Couple Mistakenly Ship Own Cat in Amazon Package to California

While returning an Amazon item, a Utah couple inadvertently mailed their beloved cat, Galena, to California.

After Galena failed to return home on April 10, her loved ones searched for her and posted missing person posters throughout town and online. Clark got a text message informing her that Galena’s microchip had been checked one week after her disappearance. She got a call from a vet in California telling her that the feline had been discovered inside an Amazon package. The package that Clark was returning included five pairs of work boots with steel toes, which Galena had accompanied on her journey.

From Utah to California, the shortest possible distance is a few hundred miles.

Brandy, an Amazon employee, took in the stray cat the night she was found in the box and took her to the doctor the next day. The employee rushed her to the doctor after six days without food or drink.

Due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, more consumers are choosing to shop online rather than at traditional businesses. This change dramatically increased the number of online returns in 2021, and the number has only increased since then.

Clark hopes everyone who reads the tale of the “cat that went postal” will get a pet microchip. Even though one-third of all pets will go missing at some time, microchipped animals have a far better chance of being found and returned to their owners, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Usually, you may expect to pay $40 to $70 for a cat microchip.

Upon hearing the news of her being found, Galena’s “parents” promptly scheduled a flight for the next day, ensuring their “daughter” would be reunited. The Amazon employee was ecstatic since the cat could instantly identify her owners’ sounds.

The feline is back in Utah with the family, and the “mom” wants everyone to remember to microchip their pets.