Cat takes 800-mile road trip across South West in engine of van

A cat has survived an 800-mile road trip after sneaking into the engine of a van.

Jasmine went missing from Weston-super-Mare on Tuesday and travelled all over south-west England and into Wales.

She was found when the van driver made a stop to top-up windscreen wiper fluid on Thursday, with Jasmine curled up next to the battery peering up at him.

Jasmine was taken to a vet in Devon who contacted her owner, Laura Teale, who said: "I cried when I picked her up."

Van driver Jeff Boorer said that he had been travelling around making deliveries over the three days Jasmine was in the engine.

"I just find it incredible," he said.

"She is such a beautiful cat. She didn't seem to be scared, she was pretty chill," added Mr Boorer.

Ms Teale said that she started to get worried on Tuesday evening, when her eight-year-old Siamese cat did not come home for dinner.

"She is quite shy, so it was unusual for her to go so far," she added.

Ms Teale had started to put up missing posters and leaflets around her neighbourhood when she received a call from a vet who had scanned Jasmine's microchip.

"I was very relieved," she said.

"I have had her since she was a kitten, before I met my partner. She is my fur baby."

Jasmine's adventure took her to various towns and cities and across the Welsh border to Llanelli, eventually ending up in Devon.

Fortunately, Mr Boorer discovered her when he needed to open the bonnet.

"I don't think she can have many lives left now," Ms Teale added.

Jasmine was dehydrated but otherwise fine.

Ms Teale said Jasmine had now gone back to her more regular activity of napping in the conservatory and her three-year-old son was very happy to have her back.

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