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Kitten survives car crash, fends for self before being found

In this Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016 photo, Robin Harris holds the cat, Cleo, in Mission, Ore., that she found in her hay barn over the weekend. The kitten ran off after her family was involved in a car crash near Harris's house while moving from Utah to Washington and was presumed dead until Harris called the family with the number on the cat's name tag. (E.J. Harris/East Oregonian via AP)
In this Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016 photo, Robin Harris holds the cat, Cleo, in Mission, Ore., that she found in her hay barn over the weekend. The kitten ran off after her family was involved in a car crash near Harris's house while moving from Utah to Washington and was presumed dead until Harris called the family with the number on the cat's name tag. (E.J. Harris/East Oregonian via AP) In this Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016 photo, Robin Harris holds the cat, Cleo, in Mission, Ore., that she found in her hay barn over the weekend. The kitten ran off after her family was involved in a car crash near Harris's house while moving from Utah to Washington and was presumed dead until Harris called the family with the number on the cat's name tag. (E.J. Harris/East Oregonian via AP)

By Associated Press 3 min read

PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) – A gray housecat named Cleo is finally going home after surviving a car crash and fending for herself in unfamiliar territory for several days.

The 7-month-old kitten ran off after her family was involved in a car crash while moving from Utah to Washington on Nov. 28, reported The East Oregonian . Amanda Egan said she was driving with her three children, Cleo and Irene, the family’s Chihuahua-pug mix, when one of the van’s tire gave out.

“The van started to shake. The tire on the driver’s side blew apart,” said Egan. “I tried to move to the side, but we swerved and rolled over and landed on the top.”

Egan and her daughters were not hurt, aside from scratches and bruises. She learned later that the dog ran into traffic and was killed.

The family stayed in Pendleton, Oregon, for three days to regroup. They rented a trailer and searched unsuccessfully for the cat before setting off for their new home in Bellingham, Washington.