Stowaway Kitten from China Meows for First Time

A 3-month-old kitten "Shanghaied" to Los Angeles in a shipping container was under quarantine today, recovering from its roughly two- week, 6,500-mile transpacific odyssey at a county animal shelter.

The kitty, named "Ni Hao" or hello in Mandarin, went without food and water while cooped up in the container and is just now strong enough to stand.

"Ni Hao greeted the medical team with his first meows this morning and is attempting to stand," said Marcia Mayeda, director of the county's Department of Animal Care

The orange-and-white, male shorthaired kitten was found Wednesday when the container from Shanghai, China, was delivered to a business in near Compton.

Ni Hao will be under quarantine for 60 days at the shelter in Carson "but (he) may be allowed to finish the quarantine period under the care and supervision of a foster family if his health continues to improve," Mayeda said.

Mayeda added the kitten already has dozens of interested fosters and potential adopters. Anyone interested in adopting the kitten was asked to email carson@animalcare.lacounty.gov or call (310) 527-5146.

- City News Service