LOS ANGELES - A kitten who survived a three-week ocean voyage from China to California trapped in a storage container without food or water has found a new home.
Los Angeles County animal control officials said Friday that the cat, named Ni Hao or "hello" in Mandarin Chinese, will leave the animal hospital he's called home since turning up in the United States last month to start life this week with a family in the L.A. suburb of Redondo Beach. The family was chosen from more than 80 serious candidates who applied to adopt the stowaway.
The now 5-month-old kitten was found July 11, unable to walk, see or make any sounds. The kitten had shallow breathing and was "curled up in a ball with his eyes shut," said animal control official Aaron Reyes. "... He actually appeared deceased."
The cat was rushed to a care center where veterinarians say he has thrived. The only lingering sign of trauma is a limp. Ni Hao is "still a bit wobbly" and "may end up being a special-needs kitty for life," said Reyes. But, "he's gone from this shriveled up little kitten with shallow breathing and knocking on death's door to this curious, playful, bouncy, affectionate, patient, little furry kitty."
Ni Hao has created a media buzz. Dozens of news outlets from all over the globe have visited. Shelter workers have a couple of theories to explain how Ni Hao survived, Reyes said. They think he ate or drank something just before wandering into the container, or "he is so young his resilience is off the charts."
