Rescue alert for stowaway cat

An international mercy mission has been launched to rescue a Taranaki cat who has stowed away on a methanol tanker.

A crew member of the Tomiwaka had taken the friendly tortoiseshell, called Colin's, on board two weeks ago. They fell asleep in his cabin and when they awoke the tanker had left port. The tanker is now somewhere north of Papua New Guinea on the way to Korea.

Colin's is resident puss at Port Taranaki's tanker terminal and staff there are organising a ship-to-ship cat transfer to another tanker heading to New Plymouth.

They fear that if she is taken ashore in Korea to wait for the next ship to New Plymouth, she may then have to be quarantined for several months before being allowed into New Zealand.

"We hear there are about three methanol tankers in the general area which are scheduled to sail to Port Taranaki," tanker terminal watch-house staff member Garth Stone said yesterday.

"There's all sorts of action going on regarding a possible transfer. We hope it works - our cat's a lovely little thing."

Colin's, so named because she was originally adopted by an employee called Colin and became known as Colin's Cat, has lived at the port for nine years. .

"She thinks she runs the place," said Mr Stone.

- NZPA