Utah cat found in Amazon warehouse a week after sneaking into a return box

A Utah couple were purr-plexed when one day their shy cat, Galena, suddenly disappeared. And then she was found in an Amazon warehouse all the way in California.

Galena mysteriously went missing on April 10, but her owners couldn't figure out how the indoor cat could disappear without a trace, Carrie Clark told NBC affiliate KSL. A week later, the couple got a notification that Galena's microchip had been scanned and they were soon on a call with a veterinarian in Los Angeles.

Galena survived for six days without food or water after she was accidentally shipped out with an Amazon return.

“I ran to tell my husband that Galena was found and we broke down upon realizing that she must have jumped into an oversized box that we shipped out the previous Wednesday,” Clark said.

The indoor cat has a penchant for playing in boxes, according to Clark, and is particularly skilled at hiding.

Clark told KSL she was able to speak with the Amazon warehouse worker, Brandy, who found Galena. The Amazon employee told Clark over the phone that she took care of the feline friend before taking her to the vet the next day. Upon getting the call, Clark and her husband booked a flight to California to reunite with their cat.

“Galena is a huge emotional support to me and has helped me get through many health challenges over the past six years,” Clark said. “The anxiety and stress of not knowing what happened to her was excruciating.”

The couple updated a Facebook post on the Utah County Lost & Found PETS group that Clark made when Galena first went missing, explaining the story and describing the cat's survival as a “tender” mercy.

“Her bloodwork was completely normal!!” the post said. “Despite being much skinnier she is completely unharmed! We’re in awe of all the tender mercies that have taken place.”