It’s a Royal Naval tradition to have a ship’s cat!” he exclaimed.
“We suspect that Tigger has an owner somewhere between here and Birmingham, and we are determined to locate them. I’ve instructed my team to launch ‘Operation Tiger Kitten,’ and with the help of social media, we hope to accomplish our mission by the end of the week,” he added.
And with that, Tigger became a bona fide Navy cat – what a heartwarming end to a fantastic tale!
The story is a reminder of the resilience of animals and the kindness of humans.
