A Utah couple accidentally shipped their family cat in an Amazon return box from Utah to California. The pet was found six days later, more than 1,000 miles away. Carrie Clark said her cat, Galena, mysteriously disappeared on April 10. For a week, she and her family and friends searched their home, neighborhood and surrounding community, posting pleas on social media and putting up posters. Nothing. “Galena has been a huge emotional support for me, helping me through many health challenges over the past six years,” Clark told Salt Lake City TV station KSL. “The anxiety and stress of not knowing what happened to her was excruciating.” Then, on April 17, Clark received a text message saying that Galena’s microchip had been scanned that afternoon. Minutes later, she got a call from a veterinarian’s office saying her cat was there. The catch? It was more than 1,000 miles away.

Curious cat Galena jumps into an Amazon box...and goes for a 650 mile journey! https://t.co/8lgcCXe53R pic.twitter.com/QkSeHlP86Q

— USA TODAY Video (@usatodayvideo) April 25, 2024

“At first I didn’t believe her and thought it was a prank,” Clark said, adding that the vet told her the cat had been found in an Amazon box with five pairs of boots. “I ran and told my husband that Galena had been found and we were floored when we realized she had jumped in a large box we had shipped out the previous Wednesday,” Clark said. “The box was a ‘try before you buy’ work boot with a steel toe.” Galena was in the box for six days without food or water before she was found at a warehouse by Brandy, an Amazon employee who cared for her overnight and took her to the vet the next day. “After speaking with the vet, I was able to get Brandy on the phone!” Clark said. “She was so relieved to know that we love Galena and had been desperately searching for her.” The couple quickly made plans to retrieve their cat, booking a flight for the next day. They packed her food, her favorite treats and towels that smelled like home. “It was the most amazing reunion! Galena instantly stopped shaking and relaxed in my arms the second I held her again,” Clark said. “Although she had lost some weight and was a bit dehydrated, her blood work came back completely normal and she is otherwise unharmed!” Speaking to the Deseret News , Galena’s grateful owner urged pet owners to microchip their animals and to “triple-check your Amazon boxes.” Also on FTW Outdoors: Cat that was presumed dead for 2 years shows up at doorstep after 700-mile journey