Cat Hits the Road As Co-Pilot to Her Trucker Mom

This story has been shared as part of the Fur Fam Story Contest. Submissions were accepted through December 5th. Voting will run from December 6th through December 31st. Three grand prize winners will receive a $500 prize, plus $2000 in cash and supplies for their favorite shelter. See all the stories here!

I found Tiny on June 9, 2017. She was starving, filthy, and covered in fleas. I thought she was probably at most 6 months old because she was so small. I picked her up, and my life has never been the same.

After getting cleaned up and a belly full of food, she went to the vet. I found out she was about a year and a half old. She had all her shots and was spayed.

I’m a truck driver and I was gone all week but home weekends, but my boyfriend is home everyday so I’d leave her at home. She didn’t seem to be feeling well one weekend, and back to the vet she went. We found out she had polyps in her ears, so she saw a specialist. We were told of the $4,000 surgery she would need to remove them. It took two months to save the money, but she did have the surgery.

Her recovery required meds every few hours and a cone she needed to wear. I decided she would come in the truck with me so I could watch her constantly and give her the meds. Recovery was slow, so she stayed with me longer. Turns out she loves the truck and loves sitting on the dash watching everything go by. So four years later, she is still with me in the truck and I wouldn’t drive an inch without her. She’s my co-pilot and my best friend; we’ve been everywhere together.

I converted the top bunk into her own apartment with boxes to hide in and toys to play with. The dash where she lays while working is her huge window to the world where she sees birds, cars, people, etc. Everyone gets a kick out of seeing a cat in a truck. Whether we’re sitting at lights or in traffic, people always smile and point at her. She is simply the greatest cat, co-pilot, and friend I could ever ask for.

This story was submitted by Brigitte Lewis, in support of Cat Welfare Association. To see other Fur Fam Story Contest submissions, click here!