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Kitten put down after surviving 4,000 mile journey trapped in cargo container

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Kitten put down after surviving 4,000 mile journey trapped in cargo container

A kitten travelled 4,000 miles from Turkey in a cargo container (Picture: SPCA)

A kitten had to be put down after it survived a 4,000 mile journey locked in a ship container for three weeks.

The animal had travelled from Turkey to an industrial estate in West Lothian, Scotland in a sealed container.

She was found badly dehydrated and traumatised and taken to a vet after the Scottish SPCA were called to help.

But before she could be taken to a specialist quarantine centre in Aberdeenshire, officials ordered the cat must be put to sleep.

Kitten put down after surviving 4,000 mile journey trapped in cargo container

The animal was found at East Mains industrial estate in West Lothian (Picture: Google)

One SPCA worker told the Daily Record: It came as a huge shock to all of us. If wed known there was a chance shed be euthanised, we may have considered other options.

The cargo container, found on Monday, had travelled through the Mediterranean sea and up to Scotland.

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The animal, which spent the duration of the journey in the sealed container, did not have a microchip.

A spokesperson from West Lothian Council told Metro.co.uk : The cat, which was found in a cargo container from Turkey, was badly dehydrated and traumatised and only able to be examined by a vet under sedation.

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The council and state veterinary service have responsibility for disease control, and rabies is known to exist inthe feral cat population in Turkey. Opinion was sought from a state vet at the Animal Plant & Health Agency (APHA).

Given the cat is believed to have come from Turkey the cat would need to be quarantined for at least four months in order to comply with import controls for rabies protection.

Unfortunately, on the basis of all available information, including the condition of the animal, the likelihood of further distress, and the poor prospects of it adapting to a domestic environment, a decision was taken to have the cat humanely put to sleep.

Under disease control legislation, the responsibility for the cat rested with the council however we were grateful for the assistance of the SSPCA in delivering the cat for examination.

The SSPCA confirmed to us on Tuesday morning that they had no further involvement in this case.

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