Kitten miraculously survives 500-mile journey trapped inside taxi grille

A kitten miraciously survived a 500-mile trip from Wales to Bristol being stuck behind the grille of his taxi.

Tom Hutchings, aged 32, unintentionally took the kitten on a drive from his home in Tonyrefail in Wales to Bristol Airport, Llanelli, Cardiff and Treherbert.

Tom believes the kitten had been in his grille all day, but says it could have been several days as she had been missing for a week.

Tom, who runs Tommy’s Taxis, said: “My partner was driving in front of me and as she went round a corner she looked back and I saw her freak out. I thought my car was on fire. I pulled over and went to have a look at what it was.

“The cat was black so I didn’t see it at first. When she turned her head round to me I jumped a mile and fell backwards.

“I got my tool box out and got my bumper off of my car. The cat was freaking out but I did what I had to do and picked her up out of the grille. I got her into the passenger seat of the car and she fell asleep within seconds. Completely conked out. She must’ve been exhausted bless her.”

Tom drove the cat, called Gizmo, to a local vet who confirmed she was healthy. Thankfully, Gizmo had been microchipped and her owners from Miskin, Wales were contacted.

She had been missing for a week from her home - seven miles away from Tom’s house where he had not picked up from in several weeks.

Tom said: “I have no idea how she ended up there. There’s no hole under the grille or anything. My presumption is that she had gotten in there the same day. It had been one of those days where I had been driving for hours on end and done at least 500 miles.

“For all I know she had only been in there ten minutes but she probably could have been there for a year and I wouldn’t have known because I would never think to check there. Now every time I pass my car I look behind the grille just incase.”

Gizmo’s grateful owners reached out to Tom several days after the incident to give their thanks. Tom said he was assured Gizmo was back at home getting lots of attention.