Northampton couple find cat stowed away after Channel voyage

The cat was stuck in the front of the car and was rescued by staff at a garage

A stowaway kitten had to be rescued from beneath a car bonnet after making an unscheduled 270-mile (430km) journey from France.

Renee and Doug Bliss, of Duston, Northampton, only realised they had an extra passenger when they heard meowing after pulling into a service station.

As reported in the Northampton Chronicle and Echo, they could not retrieve the cat so called a garage.

He was freed after the front of the car was removed.

Malo was named after the French port of St Malo, where Mr and Mrs Bliss think he came from

They discovered the cat after pulling in to Scutton Scotney services, near Winchester, Hampshire.

He has since been renamed Malo, after the French port of St Malo, from where the couple had sailed on an overnight ferry to Portsmouth.

"He had got on board our car some time in the night on the car deck, and exactly when and why will always be his little secret," said Mrs Bliss.

"His ordeal travelling in the car lasted four hours, from 08:00 to 12:00, having been in there for up to 13 hours already," she said.

Lisa Roskowski, from Baker's of Oakley garage in Basingstoke, where the Hyundai i30 was taken, said: "Russell Baker, our manager, managed to get the front of the car off and untangled the cat.

"He had wedged himself in, so when he got out him out, I gave him lots of cuddles and we then called a vet."

Malo is now looking for a new home after being held in quarantine

Mr and Mrs Bliss said they were unable to keep Malo as they already had two rescue cats.

After the rescue operation, Malo was taken to quarantine kennels, where he was held for 21 days.

He is now at the Blue Cross centre in Southampton, waiting for a new home.